Learn How a Mentor Can Help You

Often business owners attend training courses and may be:
- Coached
- Taught
- Counselled

They may leave the event full of enthusiasm to put into practice the knowledge they have gained.

However, the eagerness to implement change quickly disappears and old routines and procedures return producing similar results to those prior to the training.

Why should this be?

One should consider the situation the business owner will find himself/herself in. The comfort of the classroom in being told what should be done is very different from understanding how to and having the courage to implement change.

The coach, teacher or counseller may start the change process, however, a mentor may be required to successfully complete the initiative.

In the classroom the emphasis is different from that of the workplace and upon return to the business, the owner will require a different set of values from those of the classroom if success is to be achieved.

This is particularly evident in areas of:
- focus
- skill transfer
- goals
- learning environment

A mentor will be able to take the educational aspects of classroom work and help the owner to convert enthusiasm for change into reality. A mentor will do this in the following ways:

Focus
The mentor will extend the knowledge and self confidence gained in the classroom through building new competencies, in order for the owner to comfortably take all required actions.

Skill Transfer
The mentor will replace the classroom mode of instruction and explanation by encouraging the owner to discover the solutions themselves.

Goal setting
Rather than set goals the mentor will work with the business owner on the goals that may already be in place.

Learning Environment
The teacher pupil relationship of one-way transfer of data to the pupil will be replaced by the mentor with a two-way alternative. This will encourage an open sharing of information environment in which the working relationship will flourish.