The Top 7 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make With Mentors
A business mentor is someone with a lot more experience who is willing to teach you what they know. Listed below are some common persistent mistakes that entrepreneurs make when consulting a mentor.
Mistake 1: Choosing an Unenthusiastic Mentor
Not everyone will be knowledgeable about your industry or even understand your business. Think twice about engaging with a mentor who doesn't seem interested in your vision. Choose someone who displays clear enthusiasm in what you are trying to achieve. But there is a difference between a mentor who delivers tough love - versus someone who squelches your dreams.
Mistake 2: Setting Expectations Too Low
Most everyone who goes into business for themselves has an idol. Don't expect a mentor to be a billionaire but do set your sights on someone you look up to and reach out to that person. The worst he or she can do is say no!
Mistake 3: Expecting Your Mentor to do Your Work
A mentor is not an unpaid employee or contractor. A good mentor will be extremely busy with his or her own business matters. He or she will make time for you, but will lose patience if you try to palm off your workload.
Mistake 4: Not Accepting Input
Once you decide to go into business for yourself, you need an open mind and a thick skin. People will not always agree with you, and in order to make changes, you have to be willing and able to accept constructive feedback. Invite input, no matter how much "tough love" you're getting. Then take that input to make your company better.
Mistake 5: Doing all the Talking
It can be easy for you to launch into talking about your aims, ambitions, and ways of doing things but you are not going to learn anything if you don't allow the mentor to speak and impart his or her wisdom. Remember to ask questions, listen and take copious notes.
Mistake 6: Worrying About Secrets
You may feel sensitive about your business secrets. If you truly feel you have a patentable invention or trade secret, talk with an attorney about what you need to do to protect your rights, including asking the mentor to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Mistake 7: Being too Persistent and Needy
Mentors are busy people, with schedules as long as your arm.
Constantly bombarding them with phone messages, emails, and text messages asking constant questions is going to lead very quickly to you and the mentor parting company. So take a chill pill, keep all your questions written down for your next mentoring session, and give your mentor the space to get on with his or her business and life. Be a respectful colleague - not a stalker.
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