Mentoring and coaching is a natural part of life. Every successful athlete and performer today has a mentor and coach of some sort. Sporting teams have coaches. In fact, if you think about your own situation, you already have various people that you turn to for advice and guidance such as family members or colleagues - people you trust, respect and whose knowledge, wisdom and skills you value.
Executive and/or Business mentoring is the formalization of this natural process. It’s like having someone “running alongside you”, believing in you, providing feedback, perspective and insights that can really make a difference to your success. The mentor supports, encourages and accelerates your progress and results. It is a strategic partnership – professionally and personally in outlook.
Mentoring not only addresses business issues and processes, but can take into account personal needs and goals. Rather than suggesting what should be done (coaching), through questioning and reflection, mentoring leads to professional and personal growth that allows you to make better, more informed decisions for yourself.
You have someone who can give you an impartial perspective and brainstorm with you on ways to move ahead. Mentoring provides quick, convenient learning of ideas, techniques and understandings that might take weeks in management seminars. The key benefit is personalization - mentoring/coaching is customized to the specific issues and needs that you have. You will also feel a lot better about life in general as some of the irritations of everyday business and personal life may be addressed if you wish.
The following are areas where I mentor individuals or groups - many of these are interwoven:
By way of the following examples I offer some suggestions on Leadership growth areas – an area which is increasingly vital for the progression and success of professionals in today’s business community.
Below are some potential areas for Leadership growth and development. These are simply suggestions –to be thought provokers and explored fully – so any program would be flexible and designed to meet client needs. It is therefore difficult to be too precise ahead of time. However, the overview document (below) provides areas that could be covered with subsequent outcomes.
| Potential Development Areas | Outcomes |
Self-Awareness |
Become more aware of self in different situations. Understand our personalities. Develop the ability to determine other peoples’ profile & therefore be better able to communicate, connect and positively influence |
Engagement |
Establish the factors that determine high levels of engagement and self-motivation and how they can be implemented. |
Role of Leadership (as distinct from Management) |
Identify and develop the skills, abilities and responsibilities of effective leadership |
Business Planning |
Use a process and tool that works through key stages from the vision to developing strategies setting and achieving goals and satisfying accountabilities |
Attitude |
How to develop and maintain a positive attitude and become the best we can be through an understanding of how thinking and self-talk determines outcomes |
Conflict resolution |
Difference between aggressive, passive and assertive communication. Practical examples and strategies in dealing with each. |
Time Management |
Really priority management. How we plan and organise our work. How we can waste and save time. Importance of energy management |
Should you wish to explore your situation further, please feel free to contact us.