Are you struggling to get a hold of your day to day tasks? Are you feeling like the dream you once had is buried under loads of concerns and things you do not know how to handle?
Don’t worry, you are not alone in answering “yes” to these questions. A business mentor can help you find a solution to these concerns, that is suitable for you and your agency. So, how do you choose a mentor to guide you and your business to the path you once started on?
Following are some factors that you should consider.
If you have a clear plan of what you need, or even what you want, it will be easier for someone external to get an idea of what they can help you with. It will also show them that you are serious about getting the “help” they are giving you.
What do you need now, and what do you need in a few years? The chances are likely, they will not be the same. Times are changing fast. A specific business mentor could be a good fit today, but the same mentor is not necessary the best fit in five years. It all depends on the direction the agency will take in the future. Focus on the now, and leave the far future for a while.
Do you want to know more about why hiring a business mentor makes a lot of sense? Read more here...
Not every mentor will be a good fit for you. Do their way of working fit into yours? Don’t be unwilling to change, but you should not be bending over backwards, and change everything if something is working.
Can you compliment each other? Ask questions that will detect if you really are a good fit for each other. You can even perform a try-out/ test task to see if you work well together.
When looking out for the mentor’s strengths and weaknesses, some key areas to focus on are communication skills, honesty and empathy. These are only a few from the jar, so make sure you know beforehand exactly which qualities are important to you.
Are their answers programmed, or are they actually listening to your problems and concerns? They have probably been through a lot of different agencies before, so don’t let them categorize you into something they have done before. Ask them questions to determine if they do understand you.
The person must be able to give it to your straight and give you a reality check. Also, make sure they care about you and your agency, and not just in it for the money.
Want to know who can help you at Growit Group? Get to know us!
This person is supposed to help you and your agency. Not do what you already are doing. You go nowhere if you continue in the same way as before.
Have you heard people saying “outside your comfort zone is where you grow”? That is because it is the truth. Make sure the mentor can push you places you have not been before.
Don’t see everything they say as gold. You know things too. You should be able to bounce ideas back and forth and bounce ideas off each other to come out on the other side with great solutions.
Want to know some more steps in choosing a mentor? Check them out here.
This is an important factor. After all, you’re placing a huge amount on trust to this person. Maybe you even feel like you're leaving your precious baby to an unknown babysitter.
Take a look into the mentors past, are there any buried skeletons. Ask for references and talk to past clients to see how they felt, and how they did. Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions, it will help you in the long run.
Focus on some of the most important things for you, and find out how the person feels and stands on the same thing. Do they have the same vision? Trust, learning abilities, determination and thoughtfulness are some areas you might want to focus on when looking out for this.
Read about the Growit Group vision here.
If you are able give something back to your mentor, the person will most likely be more interested in staying engaged and perform with excellence.
This can for example be in the form of advice back to your mentor. Maybe you have insight into something of value to that person? Don’t hesitate to share.
Remember, the work they do with you will become a source of evaluation for their next customers. Think about the references you spoke to before hiring this person. What would you want similar or differently. Remember that often, the more you give the more you’ll get.
So, once you have found a mentor and established a good (hopefully) connection, check in often. Report on everything that is happening with your agency and show your mentor that the work is paying of. Make you their pride.
Do you want to see if Growit Group can fit into these areas? Book a free consultation now!