Invisible bond between Chess and Mentoring
Well, I took up a new hobby and I have been consumed by it to an extent that I have been spending time analysing others Chess games and offering them tips to win!
Nice right?
Not really.
Though I was helping others win I found myself constantly losing games. Games that I expected to win beyond doubt.
Therefore, I started to spend some time watching my friends play the game.
This did two things
1. I get to analyse both sides of the game.
2. It gave me an opportunity to predict their moves.
In addition, when we discussed the game I was able to point out their mistakes to them. This also meant that there is a possibility that they were going to be able catch themselves before they made these mistakes. I wish I had someone that did this same thing to me.
Wait!
By saying this am I asking for a mentor? I might as well be.
I had four start-up three if which failed and one is just about surviving. I tried to do all this on my own.
I never thought I needed a mentor. I believed in my abilities and experiences, which I had plenty but there should be a reason why I failed 75% of times! That’s it , that’s all I need, a mentor!
A mentor who “has been there and done that”. I cannot believe that it took me this long to realise the importance of having a mentor in spite of building a product Takeoffnow.co, with an intention of providing virtual mentorship for start-ups!
May be I was debating the conflicting views that I had about the whole process and of mentor- men tee relationships. Perhaps I was skeptical of the “influence” it would have on my “originality”. Whatever it might have been it is going to be a thing of the past!
Mentoring, I have come to believe, will boost confidence by telling you that you are right. It also will warn you of your shortcomings and guide you in a path that will minimise errors and maximise productivity. It will help you learn from other’s mistakes.
In John C. Maxwell’s words “One of the greatest values of mentors is to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination”.
All right then, another game of Chess anyone?
English help : Jayasree (https://www.facebook.com/jayasree.guntur)