Mentors: Seek and Be One

Mentors don’t necessarily seek you out; as they may not know you want or need a mentor. Be proactive in reaching out to people you respect and admire and develop either formal or informal mentorship relationships. You will find that almost every successful person had a mentor. When others seek you out for mentorship relationships be open and available; not only is it flattering, but it is a great thing to give back and help others reach their goals.

Good Article on Coaching

The Power of Coaching

Becoming an outstanding coach requires that you help each individual on your team, yes, even the people who are tough to like, become successful. Whether you realize it or not, you have the power to be successful by helping others succeed. Some managers think that coaching is solely about addressing negative performance. And, to be sure, that is an important part. But the process of coaching involves more than that. It includes staying in touch with everyone on your team, even your best performers, and providing them with the information they need to be even more successful. You see, every interaction with team members is a coaching occasion, an opportunity to create a positive, winning climate by clarifying goals, prioritizing tasks, listening to their ideas, and providing recognition. You want an idea of your team's current climate? Look around. Are people smiling? Do they look you in the eyes? Is there evidence of any recent success, banners, trophies, new record postings? How about the workspace? Are people proud to keep it clean, or is stuff lying all over the place? One of the keys to creating a winning, positive climate is to spend time with your team. Start your day by roaming the halls, asking questions, and visiting with team members. It's a good habit and a great investment of your time and energy. Coaching begins with creating an environment where people want to be part of a winning team. You have the power to make that happen!

Today's lesson is from The Manager's Coaching Handbook: A Practical Guide to Improving Employee PerformanceFor more information on this resource and other high-impact WALK THE TALK publications, please click here to learn more. To Your Success,Eric HarveyFounder and President, WalkTheTalk.comQuestions? 888.822.9255

Think like an Entrepreneur

Generally speaking, people that treat their role in a corporation as owners are usually very successful. When faced with a dilemma at work, ask yourself “if this was my own company, what would I do”? Behaving with integrity will help you become a balanced professional and guide you like a compass in unchartered waters.

Virtually There

As many of you know, technological advances have enabled us to eliminate physical work location as a limitation to getting our work done. Many people have the wonderful privilege of working from home occasionally or regularly. This is an enormous perk which allows people to get their work done more efficiently. One of the big advantages is having less interruptions and more quiet time to concentrate on the task at hand. A couple of drawbacks are that you tend to work longer hours and you miss out on the face-to-face interactions with your co-workers. Since virtual work increases productivity and loyalty, employers may find that it helps to retain high performing employees.

What do you think? Are virtual work environments good for employees and employers??

Business Relationships

No one is successful alone. We need other people to help us along the way; therefore, the more people you have built relationships with, the better off you will be. Build and nurture relationships before you need them. For example, some say you should never eat lunch alone, try to have at least one meal a week with a friend or colleague.

I personally find that when you share a meal with someone, you begin to share life experiences that you would not otherwise have the time to communicate. Eating with someone is a great way to understand them and truly build meaningful business relationships. In the end, your career is not a destination, but a journey with stops and detours, why not grab something to eat with someone along the way?