|
It was during the months, when the
community theatre for which I occasionally directed was dark.
In college I minored in Theatre Arts and theatre has always
been my free-time passion.
TOP
When I won a small part in a
professionally directed summer production, I was ecstatic.
After the director agreed to let me sit quietly near him and
observe I practically went into orbit. Mr. Jones was
amazing. Often, he would turn to explain his thinking behind
some bit of business he had given the actors, or to reference
a source. I learned more during that run of “Teahouse of the
August Moon” than I had attending four years of college drama
classes.
Perhaps the most important lesson I
learned was simply to not be afraid to ask someone I admire
for help.
A Mentor Can
Help You Work Through
a Difficult Project or Assignment
During my career, I cannot begin to count
the number of times I have called upon someone, for whom I
held respect and admiration, to ask for advice. Yet I don’t
remember a single incident where I was rejected. Sometimes
the contact has been invaluable.
TOP
A number of years ago, I was at a
crossroads in my career. I was stuck. A friend suggested I
talk to other financial planners who had practices that looked
attractive to me, and see how they got where they were. There
were some excellent planners within a reasonable distance from
my office. I had heard some of them speak at national
conferences and had actually been introduced to a couple of
them at local industry functions. But I was certain they
wouldn’t remember me.
Deciding which of the half dozen planners
to call was a problem. There were things about all the
practices that appealed to me. I wrote out a short script,
promising to stick it out until someone agreed to talk with
me, and then dialed the first number. I was surprised to be
put through immediately. Identifying myself as a financial
planner, I explained that I had heard/met them at such and
such a meeting, and hoped they might help me with a problem.
TOP
“Sure! Let’s have lunch one day next
week.” Not certain I heard correctly, I repeated myself, and
was met with, “Why don’t you make up a list of what you want
to know, and we’ll meet at noon.” We set the date, and
encouraged, I called the next planner on my list. He, too,
suggested a meeting, and asked if I was calling anyone else.
I told him about my list, and that I was meeting the first
planner for lunch. His response? He asked to join us for
lunch. I stopped making calls and started my list of
questions.
That luncheon turned my practice around.
Not only were the two planners eager to tell me about their
practices and help me employ some of their strategies, but
they were interested in what I was doing in my office. Within
six months, we were joined by the others on my list and set up
a practice management study group that meets quarterly to this
day.
During the initial months, I honestly
felt I was the recipient of the greatest benefit. Before
long, it became clear that these “mentors” of mine were
deriving just as much good as I was from the collective
brainstorming. Had I not made that phone call, asking for
help, I’ve no doubt my practice would still be languishing out
there somewhere. TOP
Finding a Mentor
My naiveté during those early years
continues to amuse me. Now that I’m in my sixties, I don’t
have time to waste. When I need mentoring, I go grab a
mentor! Not that I don’t take it seriously, but I feel a
mentor should be specific to the subject requiring help. To
paraphrase an old adage: if you want to know how to build a
watch, you’ll do better with a mentor who’s a watchmaker than
with a mentor who only knows how to tell time. That’s why
I’ve developed a list of what I’m looking for in a mentor, and
don’t just indiscriminately go on and on about my problem to
any ear willing to listen. A mentoring relationship is not a
one-way proposition.
VIEW
MENTORING CHECK LIST
When the Financial Planning Interactive
discussion boards first appeared, I went there in need of
support as my practice evolved. It was wonderful how
forthcoming other planners were with ideas and
recommendations. Sometimes I would dare to correspond
directly with a poster to thank them for an answer and request
additional information. Eventually, as I gained experience
and expertise in my field, the roles began to reverse. Today,
I moderate the “Getting Started/Career Development” discussion
boards, and find myself more and more the mentor.
One day I realized many of the same
questions were being posted again and again by people new to
the boards. I knew a great deal about getting started in
financial planning, and it became obvious to me that I should
collect the answers into a book. But I’m a financial planner,
not an author. What did I know about publishing a book?
Nothing. Time to grab a mentor!
After whipping out my checklists, it was
a short path to Bob Veres. In the financial planning
industry, he is considered by many to be a visionary. He
writes for many related publications and seems to have his
finger on cutting edge trends. He obviously knows how to
write, gets published all over the place, is respected in the
business, and appears to know everyone!
TOP
Oh, sure. Like I could just pick up the
phone and give him a call. He probably doesn’t have anything
better to do than talk to me. LOL!
So I chickened out and e-mailed him.
That way he could respond in his own time – if he wanted to
respond at all. There was no way for him to know that he had
already been my mentor for years. I was flabbergasted when he
responded in hours. Not only did he respond, but actually
encouraged me; told me my book was long overdue, and asked for
a copy of my premise. Before long, names of possible
publishers showed up in my e-mail.
He volunteered (I didn’t even have to
ask!) to edit the first chapter I wrote, and returned it to me
with invaluable notations. He suggested I talk with this guy
and that gal, and include a chapter on thus and so. When I
was bogged down and discouraged because I didn’t have a
committed publisher after a few months, he gave me a swift
kick and told me to keep writing. Soon after, I discovered
the world of e-Publishing, and it was obvious that my book must
be an e-Book! Changes are rampant in the financial planning
industry, and if I were to publish the traditional way, my
book would be outdated before it ever hit the street! WHAT IS COACHING
|
MENTORING CHECKLIST
|
