This is the role of a Mentor:
A mentor is someone who’s been places that you’re planning on going in business — someone who has experience in the areas that, to you, are uncharted. It’s their wisdom and experience that you will be calling on. In some cases, Mentors have networks and contacts that can help you in certain areas – but even if they don’t, they will know where to go or how to approach finding the right expert. Mentors are not employees.
Generally, they are very busy individuals and will help guide and support you – but they are not there to ‘do’. That is your job. Think of your Mentor as someone who is wise and ‘muse’-like. A Mentor is someone you can trust with the issues facing you and the difficulties you might find hard to speak with someone else. They have had experience building a business, and so they know what it’s like.
A Mentor is a wise set of ears and sounding board.
You can expect your mentor to:
- Provide guidance and perspective
- Provide feedback on ideas and plans, often before they are considered for further development
- Share wisdom and insights from their experience
- Keep confidences
- Hold you accountable for achieving the goals you set for the program
- Create opportunities that may not be otherwise available to you e.g. access to networks
- Attend scheduled mentoring sessions and meet commitments made
- Identify skills that you need to learn to achieve your goals and offer support in learning these skills
- Offer challenging ideas that will inspire you
The role of the mentor does not include:
- Involvement in the running of your business
- Providing legal, tax or professional advice
- Therapy or counselling on personal issues
