The Oxford Dictionary defines encouragement as “the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope”. And as a professional mentor, that inspires me. In fact, the National Day of Encouragement on September 12th has me thinking about why encouragement is so important in mentoring and the mentoring process.
You see, I’m genuinely passionate about people. I’d have been in the wrong business for 36 years if I wasn’t. I don’t suffer fools. But my door is wide open to giving practical encouragement and moral support. I absolutely love mentoring hospitality SMEs, event management start-ups, PAs with a bit more experience under their belts, and event or marketing managers.
Here are just a few reasons why I choose to mentor. What I believe encouragement brings to the party. And all the reasons why encouragement is so important in mentoring, and to me.
WHAT MENTORING MEANS TO ME?
Anybody can share kind words of encouragement with another person, and I’m not devaluing the impact. But when I’m approached about mentoring, and I agree to take a mentee on, I bring a ‘secret sauce’ or unique element that an employer, a colleague, or a business partner doesn’t have and can’t provide.
My mentees get rocket-fuel encouragement, thanks to the unique insight they gain from my years of experience in the business. That includes how all my business experiences have shaped me into the person I am today, not just the businesses I have created.
It’s like having a cheerleader X10, with me showing them the ropes and encouraging them to have the confidence to develop their own style. And that’s key. Their OWN style.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR THEM?
My mentees (and their employers, if I’m appointed by companies to work with their employees) know they can rely on me for encouragement and support to –
- Skyrocket their self-confidence
- Level up their communication skills
- Start building a network or expand an existing network
- Learn how to see things from different angles in order to read people and situations, and to influence outcomes as a result
- Work towards specific goals, for example, leadership, business development, or event planning
In short, I bring the encouragement and tools for my mentees to be bold and become the very best version of themselves. And no matter how young or old you are, it’s a work in progress that I’m continuing to fine-tune to this very day. For the employer or their business, this translates to a better management style and skill set.
WE RISE BY LIFTING OTHERS
For me, there’s something very humbling about using my experiences to shape theirs. I do it with soul, just as I throw myself and all my energy behind the other elements of my businesses.
I’m known for telling it like it is. So, I don’t flog some sort of make-believe perfection. Because guess what? There’s no such thing as perfect.
My backstory is peppered with trials and tribulations (as my biography shares), as you’d expect of a highly successful businesswoman of my age and experience. And it’s this accrued personality and provenance that qualifies me to encourage my mentees through whatever life throws at them. After all, we can’t always control the situations we find ourselves in. But we can control our reactions.
In short, encouragement is so important in mentoring because it provides permission to fail (sometimes). I encourage mentees to have the confidence to try and to fail. Hey, failure might not be the most pleasant aspect of life’s journey. But we can’t grow and evolve until we learn to embrace it and convert it into a positive force that drives us forward.
If I can instill this in them, I know I’ve played an important part in how they celebrate victories and leverage the defeats we all experience. They’re life skills that you can’t necessarily teach, but you can certainly encourage.
FURTHER READING
You might enjoy this article – Benefits of Mentoring for Mentors, Mentees and Organisations by Indeed – which delves deeper into the benefits of mentoring to employers, besides mentees.
I’d also recommend revisiting a couple of my podcasts that sit well with the theme of encouragement and mentoring, for example, Sandy Lindsay and Carole Nash. Both of these incredible businesswomen give their time and energy generously in the pursuit of sharing their own success levels with others.
