The Philosophy Of Business Mentoring
Whenever I’m discussing my philosophies on the purpose of hiring a mentor service, I sometimes notice an elephant in the room that no one wants to address: Just what the heck IS a mentor anyway? Sometimes it slips my mind that there isn’t a clear definition of what these types of services are for in business. My own personal definition of a mentor is pretty much the norm for the business world, but should probably be reviewed, regardless.
I’ve always felt that a mentor is not there to buy, sell or negotiate. A mentor provides a service. In essence, mentoring is simply helping someone else play their cards right and become successful in their home business or other endeavor. They’re not there to do anything for you, but rather listen and advise you based on their own experiences. Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, etc, etc.
So that’s my definition of a mentor and it’s important to note that this brand of mentoring has been a business practice for awhile now. Ask any person involved in a successful business and they’ll admit that using a mentor was a standard business practice for them at some point.