The Hero’s Apprentice
A story about mentoring…

At a time of difficulty in his life, Odysseus’ son Telemachus turned to his father’s trusted friend Mentor for help. Unbeknown to him, Mentor was actually the Greek goddess Athena in disguise. As the shrewd companion of heroes and goddess of heroic endeavour, Athena took on the guise of Mentor to guide Telemachus as he battled with enemies and embarked on a quest to find out about his father…

From Greek mythical figures to Hollywood greats, mentoring has always played an important role in society. Its role may often be a behind-the-scenes one, sometimes carrying on unknown to a person’s colleagues or competitors, however anyone can benefit from the practice and, in the business world, mentoring is something that can be used and exploited in order to progress industry and generate success.

The main aim of mentoring is to encourage personal and professional growth and, in a competitive and often lonely business world, mentoring can be a welcome two-way relationship. Entrepreneurs in particular often have no one to turn to – they are their own boss and most have few, if any, employees. One simple benefit of mentoring is that people can take on different roles throughout their working lives – a person can either offer their knowledge and expertise to another, or be a mentee themselves and search for a mentor to help and inspire them.

Finding a match

Firstly, let’s consider the mentee, often referred to as the protégé or apprentice. This is most commonly an entrepreneur who is new to the business world and requires expertise in a given area. A partnership with a mentor can help them avoid making mistakes, source more contacts and obtain support in what can be an unfamiliar and intimidating environment. On occasion, a mentee can also be someone who is already established in business and is looking for a fresh approach to ideas or for up-to-date technical knowledge and advice.

Choosing the ideal mentor can be a time-consuming process so it is advisable to create a profile of what you are looking for from the partnership – is it to obtain business contacts, hands-on assistance, general advice or simply to have a sounding-board for ideas? Other important things to consider include whether you are looking for a complete stranger or someone who is known to you, whether you would prefer someone older or younger than yourself and even whether you are looking for friendship in addition to advice.

Sometimes it’s worth meeting with a number of potential mentors to decide who matches exactly what you are looking for. One person may offer a valued address book filled with important business contacts but may not be able to offer the amount of time you need to discuss ways to further your business. Another may be happy to meet as often as you like, however sees the partnership as more of a friendship and a chance to get away from the office and chat. Draw up a list of potential mentors and research their backgrounds – who have they worked for, what areas do they excel in, do they appear to share the same values as you?

Whatever you decide, it’s important that you get on well with your mentor and trust them implicitly, as what you discuss will be confidential – after all, it’s your business at stake. With this in mind, depending on how formal you want the relationship to be and whether your discussions are commercially-sensitive, it’s worth considering signing a confidentiality agreement. However, remember that mentoring should simply be about advice, there should be no ulterior motive involved – so you have little to lose!

Being a mentor

To be a mentor, you need to possess a variety of qualities, including good communication skills, patience, the ability to be non-judgmental and the knack of creating a strong rapport with someone – in addition to offering impeccable business expertise. You should also have total confidence in your own abilities if you wish to inspire confidence in others.

Usually unpaid, many mentors view the prospect as a chance to ‘give something back to society’, however, most people become a mentor because it creates a mutually beneficial relationship. Although the offer of guidance should not be made for personal gain, some mentors do find that the process furthers their own skills and that their superiors often view it extremely favourably.

Paid professional advisers

It is important not to confuse mentors with professional advisers. The majority of businesses need specialised help from qualified practitioners, particularly in fields such as law, tax and accounting. On occasion, business managers may find it better to employ a paid professional adviser for such areas and find general business advice and support from elsewhere.

Once you’ve found each other

The hard work and effort doesn’t stop once a mentor and apprentice have found each other. While some mentor meetings may simply be a one-off occurrence in which advice and wisdom is imparted, the majority of meetings indicate the start of a committed long-term relationship, often of six months or more, in which the two of you will dedicate time and effort to ensure the best results. Remember, you can always change your mentor depending on your situation at the time, or stop meetings if you feel it isn’t working out.

Once the relationship has started, important things to consider include determining how often and for how long the two of you will meet, what the best way to contact each other is – by email, phone or face-to-face – and how often contact can be made between mentor meetings. By establishing points such as these early on, you are less likely to bother your mentor at the wrong times and a mentee is less likely to feel smothered or, conversely, neglected.

How to get involved in mentoring: 

So follow in the footsteps of the iconic figures of past and present and join in this heroic practice – take a look at the suggestions below for inspiration and advice on how to get started:

• Contact business networking organisations such as:
  • Mentoring UK: www.mentoring-uk.org.uk
  • The Coaching & Mentoring Network: www.coachingnetwork.org.uk
  • The UK Mentoring Scheme for Women in Science, Engineering & Technology: www.mentorset.org.uk
  • Mentoring network: www.horsesmouth.co.uk
• Ask friends and relatives for recommendations.
• Approach a colleague or manager who you admire or who you view as a role model.