Mentorship & Why It’s Important to Your Business, Part 1

In a continued effort to share ideas and learn within an open dialogue, I’ve set out to host web-based conversations with entrepreneurs and execs from all over the world. In that most recent Q&A session we focused on a topic that, frankly, most businesses get wrong, Mentorship.

Do you have a mentorship strategy within your business? Are you fostering a culture of continuity where information and best practices flow freely between team members across generational and experiential gaps? How do you create mentors within your organization? How do you become a better mentor yourself? And how do you choose a mentor who can help you to develop the skills or mindset to take your career or business to the next level?

I took on these questions and more in a well-attended session with over 100 professionals eager to discuss being a mentor, finding a mentor, and grooming mentors within their organizations as well as other topics to help create a ‘waterfall’ of praise and constructive corrections in order groom top performers for advancement and build strength within a team.

How does one become a mentor or a leader? -Kristy

It is often viewed that those in positions of leadership are mentors. And while many mentors are, I do not believe that the leader and the mentor are synonymous. Indeed, some who hold leadership responsibilities are shoe-horned into mentorship roles and ultimately experience failure.

The distinction, in my mind, is this: leadership responsibilities can be awarded to a person, but mentorship is earned by that person.

If you’d like to become a leader, show aptitude in a given field and a willingness to take on the responsibility for the performance of others. Deliver assignments and timelines; allocate resources. Employ project management, assess performance, and deliver corrective measures. Be an example to the team, communicate well, and above all, be sure to meet the expectations of your position.

If you’d like to become a mentor, study your own journey and its failures and get super cozy with them. Now find someone who is struggling with something similar to what you have in the past and offer assistance -not in a transactional dynamic but altruistically. Be patient, be kind, and ask nothing in return. Listen to them. Give them room to ask questions and to work some aspects out on their own. As their confidence builds remind them of how far they’ve come. Be proud of them and tell them so. Challenge them in constructive ways when the don’t believe in themselves. Celebrate their effort and attitude more than their accomplishments. Take no credit.

See that I have not indicated that this is a subordinate or even someone of a younger generation. Imagine a Millennial mentoring a Baby Boomer to utilize social media. It fits just as well as an academic advisor mentoring a student.

How do you know if a mentor is the right mentor for you?

Much of it comes to comfort and circumstance. I’ve been mentored by people in unrelated fields and for very short periods of time. Even a great conversation can help me evolve a thought or an approach.

Ask yourself if they are the type of mentor -not leader- that you’d like to be yourself. Do they hold similar values to those which you have or aspire to? Are they a kind person? This last part speaks to the power dynamic that exists between mentor and mentee. Be aware of that as you proceed.

Also ask yourself if they have specific knowledge (not wisdom) that you are after or a lifestyle that you are envious of. These may not be good indicators of a healthy mentorship relationship, but you see a relationship as more as a means to an end.

So you mean to say that a leader may or may not necessarily be a mentor and vice versa? When can one say he is a great mentor? -Adrienne

Let me ask you @Adrienne, have you viewed everyone who you’ve worked with in a leadership role as a mentor and has every person who’s mentored you been in a leadership role? I would guess that the answer to the first part is more frequently ‘no’ than the second.

I believe that as one’s wisdom grows, one’s ability -and perhaps credibility- as a mentor also grows. Whereas, those who show aptitude and a willingness to take on the responsibility for the productivity of others, regardless of wisdom or experience, can attain a leadership role and hope to prove their way into the expectations.

I also see a difference between a mentor and someone who has reached what’s commonly referred to as guru status in a field. They have specialized to a degree that they can offer knowledge and understanding specific to that field. But what if their council is delivered from a place of ego or self-indulgence? Are they a good mentor? That isn’t to say that all who reach guru status are narcissists and cannot be mentors, but I offer the example to show that the two are not synonymous.

Additionally, I see humility as an integral attribute of a mentor, so you may not see great mentors telling people that they are one. The best mentors that I know are more focused on the growth and well-being of those in their sphere of influence than the accolades associated.

What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess? -Mici

That’s a great question @Mici. I think that there are many different leadership styles, but some steadfast trends that one should develop.

Leaders must see the end result and develop a plan to get the team there. Leaders who get caught up in the minutia risk losing momentum and delivering on expectations. A good leader should constantly be looking to simplify their approach and that of the team. Accepting small failures (missed timelines, misallocated resources, etc.) while progressing towards the ultimate goal is necessary to get any large-scale project done.

A leader must be able to read a situation and know how and when to change their delivery. These instances can be circumstantial or employee dependent, but many situations require different approaches. Big moments may require more authenticity (think Friday Nights Lights), some team members may respond to group dialogues with others needing more delicate one-on-ones. Leaders, over time, should build an awareness and leverage it accordingly.

Lastly, leaders must never appear defeated. That isn’t to say that they should view things through an unrealistic lens. However, the moment a leader believes and signals that a goal is unattainable, so will their team. Instead, see setbacks as challenges or a need to innovate the approach.

Who is your greatest mentor? Why and how did this person impact your life? -Lenka

Thanks for asking @Lenka. My greatest mentor was not the person who gave me my first shot at a leadership position, but the man for whom I worked once I was given it. My promotion was early compared with classic timelines, my approach was raw, and he was determined to see me succeed while others were sure that I would fail.

He taught me so much about seeing the big picture in a process when others would focus on, and get hung up on, smaller aspects. He was patient with me when my failures were ‘loud’ and when my wins made my ego even ‘louder.’ Ultimately, he was very real with me. He shared his experiences as a young leader and even as a father to his children. He showed me how to deliver a message in a way that those for whom it was intended were likely to hear it, not just how I wanted to deliver it.

He was flawed in his own right and happy to share his own struggles. He showed me that even great leaders are fallible, but are great leaders because they accept it, admit it, and honor the team and those who they service by learning from it. He listened to and empowered me. He took my brash confidence and made me actually believe in my ability to be a leader. He took me from theory to practical usage.

I was very lucky to receive his guidance and that of other mentors in my life.

As a mentor/leader, how do you encourage creative thinking? -Fergi

Creative thinking is first learned, then enhanced through practice. In order to encourage it, you must put a premium on it as an outcome of a project -alongside the result itself.

You must first start with the understanding that tactics and resources are fluid and that multiple methods can result in similar conclusions. With this loss of rigidity in approach, participants are freed to consider alternative pathways.

Next, you should practice the need for creativity. Take examples of situations that may commonly arise within your organization and pose them to the group. Watch your team work through the problem to its conclusion. Now, remove or change a variable. This could be a resource, access to information, or a different timeline. Now watch as they work the problem with this new set of parameters. Now, change the variables again and repeat. Discuss the three scenarios with the group and the outcomes. Ask the team if they would make any changes to the original approach based on the subsequent workflows. Find the gaps and recognize ingenuity when it occurs.

Try an exercise like this weekly or monthly and you’ll see the team become more open to creative alternatives. If needed, set some ground rules regarding variables that cannot be changed or solutions that cannot be attempted without oversight. Good luck!

As a woman in the craft cocktail world, resources for finding a more experienced, female interested in mentoring seems really limited. Does it seem practical to look to a different field? -Chris

Absolutely @Chris! As I briefly touched on in a previous article, you should pull inspiration and leadership from a diverse group -including those who you may never meet.

I would look to fields where client relations, pageantry/showmanship, creativity, and tolerance are essential to bringing your product to life. There may be avenues within food service, but I would go broad with your search.

I would also look at fields where women have traditionally performed against glass ceilings or misperceptions. Within those fields could be an amazing mentor who has insights into beating the employment ratios to excel. I believe finance management to one such field, but I am not an expert.

I wouldn’t rule out looking for the right male mentors within your field. Although highly relational, yours is a career path where delivering an amazing experience is the ultimate factor for success. Best of luck!

More to come…

I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading along with this Q&A and that you’ll allow me to bend your ear for a few more going forward. I want to hear your feedback and I am eager to learn from each of you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.

The views expressed in replies are my own, but have been influenced by years of collaboration with amazing people along with a willingness to fail and to learn.

Best,

Cliff Carey

Founder, American Reserve Clothing Co.

cliff@americanreserveshop.com | americanreserveshop.com

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