⚽️Tips on how to find mentors and coaches
How to identify a goal and find the right person
🔝The value of Olympic trainers is tremendous and no one doubts use of top team football coaches.
But what is the difference between athletes' evolution and everyone else? Why don’t we use coaching to achieve our ambitious goals?
Actually, there are not so many differences and we may learn from professionals!
🎩 Everything that I know better than average results from other people's coaching, high-quality courses, and materials combined with practicing, not just googling.
You cannot achieve a new goal by applying same level of thinking that got you where you are today - Albert Einstein said
I believe in learning from professionals and will show you why!
🏋🏼 Who is the mentor or coach?
An experienced professional that imparts knowledge, expertise, and wisdom to the mentee and helps to achieve BIG goals via a mutually beneficial professional relationship.
How to define do you need one?
👌You’ll ned to evaluate goal, time and level of mastering.
🎯There are intermediate skills or goals and ambitious ones. For example, when I need to cook curry for a daily dinner (a simple cooking skill), I am googling recipes. When I wanted to learn french sauces (higher than average level of knowledge), I visited classes in Paris, which is another level of cooking. Also, I am using coaching when I need to learn something fast and do not have years to master a skill by practicing it.
👍🏼My rule of thumb
If the goal is ambitious, level of skill is higher than average, or I have limited time, I am starting to find course, learning, and mentor. High-quality support is a secret of my achievements and bold moves— they all result from constant learning and feedback from people doing tons of great things and mastering them.
🤦🏼 When I started my consulting career, I could not understand why my resume is not working. Once my resume was changed with the expert's feedback, I got accepted to an international case conference in Paris fully sponsored by BCG. ROI (return on investment) was tremendous.
☝🏼Several ways that I am using to evolve!
⛹🏼Coaches and mentors. For example, I am proactively meeting several coaches and on the monthly basis: scientific advisor, career and business mentor, 1 product management coach, several "silent" learning relationships— I am just monitoring professionals and visiting their lectures.
🤝Targeted consultations. I am asking people’s advice occasionally on Linkedin or Leaders in the related field, last month: PM from FAANG and Genia, CEO of Introwise.
👩🏼🏫Courses. I am involved in Stanford Public Speaking class, it is tremendous and honestly the best Stanford course I took!
🍿Masterclasses and friends support — my favorite!
With friends and family we are hosting personal "Board of Directors" weekly or bi-weekly to discuss fantastic things that happened over the last weeks, exchange ideas, and set up new weekly goals.
For fun, I have a masterclass subscription and experimenting with cooking or cocktails making.
Obviously, whatever I do I have coaches and mentors, even though sometimes I am just silently watching their actions.
Once you decided what your next ambitious goal is, start with your guide.
✌🏼How to get a mentor or a coach?
To find a mentor or coach, define your career goals, identify your role models, narrow down someone in your network and industry, try mentorship programs, coaches, best professionals in the field with whom you worked with.
You can also look in your professional circle. Someone who has a general idea of your current role and industry will be able to give you advice on things like new projects to explore, certifications or training you need to get ahead, and how to manage office politics within your organization.
You will be surprised by how many people are open to coaching, valuable advice, and how you will grow and learn.
#highlyrecommended Trillion Dollar Coach book that tells a story of Bill Campbell, coach that played an instrumental role in the growth of several prominent companies, such as Google, Apple, and Intuit, fostering deep relationships with Silicon Valley visionaries, including Steve Jobs, Larry Page, and Eric Schmidt.
🍀To achieve big, you'll need to act smarter and start making innovative moves. Good luck! Feel free to reach out if you like it or have any questions!