Many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are often faced with challenges in terms of management. Many new business owners are not able to keep up with the demands of running a company. There are many moving parts from employee relations, to training demands, data security needs, legal and logistical issues among much more. Without experience or training, it can be overwhelming. That is where the assistance of a mentor can become very useful.
Considering a mentor’s experience, their knowledge from working in numerous other industries and their impartial view of your business, mentors can be a great benefit to you and your business.
1. Viewing issues from a different perspective
One of the many things that a good leader should be able to do is look at different perspectives. This means looking beyond what you see and taking an outside view as opposed to your default method of thinking, which can often cause blind spots in leadership.
A mentor will be able to provide one or a multitude of different views on certain tasks and issues within your business.
It may be difficult for some SMEs and sole traders to take critical analysis from friends, family and employees, but an impartial and differing view from an outside agent can be of great use.
Perhaps the suggestions are not taken on board in this case, but a good mentor will provide an avenue for you to view issues in a different light.
2. Answering Questions and Getting the Right Advice
Leadership mentoring is a great way to provide answers and get advice when starting off in business for the first time. It's also very helpful if you have been in business for some time but are looking to take your company to the next level. For example, you want more control over your work-life balance or would like to explore alternative business models.
If you are looking for new ways to grow your company, then leadership mentoring is a great way of getting the right advice and answers that can take you in this direction. You may have tried to find answers by reading books or online articles about small businesses, but nothing beats individual advice from someone who has already been where you are.
A good mentor will have experience in many areas of business, providing multiple channels for you to explore in expanding or diversifying your business.
3. Skill Enhancement
Mentoring is a valuable way to develop essential skills and abilities for employees. Research shows that the most effective mentorships are those between people at similar skill levels within an organisation. This helps ensure both parties have mutual goals and objectives they can achieve together, so everyone's time investment in mentorship will be worthwhile.
4. Building a Foundation for Learning
Mentors are experienced professionals who help guide your business by sharing their knowledge and experience with you. This helps strengthen future management and speeds up growth rates over time, which is an important aspect of leadership.
Indirectly, mentors can teach you and your employees how to effectively communicate ideas and training. Thus, building a foundation of growth within your business that can continue long after your chosen leadership mentor has moved on.
5. Building Confidence
One of the most important roles that a leader can play is to help employees gain confidence. Leadership mentoring provides an excellent platform for this type of development because it gives leaders the chance to take time out and focus on their personal growth.
Many sole traders and SME leaders focus on employee training and upskilling and forget the need for their own. Leadership mentoring can bring that importance back into focus. Developing skills for leaders that can be passed along to employees.
6. Providing Guidance
Leadership mentoring helps guide in many ways. This includes providing employees with the tools and knowledge they need to make good decisions, offering consistent feedback on performance, facilitating conflict resolution when it arises between co-workers or managers/supervisors, and so much more.
Small companies need to have a competitive edge to be able to survive. One of the most important ways for SMEs to compete is through leadership mentoring programmes. Enterprise Ireland and your Local Enterprise Office (LEO) can provide certain levels of leadership and mentoring programmes for your business.
Though should you wish for a more focused and tailored approach, then Platinum Brand Communications is what you are looking for. Providing impartial advice and strategic planning to overcome business obstacles, our team focuses on reputation management, internal communications, employee branding and GDPR compliance along with many other aspects of our leadership mentoring programmes.
Get in touch today so we can look at what your business needs for continued success and growth.
Call Now
Contact