The relationship therefore must be based on mutual trust and open communication.

2. Mentoring is about communication

In order for your mentor to be able to guide and advise you, he or she must know what you are thinking, what your concerns are and what obstacles you may be facing. Honest, open communication is vital to any good relationship, and mentoring is no different.

3. Mentoring is about accepting help

People are often reluctant to accept advice from others. As a child you were encouraged to be independent, to do things and solve your problems yourself. Now you’re all grown up, you’ve got to accept help again! Often, people don’t want to accept help because they think it will be seen as a sign of weakness or lack of capability. Your mentor wants to help you – and they have the experience to know when you need it, so let them do what they are supposed to do.

4. You will be challenged

A good mentor will challenge you to extend yourself beyond your comfort zone. This will be uncomfortable for you, and even a little scary, and you may resent being pushed. However, rising to the challenge allows you to grow, develop and learn.

5. Be willing to learn

Accepting that you do have things to learn, about life, people, the job or the industry, will help you to accept the guidance offered by your mentor. As you learn, you will develop the confidence and skills you need to accept the new responsibilities. After all, if you knew it all already, you’d be the mentor!

6. Mentors come from all walks of life

Workplace mentors, and personal mentors in particular, may be people that you did not realize had so much to contribute to your development as a human being. Many personal mentors start out as friends, because friendship builds the trust required in order for you to confide in someone and take their advice. Life lessons can be learnt from the homeless man in the park, if you just stop and listen.

Having a good mentor can guide you through many areas of your life. Every change in your life, whether personal or work related, demands new skills, new knowledge or new experience from you. Whether you’re getting married, having a baby, starting a new job or opening your own business, advice from people you trust, whose knowledge and experience is greater than yours, can only be of benefit to you!

There is an article I’ve published on the ezine article directory which dives more into this topic.  I will post the first half of the article below and you can either go to the article directly to read the rest or tune in tomorrow to view the rest…enjoy and please leave comments!

Mentoring Tips – Because We All Need a Good Mentor

Our earliest mentors are usually family members. We go to them when we need advice, guidance and help. As we grow up, we still need support, even if we don’t like to admit it. Workplace mentors are often part of your induction training, designed to give you personal support as you take on a new position and new responsibilities.

A mentor helps you on a one-to-one basis, rather than in a formal training program. They are there to guide you, give you advice and help you when you need it. A good mentor will not tell you what to do, or do it for you, but rather they will question, challenge and prompt you to work out solutions and make decisions for yourself. A mentor is usually older than you, but is always someone with more knowledge and experience in the position or industry you are in. Whether your mentor is helping you at work or in your personal life, there are a few points to remember that will help you gain the most from your mentoring relationship.

1. Mentoring is a confidential relationship

Whether it’s embarrassing or incriminating, what you share with your mentor is confidential. You need to be able to share your fears, concerns and problems with your mentor, without fear of it becoming office gossip. The relationship therefore must be based on…

Wow how time flies!  I can’t believe the big event is only 2 days away!  If your unsure of the event I am referring to, I am talking about the huge Internet Marketing event on 12-12-09!  If you ever wanted the answers to these questions go to this event:

• How to make money
• How to make more money
• How to save time
• How to save money
• How to create a “Set & Forget” income stream

I have been part of the program for about three months now and I can tell you it has changed my life!  I thought I’d include some testimonials from some other students who have also been trained by the 12-12-09 speakers:

I’ve been burned by “internet marketing gurus” promising millions from internet marketing. So I was uber skeptical about iDuplicate. But now, my internet marketing is on fire!  iDuplicate is hands-on, step-by-step, and simple. I went from overwhelmed to savvy marketer in record time. Thanks a million iDuplicate! – Valerie Sheppard

“When I first heard “Scott Magers” approach to internet marketing, I had an Ahh Haaa moment. It was like hearing the teacher who finally got through to me with Algebra. In two plus months, I went from Internet Dummy, to a Kung Fu Master, or Rock Star marketer. So can you, and we can help…You’ll be amazed! “ Bobby Ray Koch

In the past couple weeks there have been issues all around the sports world involving coaches.  Fore example:

• NBA- Bryon Scott was relieved of his duties as the head coach of the New Orleans Hornets
• NFL-  Raider coach Tom Cable has been under fire for allegedly assaulting a member of his coaching staff
• NFL-  Patriots coach Bill Bellichek recived major scrutiny for his decision on a 4th and 2 call in the 4th quarter of a game he was winning against the Colts

These are just a few of the issues that have recently surfaced and I thought it would be a good idea to reinforce the importance of good coaching.  I have submitted an excerpt below of an article I wrote on the importance of good coaching.  If you’d like to view the full article please click here.  Feel free to leave comments either on the full article website or here in the blog.  Happy Reading…

THE BENEFITS OF GOOD COACHING

Coaching a sports team takes a lot of work and effort. Coaches are rarely better performers than the players they coach. In fact many coaches these days were fairly average players back when they played the game. They are responsible for getting sporting teams or individuals ready to compete, and lead them through their particular game or event with success. Drills, practices and scrimmages are done before the event to get the athlete or team ready for competition. To also aid in the win, coaches usually have a playbook and make sure the team properly executes the plays in it. Some other duties coaches have include player recruitment and some general manager responsibilities.

Great sports coaches inspire their teams to believe they can win. Some well know coaches who were known for stirring emotion and inspiration are former UCLA coach John Wooden, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, Tennessee Vol’s coach Pat Summit, and long time gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi. To be a successful coach you must know your players (or team) needs to be mentally, physically and emotionally in tune. A coach who seems to master balancing these elements within his team is Phil Jackson. Jackson realizes his players must learn to expand, sharpen, and focus all these areas to really excel and master their sport.…

Importance of Good Coaching