Tag Archive - mentoring

Searching for a Mentor?

June 10, 2010 in Business, Leadership with 9 Comments

mentor shopping 285x300 Searching for a Mentor?Setting unrealistic goals, or goals you never intend to meet, wastes everyone’s time. If you’re so out of touch with your inner self that you spend time daydreaming about wealth and riches with no plan for achieving then, it’s time for an attitude overhaul.

Ron Willingham is best known for helping organizations succeed with ethical, value-driven strategies. He teaches that the right mental attitude can make the difference in what you are realistically going to achieve. Knowing who you are and where you are going helps you set positive goals. Sure, it’s fine to fantasize about buying a Mercedes Benz (and even to purchase one if your budget allows for it), but do not allow yourself to to be motivated or driven by status. Status is really nothing more than buying things to impress people, that you really don’t like, with money you don’t have! Keeping up with the Joneses is a dangerous game to play. If you find yourself more concerned with status than personal values take stock of your life. Change your mindset: read or listen to some good books, listen to personal development CDs, and go to lectures. Redirect your thinking to focus on practical goals based on the reality of what is feasible in your life.

You may be young in the business and in need of a positive support system to plan exactly how you are going to reach your goals. Seek out a mentor and discover some new standards and practices. Experience in the field and right mental attitude is an excellent combination to enable you to achieve. Let’s face it, to succeed in business, you need to stay motivated and focused, right? But of course that is easier said than done. During a lecture by Stephen Covey, who preaches self-reflection as a way to discover the unlimited power of your own potential, knows that at some point, everyone is going to hit a wall. That is where a mentor can step in and help out. But, according to Covey, finding a mentor takes more thought and effort that most people realize.

A good place to start is to find someone whom you admire who shows an avid interest in you. Don’t prematurely choose your mentor. Get to know a variety of people who can potentially mentor you, which will minimize the chance in choosing someone for the wrong reasons. A magnetic personality is captivating, but too often, you can end up becoming a groupie, basking in the glow of your mentor’s superstar stature. It’s better to pick someone whose thought process and personality mesh with yours.

A mentor want you to learn and adapt his or her philosophies to become your own. A mentor should be available for advice and feedback, but not babysitting your insecurities. If you pick the right mentor, and you may have more than one, it’s usually the foundation for a life long friendship.

Group vs. Team

March 3, 2010 in Leadership with 13 Comments

group vs. team Group vs. TeamGroups of people have been around since as long as I’ve been around… and then some; human nature draws people to one another. Group behavior ranges from encouraging to chaotic, from adversity to success. Many managers are fine with group performance. For me, though, it is increasingly obvious that groups that experience the highest output are those that have bonded into a team.

I believe that the main determining factor between a group and a team is their point of reference to one another. A group is two or more people working in proximity, each doing his or her own thing to accomplish a goal.

A team shares the same goal. Its work is dependent upon each team member for the final results. Take for example some of the curriculum at the International Leadership Conference. While it’s a group of people with different accountabilities… one laying out materials, one proofing, another editing, another administering tasks… none is successful without the other. The final product, whether it’s a book, a CD or a slide presentation, cannot be completed without the team’s integration of talent.

A leader’s job is all about getting results. You do that by building your team, individual talent upon individual talent. You balance the multiple needs, recognizing one and minimizing another to incorporate them into a unit. Taking care of your associates with an organic focus is what makes the team strong.

Developing individual team members so they compensate for and support one another makes them a team. As individuals improve, the team improves. The result of moving among your roles of coaching, mentoring and counseling is what your team produces… productivity and job satisfaction.

Ask people today what motivates them to join one organization over another and a top response is to be able to work with the team. Integrating your individual associates into the team requires the same skilled approaches for me. Shared values, common goals, constant rewards and satisfaction take a group and shape it into a top-performing team.

Make your team world class!