Make the Most of Your Time with Your Business Mentor

So far, we have covered instructions for what you can do with MicroMentor on your own. Once you have connected with a mentor, it’s time to have a two-way conversation and start working on your business issues.

Each entrepreneur, business, and problem is different. Fortunately, each mentor comes to MicroMentor with unique experiences, too. Contributing to the conversation requires listening, understanding, and putting learnings into practice.

Listen

Mentors are eager to help. One of the greatest values of mentoring is the opportunity for you to learn from a mentor who already has walked in your shoes. Spend time in the beginning being curious and learning about how the mentor got here today.

Understand

As you talk with your mentor, keep your mind open to learning opportunities. Sometimes, mentoring is as simple as asking questions and getting answers. More often, though, it’s about discussing issues and coming to realizations about how your mentor’s experience applies to your business. If the mentor’s direction is not clear then ask clarifying questions.

Practice

You and your mentor should set up a plan for achievable goals, i.e., things that you can accomplish within a week or a month. Put your learnings into practice to build your business, and then discuss what you have learned, what worked and what didn’t with your mentor.

Follow Through

Mentoring relationships are built on trust, and mentors want to see that the time and effort that they are dedicating are going to be useful. If the advice is not helpful, be upfront about your needs. If the advice is helpful, communicate openly about your plan to implement your mentor's advice.