by Leo Wiles
27 July 2016
I’ve reached a professional plateau and need help. Someone told me I should get a mentor who can help me but I’ve never even considered such a thing. Why would I need one, what can a mentor teach me and where do I find one? Caitlin
When your career stalls, or you find yourself at a crossroads, I’m a huge fan of bringing in the big guns. That is, someone reputable with a proven track record, who can talk you off a ledge and, if you’re lucky, fill in the gaps in your knowledge so you can successfully grow your business.
For example, Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg was mentored by Apple genius Steve Jobs – whom he credits with imparting wisdom on subjects like building a strong team and keeping company focus strong. Condoleeza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State, is also a fan of mentors, saying, ‘Search for role models you can look up to and people who take an interest in your career. But here’s an important warning: You don’t have to have mentors who look like you. Had I been waiting for a black, female Soviet specialist mentor, I would still be waiting. Most of my mentors have been old white men, because they were the ones who dominated my field.’
For more info, I talked to Business Mentoring Noosa (BMN)’s President and mentor Rod Solomons for the lowdown on mentor/mentee relationships at BMN (he’s been mentoring for 2 years now).
“It’s a good way to give back to the community and to increase economic development of our region,” Solomons explains. “Mentoring is the ability to work with a mentee, and help them take an objective look at their business – and be a sounding board without having any vested interest. [At BMN] it’s done by volunteers with very high levels of acumen and business experience; we are not consultants looking to charge hefty fees. We prefer to work more with the person than the business. In our group, mentors include ex-CEOs and ex-business owners who now have the time and energy and passion to give back to others who need someone to talk to and who can offer an honest, impartial and confidential approach.”
And if you’re wondering what a good mentor brings to the table, Solomons’ 40 years of business experience certainly helps. “I’ve also run my own start-up business and sold it, I’ve acquired and managed new divisons of major US-based corporations and I’ve acted as CEO of international banking businesses. I’ve also worked as an international Trade Commissioner in Asia and with Australian companies wanting to export into Asia.”
If you’re feeling ‘stuck’ or not sure where to take your business next, that’s where a mentor can be really beneficial. “We help the mentee see a way out/ahead and help them address new opportunities. To be mentored, we ask that a mentee has been in operation for 6 months or so and can demonstrate some type of cash flow; we don’t work with would-be mentees who have a number of potential ideas and want our help to brainstorm which way to go.”
It’s no quick fix, either – BMN operates on a 12 month basis with possibility of further 12 months renewal and costs $150 a year (to cover the insurance), plus any relevant Chamber of Commerce annual fee. “BMN Mentors are advised fortnightly about new mentees and decide in the mentor group about which mentor (or mentors) would be best suited to the mentee,” explains Solomons.
Naturally, you’ll want a mentor in your area, so try these resources to find one:
www.sbms.org.au/Mentoring/MentorDirectory.aspx
www.australianmentorcentre.com.au
www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au/About/Our-locations
www.acci.asn.au
Have you got a mentor? If so, how beneficial has it been for your business?
