Canadian Mentor Network

Become Inspired!

Become Inspired!

In a time when we can become bogged down with the day to day struggles of making ends meet, striving for the next promotion or just trying to keep your family together, we sometimes forget about the inspiration and motivation that moved us into the spot we are in the first place. The drive and excitement that we started out with.

Inspiration is what propels us from average to excellent. Inspiration drives us to pursue dreams, to chase a career, to connect with a partner. Inspiration is what moves us to get ourselves out of a situation that is not healthy. Inspiration encourages us to live life to the fullest!

Often, we are inspired by people and their stories. Their stories of success, sacrifice, persistence and even failure. There are various ways that people inspire us. They may care for us, deliver constructive criticism, be transparent and honest, walk with confidence in uncertainty, stay calm and cool in the face of diversity or encourage us to step out in faith. When we hear their stories and learn from their success and failures, we become inspired to do the same. Buoyed by those who have gone before us!

Mentorship is one way that we can put ourselves in a position to be inspired.

The benefits of having a mentor are numerous. Many individuals credit their success in life to the fact that they had a mentor.

Mentors and Mentees report that they have experienced many tangible benefits from their mentoring relationships or programs such as:

Improvement in personal development
Career Development
Mental Health
Organizational Health

Recently a survey was conducted by Olivet Nazarene University. They surveyed 3000 mentor/mentee connections and found that people with mentors are happier in their current situations than those that do not. If that outcome, happiness, isn’t compelling enough, here are a few other personal benefits of a mentoring relationship:

Increased confidence: Whether it’s the ability to share ideas comfortably in meetings, or stand up for yourself in a challenging situation, people with mentors benefit from higher confidence in themselves. Mentors also experience an increase in self-confidence, as their mentee’s success reaffirms their abilities, resulting in a confidence boost.
Higher self awareness: Working out your goals with someone you look up to requires serious self-analysis around strengths, weaknesses, and values. As a result, those who have mentoring are more self aware than those who don’t – and self awareness is highly beneficial when it comes to career development.
Exposure to new ways of thinking: For both mentee and mentor, the mentoring process exposes new ideas and revelatory ways of thinking or problem solving. This can have long lasting effects on both people in the partnership, encouraging innovation.
Giving and receiving feedback: Feedback is something we should all want in order to improve, but probably don’t ask for enough. Similarly, managers everywhere struggle with delivering feedback honestly and effectively. Mentoring helps people develop their relationship with feedback in a productive way.

Here are some compelling statistics that demonstrate the advantages of mentoring in the corporate world:

87% of mentors and mentees feel empowered by their mentoring relationship and develop greater confidence.
97% of those with mentors consider the experience to be valuable, BUT some 85% of employees currently do not have one.
84% of CEOs said mentors had helped them avoid costly mistakes through the stories of success and failure shared candidly by their mentor
71% of Fortune 500 organizations have a formal mentoring program.
94% of employees say they would stay longer at a company if they were offered opportunities to learn and grow.
Nine of ten workers who have a career mentor say they are happy in their jobs.
67% of businesses reported an increase in productivity due to mentoring.
55% of businesses felt that mentoring had a positive impact on their profits.
Mentees are 5 times more likely to be promoted

It is hard to argue against the positive impact that mentoring can have in a mentee’s life both personally and professionally. As demonstrated above mentorship has the ability to accelerate your self-development, career aspirations and many other areas of your life. There are many famous examples of mentor/mentee relationships that have proven to bear fruit such as Steve Jobs/Mark Zuckerburg, Mahatma Ghandi/Nelson Mandella, Father Michael van der Peet/Mother Teresa.

If mentoring is such a benefit and many successful people have benefited from it, why do so few take part in a mentoring relationship?

76% of people believe that mentors are important, but only 37% of those interested in mentorship currently have a mentor.

There are all kinds of reasons a would-be-mentee has not found a mentor, but these are two of the most common:

I can’t afford the time.

Some mentees feel that they just do not have the time to commit to a mentor. Given some of the obvious benefits to having a mentor a better question may be – How can I afford not to have a mentor?

I don’t know where to find a mentor.

This is a valid concern. Finding a mentor can be nerve wracking. Who wants to approach a stranger or a friend of their dad’s and ask them to mentor you? What if they turn you down? What if you let them down?

There are several organizations that focus on helping a mentee find the right mentor. Organizations like the Canadian Mentor Network that help match a mentee with a suitable mentor. Only 14% of mentor relationships start by a mentee asking someone to be their mentor. Organizations that specialize in helping make connections can help bridge the gap. Here are some ideas of other ways to find a mentor.

Inspiration is defined as ‘to fill someone with the urge to do or feel something and instill the confidence that they CAN do it’. Why would you want to put that off? Why would you allow any obstacle to get in your way of being inspired?

Become inspired – Find a Mentor!

References

Thank Your Mentor!

Thank Your Mentor!

As part of National Mentoring Month across both Canada and the United States, January 29th is ‘Thank Your Mentor Day”.

Mentoring is a gift. The opportunity to spend time with someone who is willing to invest their time and share experiences with you is invaluable. It is very likely that you thank them on a regular basis for their time and wisdom already, but on January 29th it is your opportunity to be proactive in acknowledging your appreciation with a note, a phone call or a text. You may even decide to send a small gift. But, what is most important is that they are aware of your appreciation.

Why thank a mentor???

Your mentor gives you honest feedback. A good mentor isn’t afraid to tell you the truth. But guess what, you can also learn from their mistakes. Mentors Share their Experience with you….good or bad. Pick your mentor’s brain for advice on how to avoid the many pitfalls and perils that can sabotage a career, personal life or whatever it is you are discussing. As a result of having a mentor you can take advantage of learning key lessons from them. And take comfort in knowing you won’t make the same mistakes they’ve made.

Your mentor is one of your biggest fans. This person is your champion and cheering section. As your advocate, he or she can serve as a reference, endorse you on LinkedIn, and recommend you for opportunities where you’ll have a chance to shine.

Your mentor expands your network. The helpful hand extended by a good mentor can expand your personal and professional network in big ways. Your mentor may connect you to new people, prospects, and places.
Your mentor models winning behaviours and life skills and is also willing to share failures. Listen to and watch your mentor – closely. A good mentor sets an example in words and actions. Learn from your mentor, emulate your mentor.

5. Your mentor encourages you to set and reach your goals. A good mentor is invested in your success. He or she weighs in to help you establish goals — and helps fuel your drive to pursue them.

So, take some time and THANK YOUR MENTOR on January 29th!

CMN is looking for more Mentees AND Mentors. If there is someone in your network that would benefit from a Mentor, or that would be a great Mentor, please direct them to our website https://canadianmentornetwork.ca/ .

Who, Me!?

A road map for prospective mentors

November 13, 2020

When you’re invited to become a mentor, you may question yourself — do I have the skills or time required to mentor effectively? To help you answer those questions, here’s an overview of mentorship basics along with a few big picture do’s and don’ts.

Meet your mentee: Meet face-to-face whenever possible. It is hard to replace the value of meeting in person. However, virtual meetings are a great option should other commitments, health concerns or geography prevent an in-person engagement. At your first meeting, explore each other’s backgrounds and history. Get to know each other.

Make a schedule: The Canadian Mentor Network suggests a monthly meeting, but you can establish your own cadence. Always have several meetings set ahead so that you can plan around them and so that you are less likely to miss one.
Agree on a meeting format: It’s not a one size fits all, but we suggest at least an hour for each session, comprised of a 30-minute ‘hot topic’ discussion where your mentee raises issues he or she would like insight on followed by a 30-minute discussion of a chapter in a book you’ve agreed to read together. CMN can suggest books relevant to the topic you are interested in and that other CMN members recommend.
Be prepared: For upcoming meetings have your mentee create an agenda of ‘hot topics’ for discussion and send it to you by email in advance so you’re able to prepare. Also, set the expectation that agreed upon readings must be completed

Be an active listener: Mentors should seek to understand what’s being said rather than jumping to solutions. They should also ask good questions to ensure they’ve received the message as it was intended. As author Stephen Covey says: “The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.”

Be transparent: When it’s time to talk about you, tell the good and the bad. Highlight your successes and failures. There is nothing more discouraging than sitting across from someone who tells you they’ve done everything right.

Teach your mentee to fish: Don’t tell your mentee what to do; instead, share experiences that illustrate how you overcame obstacles. Challenge your mentee to commit to using his or her own new approaches and ideas to reel in the “big one.

Encourage action: Your mentee should walk away from each meeting encouraged to put his or her new “fishing rod” – ideas, approaches, technologies – into action.

Dream and follow up: Be your mentee’s biggest fan. Believe in them, encourage them! But hold them accountable for the fulfillment of their dreams. As Peter Drucker writes: “Great mentors inspire action. Dreaming big is only a beginning. Dreams without action drain vitality and affirm helplessness.”

Network for success: CMN encourages professional development for its roster of mentors, primarily through Mentor Connect virtual meetings held regularly and CMN networking events held twice a year. When you’re stumped, look to the CMN community for support.

Do you have the skills to be an effective mentor? The tips outlined above are straightforward and relatively simple. However, we’ve seen how the benefits that accompany faithful execution can be quite extraordinary and fulfilling.

Yes, You! You can be an effective Mentor!

Thanks for your interest in the Canadian Mentor Network.

Challenge yourself!

October 28 – 2020

Often times we decide we should search for a Mentor when we find ourselves facing a challenge or obstacle. Something that is in our way right now and needs resolution. The reality is that we need to be proactive in finding mentors. Proactive in putting ourselves in a position of strength rather than panicking in the moment. Besides, we don’t want to just meet with the first person that has a pulse and seems somewhat wiser and more experienced than we are. We want to be selective and find a mentor that can challenge us and help us become the person we dream of being.

I Picked up some great points in regards to the importance and impact of Mentorship while reading Craig Groeschel’s book, ‘Six Steps to Your Best Leadership’ today. While you may have varying perspective on the faith aspect the book brings, the leadership and mentoring tips provided are transferable to everyone.

Here are a few excerpts:
-You may be one relationship away from changing the course of your life…. So, when it comes to spending time with people, don’t just respond to people that ask. Initiate time with people that stretch you, push you and even confuse you!
-Meet with someone you criticize…we often judge what we don’t understand.
-Meet with people that are different. Different in age, expertise, career. Someone a few steps ahead that can offer hindsight.
-Don’t just copy what others do, but learn how they think!

Pretty inspiring and challenging stuff.

Don’t wait until you think you need a mentor to find a mentor. Be proactive and find a mentor now. Choose the right one that will stretch you and help you live your most fulfilled life!

Rules of Engagement

October 23 – 2020

Mentorship is an investment. Mentors and Mentees alike invest their time. Mentors do so to share their experiences and help the next generation benefit from their successes and failures. Mentees to enable themselves to become better version of themselves. Just like any investment, it needs to be managed, protected and maximized.

CMN has adopted 4 basic Rules of Engagement to help each of you realize your best yield:

Rule # 1 – Be respectful of time

Both Mentors and Mentees are busy people, often with families at home, busy careers and other aspects of life that make time very valuable. Arriving at your meeting on time, whether in person or virtually, is a minimum expectation. neither of you should be sitting and waiting for the other in order to get the meeting going.

While it is easy to email or text often in regards to issues you are facing, please realize that your mentor can’t be replying to emails or answering your calls all day, every day. Thats what your meetings are for! Try to use your monthly time together as efficiently as possible to ensure everyone’s time is respected.

Rule # 2 – Be prepared

Thoughtful preparation of an agenda in advance of the meeting is a critical piece to being prepared for your monthly time together. For more info, click the link below…Agenda Preparation

Rule # 3 – Be Focused

CMN is committed to ensuring your mentoring relationship works! One way to ensure that happens is to be 100% present during your meetings. This means – put your phone away. Try to avoid emailing, texting, answering phone calls or thinking about your next meeting. Instead, please listen, participate, and engage. You will likely find that to be relatively relaxing as compared to the rest of your day!

Rule # 4 – Be Transparent

John Maxwell said, “All leaders make mistakes. That’s simply part of life. Successful leaders recognize their errors, learn from them, and work to correct their faults.” That, and the willingness to share those experiences is a big part of what makes those leaders – great Mentors. Those shared experiences can be big difference makers for a Mentee as they navigate challenging issues that they may be facing. This may be the singles most powerful part of a healthy Mentor/Mentee relationship.