Agree the activity and input for both mentor and mentee at the beginning of any relationship. What do you expect from each other for the relationship to be successful?
Also, set realistic expectations of what will come from asking for support. Is it reasonable to expect your business or career to turn around in one conversation? Do you think your mentor will do the work for you as well as providing the route forward?
The support of others is not a magic spell, understand that there will still be a lot of hard work ahead in most cases.
Hard work may lie ahead but we can welcome it with open arms. Approach mentoring and support conversations ready to be challenged and pushed to the next level. If you are getting too easy a ride, rather than lying back and enjoying it, ask why you’re not being pushed further.
Be curious, ask questions, entertain new ideas but explore them as well.
Mentors and Masterminders should challenge their colleagues but encouragement is needed too. When you have knocked someone down it is vital that you help to lift them back up again.
…if you want to succeed at least. I don’t believe you will find many, if any, successful people who have achieved their success without the support of others. If you can formalise that support to get more of it, why wouldn’t you?
Remember, the objective of asking for help is to achieve more. If you remember this, it will become easier to ask.
The process of seeking new ideas and approaches will involve going through a number of options. Don’t always go for the first idea that comes up in conversation – explore and then eliminate the ones that aren’t right for you.
Many thanks for all of the suggestions this month. Next time out we’ll be looking at the letter ‘F’. Please email your ideas to me before Friday 26th June. Your Mentoring, Masterminding and Asking for Help ‘E’s came from…
Bryony Thomas, Sajna Rahman, Raj Samuel, Solveig Malvik, Juliet Reynolds, Rory Murray, Guy Clapperton, Michael Sadler, Claire Boyles, Jacqui Byland, Sam Rathling, Don Hales, Ella Jaczynska, Esther Foreman, Tracy Plaice, Craig McVoy, Dean Walters, Julia Finch, Tony Portelli and Carole Arrantash.
Receive the best content weekly, straight into your inbox.