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How to Make Business Mentoring Work

By Debora Kinsler
Feb 21, 2009
Have you ever wondered why some business mentoring relationships seem to be working out just fine while others may start off with a bang and then eventually simply seem to disintegrate gradually? Before long, mentor and mentee have not communicated in months, and the relationship appears to be strained at best.

Sure, business mentoring, just like any other business relationship, might not always work out, but by and large a mentoring relationship should weather the storms and offer a much used avenue of communication for those involved.

How to make business mentoring work is of course not a one sided endeavor and even though the more experienced mentor might initially be the driving force behind making the relationship work, it is the mentee who needs to be diligent about approaching the mentor and not letting the relationship fizzle.

It is tempting for the mentee to believe that she or he has learned all there is to learn and a few early successes might actually foster that sense of accomplishment and might make it a foregone conclusion that the business mentoring relationship has lived out its usefulness. Nothing could be further from the truth!

It is precisely the moment of success that business mentoring becomes more crucial than ever! After all, now that the momentum has presented itself, does it not stand to reason that this is a premier opportunity to expand on the business mentoring to take the business to the next level?

Resting on your laurels will most likely make the initial success and exception to the rule and failure to duplicate the early fiscal success most likely will result in a failure to grow the business and live up to your success potential.

On the flipside, if you are able to maximize on your success by involving your business mentor, you will most likely set up yourself and your business for a most profitable ride. Of course, remember that a business mentor must not be taken advantage of.

The most commonly heard complaint from those in the mentoring seat of the relationship is that they are used rather than learned from and this of course will lead to the ultimate destruction of the relationship.

Therefore it is advisable to use the first fiscal signs of success as a springboard to alter the mentor and mentee business mentor relationship.

Perhaps the mentee could cut in the mentor for a percentage of the profits, or in the alternative find a way to pay the mentor a consulting fee. Even if the mentor will waive any such suggestions, the fact that it was sincerely offered will go a long way to ensuring that relationship will grow and remain strong.

How to make the business mentoring relationship work and grow over the course of the business success does not have to be a secret and it will not require a lot of contractual wrangling about assets and profit sharing. Instead, it should be a mix of gratitude and tangible remuneration seasoned with a liberal dose of respect.
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