A recent call for business mentors for SMEs by a company I work with resulted in an unexpected flood of applications. Hundreds of CVs poured in, the phones rang constantly and the company’s email channels were buzzing. There was even an application from Nigeria… clearly, there are a lot of people who want to be business mentors out there.
When the dust had settled and we began to review applications, it became clear that the applicants could be grouped into several categories: Very Strong Candidates, Pretty Strong Candidates, Ones for the Future and What Were They Thinking?
The latter category was quite concerning, because it highlighted just how little most of us know about what it is a business mentor does, needs to do, and needs to know to be effective and impactful in the role. By way of example, someone who has just finished a two-year Diploma in Business Management, but never worked in a business before, let alone run their own one, is probably not qualified to advise people on how they should be running their business, at this stage of their development anyway.
That is not to say experienced candidates will automatically make good business mentors either. The worst mentor I ever had, was the celebrated head of a large business school with decades of corporate experience – and zero understanding of the unique challenges a small and growing business faces. Experience is good, relevant experience is priceless.
For those of you out there who believe you would make a great small business mentor, allow me to share a few traits that are required to succeed in this game, as deduced from my own decade or so as a mentor as well as the privilege of having worked with some of SA’s finest business growth specialists, such as Catherine Wijnberg of Fetola. To be a mentor, these are some of the characteristics and qualities you need to bring to the table:
- Be experienced. This is not negotiable. If you have never run your own business, or at least been involved at a very senior management level, it is highly unlikely that you are qualified to tell others how to run theirs. I learned more in the first year of running a business, than I did in seven years of working for someone else.
- Be empathetic. Running any business is tough. Running a small business, can be overwhelming. While you may get frustrated at a slow pace of progress or lack of understanding, your job is to guide, support and encourage wherever possible.
- Be hands-off. This is probably the most important skill a great business mentor must possess. The temptation will always be there to jump in and do the work on behalf of your mentee – it’s quicker, the results will be greater, the contracting party (if there is one) will be impressed at the outcomes. The problem is, this approach creates dependency, leaves little opportunity for the mentee to learn and grow, and is actually consulting, not mentoring.
- Be a catalyst. Great mentors create opportunities for their mentees to shine and grow by opening the door to opportunities, and helping them walk through it. Teach your mentees about networking, introduce them to people who may be interested in their goods or services, and keep an eye out for opportunities for them to market their business.