Business Mentors New Zealand has created a robust community of skilled mentors over the past 28 years. With a commitment to supporting our small business and startup communities, our independent not-for-profit organisation has gained considerable experience and recognition, having worked with over 70,000 business people.
Here are some relevant considerations from a mentor’s perspective to ensure a mentee gets the most out of their mentoring relationship.
You Can Not Want It More Than We Do.
Just because a mentor is gifting their time, does not mean they are a cheap coach or consultant that will undertake the tasks and roles you have been avoiding. For most emerging business people, the feeling of isolation, self-doubt, being overwhelmed and endless challenging situations are a normal part of starting and running a business. Avoiding making mistakes or shortening your learning curve is part of a mentor’s value. If you expect that a mentor will start taking the load and doing work for you, think again.
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know.
If you think you know everything, you are not ready for a mentor. You only know what you know, and don't know what you don’t know. The value of a mentor’s perspective is they have likely been there before and have a strategic view on how to get you to where you need to be. You do not have to do everything a mentor tells you to do, but at very least listen and acknowledge what they are suggesting.
Get What You Give.
As a mentee, you have to be as committed to making the relationship with the mentor work, as is the mentor is in seeing you prosper. Setting boundaries and expectations from the beginning are important. Agree to the frequency of meetings, and how much time each of you will invest. A good starting point could be an hour a fortnight for the first few months moving to one meeting per month after that. When you set an agreed meeting schedule, as a mentee, take a proactive role in ensuring the meetings happen. Sitting back and waiting for the mentor to always initiate action can signal, right or wrong, that you are not invested in the process.
Stop Moving the Goal Posts.
A vital contribution to the matching process is undertaken by the BMNZ Regional Mentor Coordinator to ensure the best possible match is made. Skills, availability, experience and personality all form part of this decision. Never expect a mentor who is just like you, they are not there to be your friend. They are there to identify gaps and to challenge you, so chances are it could at first be a challenging relationship.
Here For a Good Time – Not a Long Time.
Once you have established your expected goals and outcomes with the mentor, stick to that. We allocate up to 12 -months engagement with a mentor, you may accomplish your goals in less time which should be celebrated. You can reapply again for a new mentor with a new set of goals, or request to work with the same mentor with a renewed approach.
Change and momentum mean progress, it ensures we move you, as the business owner, closer to what you determine as a success.
Get in touch with Business Mentor New Zealand today and learn about our transformational mentoring programmes for small business owners and start-up founders.
