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Amazing Mentoring Meetings
“So how did the meeting with your boss go?” my colleague asked.
“It was AMAZING!” I replied.
When was the last time you said that about a meeting you had with your boss …. your mentor?
That was the benchmark I set for every meeting I had as a mentor and a mentee. I wanted to consistently inspire action (or feel inspired) and I wanted to create/receive an amazing experience.
If your mentoring meetings do not consistently inspire you or make you feel amazing, then seek to change them. Here are some tips that may help you gain amazing outcomes:
WHY do you want a Mentor?
Be clear about why you want a mentor and why you want to meet:
- To achieve your business and personal goals more effectively
- To enhance your skills, behaviors and beliefs
- To help you overcome challenges, achieve greater certainty and avoid pitfalls
- To inspire you to take action and commit to your plan
- To gain affirmation and enjoy celebration
- To make you feel amazing
WHO is your Mentor?
A mentor is someone you trust – ie. someone you have developed good rapport with and someone you deem highly credible.
A mentor is someone who inspires you to do more, be more and achieve more. Someone who has achieved what you want to achieve, and in fact can inspire you to gain even greater success.
A mentor is someone we WANT to meet with on a regular basis, not necessarily someone we HAVE to meet with.
A mentor is someone you feel safe with – who highlights opportunities, shares ideas / experiences and suggests consequences. A mentor is vulnerable and guiding – not obstinate and lecturing.
A mentor can be your immediate boss, your manager or your leader – however it is critical that you feel they also meet the above attributes. If not, then discuss what you are seeking from a mentor and/or consider an alternative mentor.
If you want amazing mentoring meetings, then your mentor ideally is someone you think is “amazing”.
WHEN do you Meet?
Formally schedule a mentoring session at least once a month. Weekly may be too often and quarterly may be too few to truly make an impact.
Meet early in the month so you can implement the guidance received throughout the month and then review the results next month.
Make your mentoring meeting a priority. Do not reschedule. And choose a mentor who also views your meeting as a priority.
HOW do you Meet?
Choose a location outside the workplace if possible. Choose a place where you feel comfortable and that inspires you. Choose a place that is private and you feel safe / confident to share concerns and receive advice. Choose an amazing location.
Be free of distractions. Create a meeting environment that allows you to focus only on the mentor / mentee.
Respect confidences and each other. Create a meeting environment that allows anything to be said or shared without repercussion. Be mindful of your words and your reactions.
Take notes. Share notes. Create a mentoring journal.
WHAT do you discuss in your Meetings?
To gain amazing outcomes from your mentoring meetings, I suggest you agree on a formal agenda that is aligned to why you want a mentor and why you are meeting.
Outlined below is my P.L.A.N. agenda which has helped me consistently achieve / receive amazing outcomes from my mentoring meetings.
Every amazing mentor will tell you that if you fail to plan, then plan to fail. So why not create an amazing activity PLAN that will help you achieve success and improve the quality of your mentoring conversations.
PERFORMANCE GOALS
Agree on the business and personal goals you would like to achieve and measure each month.
This is WHY you are meeting with a mentor – to help you more effectively achieve your goals.
Review the results and your progress each month.
Highlight / reaffirm reasons for achievement or lack thereof. Consider how these reasons will impact LEARNINGS and ACTIVITY over the next month (see below).
LEARNINGS
With respect to goal achievement, what is working for you and what isn’t? Consider personal and external factors.
Be vulnerable. Don’t make excuses. This is a great opportunity to receive valuable advice from an experienced and successful mentor. You should feel comfortable and safe about sharing your challenges.
What skills, behaviors and beliefs do you need to improve to more effectively execute your activity and achieve your goals?
Focus on no more than three specific coaching needs that your mentor can help you with. Discuss best practices and agree on tips that you can practice between mentoring meetings.
These useful and practical coaching tips are key to creating an amazing mentoring meeting.
ACTIVITY
Agree on 4 – 5 key monthly activities that will help you achieve your PERFORMANCE goals.
Be specific about the activity. Identify activity that is essential for success and that you want to be held accountable for. Ensure the activity can be measured.
Review both the quantity and quality of this activity every month with your mentor. The aim is not to simply review attainment of activity numbers, but rather to understand why or why not you are gaining results from this activity.
This is where a mentor’s advice can be most impactful and inspirational.
An amazing mentoring meeting provides you with clarity and confidence on what activity is required for success and how to more effectively execute that activity.
NEXT MONTH
Briefly recap the key LEARNINGS and ACTIVITY you want to focus on over the next month to improve the probability of achieving your goals.
Agree on new tips / skills you will practice and new activities you will execute.
Agree on any additional support / guidance you can expect from your mentor.
Take notes. Share notes.
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Over the years I have been blessed to work with great leaders who were also amazing mentors.
Today as a bank consultant, I work with a number of mentors who have achieved great success as bankers and professional coaches.
I also leverage my success as a banker / leader, and the guidance I have received over the years from my mentors, to professionally mentor others.
But the mentor who has made the most impact on my life is my father.
I meet with my father every month.
I trust my father.
My father encourages me to do more, be more and achieve more.
My father inspires me and has achieved great success after immigrating to Australia in 1966 with only one dollar in his wallet.
We always have AMAZING mentoring meetings and he consistently reminds me that ……
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Article written by Joe Micallef – Sales Strategist & Coach – Grow UP Sales. For more advice on how to start conversations with customers strategy please email joe@growupsales.com or visit the webpage www.growupsales.com
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