A Mentor Speeds up Learning
There are many ways to learn things faster, from using different texts, to improved note-taking, to using strategies like primacy and recency to effect. Tony Robbins has preached the efficacy of finding a role model for years to speed up the learning curve. Saying that success leaves clues, he states that finding someone who has already accomplished what you aspire to do can provide distinctions that can make success easier and faster. Steve Pavlina, in his blog today, shares his experience in using a mentor.
Going beyond the simple advice to find a mentor, Steve shares his experience in finding a mentor, how he approached the initial meeting and how the relationship will continue. He then shares his views regarding the appropriateness (or inappropriateness) of using the telephone and email to do remote coaching:
" While I think remote mentoring can work, I personally don’t like it. I want the face to face interaction when it really matters. Phone coversations are OK, but you miss out on body language and facial expression. And email is simply not expressive enough. When I ask a question that isn’t likely to have a simple yes/no answer, I want to see the other person’s full physical reaction. "
For me, I think the value of remote coaching/mentoring is determined by the nature of the goal that is to be achieved, as well as the personal preferences of the parties involved. Even if the mentor needs to observe the protege's performance, audio or videotape can be a suitable medium to do that. If the relationship is more verbal with the mentor and protege sharing ideas, asking questions, and engaging in dialog, remote coaching, by way of instant messaging on a computer with an IM client that has audio and webcam capabilities, can be an effective conduit that can satisfy the need for visual and auditory feedback.
Remote mentoring also opens up a world of potential mentors, as many people lack local mentors for achieving their chosen goals, especially when those goals are lofty. For example, if I were aspire to be a professional speaker, I would find few mentors in the area where I live. However, with the right gear, remote mentoring becomes a viable option for me.
Now you can benefit by role modeling by visiting Steve's blog and observe how he recruited a mentor and developed a strutured mentor/protoge relationship that was beneficial to both parties.
Sources
Gear for Remote Mentoring
And David St. Lawrence at Ripples just posted about a networking tool called LinkedIn. It lets you connect to people, and those connections lead to other connections.
David stresses the importance of networking, especially in the turbulent corporate environents that exist today.
http://ripples.typepad.com/ripples/2005/07/wake_up_call_ti.html#comments
http://www.linkedin.com
Posted by: GBGames | July 01, 2005 at 12:40 PM