What is Business Mentoring ?

A: A business mentor is someone who has typically experienced the challenges you are facing as you want to grow and develop the business and can offer valuable insights, guidance, advice, and a fresh perspective based on that experience. Your mentor can help you avoid common pitfalls, make smart strategic decisions, and navigate challenging situations.

That may sound similar to what a business consultant offers, but mentors and consultants often differ in their approach, focus and scope of services. Mentors are typically in it for the long haul, offering ongoing support and guidance based on their real-life experiences, while business consultants provide specialized expertise and solutions to specific business challenges on a project or contract basis

A; When you search for a mentor, it's helpful if you can recognise the characteristics of a good one. Here are 7 traits that successful mentors tend to embody:

1. Willing to invest time

Successful mentors are typically willing and able to invest a considerable amount of time in mentoring, which is often a long-term activity and it takes time to achieve results. It typically involves meeting with a mentee at regular intervals, perhaps weekly or monthly, with each session lasting for one to two hours.

2. Consistent

Effective mentors are consistent and reliable. They arrive at mentoring sessions on time, follow up on any promises they make and keep the process on track.

3. Positive

A successful mentor displays a positive, open attitude. They show real and incisive curiosity about the mentee and genuinely want to learn about them and help them achieve their goals. Their positivity and enthusiasm help energise and motivate the people around them.

4. Good communicator

Another trait that effective mentors share is that they are excellent communicators. They're able to clearly state their expectations, explain complex workflows and methods and share their experiences, and most importantly, can summarise effectively what is often a "stream of consciousness" from the mentee. They're also good listeners who ask questions, pay close attention to the mentee's words and body language and hear what they're really trying to say. They can have difficult client conversations and provide constructive feedback when necessary.

5. Flexible

A good mentor takes a flexible approach to mentoring in business. They recognise that every mentee is different and that the kind of mentoring programme is always bespoke. A mentor who tailors their methods to the personality and specific needs of a mentee is more likely to be successful.

6. Respectful

For a mentoring relationship to work, it's important that the mentor respects the mentee as a person and can empathise with them. A good mentor develops a strong working relationship with the mentee over time.

7. Realistic

A good mentor is realistic about what is achievable, and in what timeframe. A mentor will lay out the view of the business circumstances, and have the integrity to stand by this, so as to set mutually acceptable expectations.

A; Hussey & Associates recommend, in general, to meet with your Business Mentor twice a month, with each session around 2 hours. This is some of the best time you can invest in, despite being busy. Remember the principle of Kidlin's law: "If you write the problem down clearly, then the matter is half solved". A Business Mentor can help you identify the source of complex or difficult business circumstances, and set the path for sustainable solutions.

As time goes by, and legacy problems and issues are identified and slowly resolved, the Business Mentor will start working with the client to consider future-oriented growth plans. The time invested to exploring ideas, concepts, solutions and tactics will be dramatically repaid in improvements in the business

A; Paul has been a CEO for almost 20 years, and has experienced almost every conceivable business circumstance across the globe. From having to turnaround a loss-making technology business whose brand had been damaged by product failures, to revitalizing a highly profitable but growth stalled manufacturing business, Paul has seen the highs and lows of what a business owner goes through.

He started Business Mentoring in 2018, and his mentee’s have ranged from a global CEO of an airline, to SME Managing Directors who do not have a sufficiently professional calibre of a leadership team around them.

His style and approach is based on discretion, confidentiality and integrity. He listens intently, delves deeply into the issues, and is not afraid to positively challenge in order to ultimately achieve breakthrough outcomes and professional development.

A; Not at all; this is a highly cost-effective way of having professional guidance and advice tailored specifically to what the business owner needs. It is as if the business has an Advisory Chairman, Strategic Councellor and Strategy Planner all for the cost of a part-time employee.

Mentoring focuses on growing both personally and professionally over the long term. By building a supportive, developmental relationship between mentor and mentee. Coaching, however, is more task oriented, aimed at improving specific skills or achieving particular goals in a shorter time frame. The mentor offers guidance, sharing experiences for broader development, while a coach targets performance in specific areas.