SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE AS A MENTOR
- Learning from today’s entrepreneurs to develop entrepreneurial skills for the future -
YOUNG INNOVATIVE ENTREPRENEURS
What is mentoring? The Young Innovative Entrepreneurs project offers You a chance to get involved with the mentoring process in Lapland. The aim is to introduce a mentor, an experienced entrepreneur, to a young entrepreneur who wants to improve entrepreneurial skills in his/her area of business. As the mentor offers some new skills and shares his/her experiences, the mentee can offer the mentor new and different perspectives on modern business life.
At the same time the mentor can observe the entrepreneurial practices of today’s youth and in this way support and strengthen the surrounding community and local business life.
CHALLENGE, MOTIVATE, INSPIRE AND ENCOURAGE!
The core idea of the mentorship is that it is a voluntary relationship between the mentor and the mentee. Every mentoring process is different and individual and therefore the best practices can be found only through experience. The main aim is to support and develop the mentee’s personal skills and help entrepreneurs to find their own objectives.
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Principally mentoring is a longer process than just a few hours but on the other hand it can’t last forever. This is also one of the main reasons why it’s so vital to define a clear goal towards which the process aims. By doing that the mentoring process gets a specific and individual structure that one can’t learn from literature. It is made up from common goals and the chemistry between the mentor and the mentee. - Timo Puukko, a mentor
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Mentoring is a two-way street so the best result is achieved by giving enough time for the mentees. In this way the mentoring benefits both parties, the mentor and the mentee. Trust isn’t built in a second. - Timo Puukko, a mentor
ENCOURAGE SELFDIRECTED REFLECTION, ANALYSIS AND PROBLEM SOLVING!
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In the mentoring process I realized how little I know and how much I want to learn! My own skills improved tremendously and first and foremost I gained a lot of courage and self-confidence. - Aila Mulari, a mentee
There is no right way to mentor. Every mentoring rela
Benefits of being a mentor • Personal satisfaction from enriching the young entrepreneurs’ experience through development of entrepreneurial skills. • Give back to the community and region through development of young people as entrepreneurs for the future by personally and professionally supporting their growth. • Enhance coaching, feedback and existing leadership skills. • Exposure to new and different ways of thinking, as well as new knowledge and perspectives.
ationship is as unique as the individuals involved in it. Participation - of both mentees and mentors - is voluntary. Both parties share responsibility for the smooth winding down and proper ending of their relationship. Mentoring is a confidential activity in which both parties have a
duty of care towards each other.
The mentor’s role is to respond in a non-judgmental and primarily non-directive manner to the mentee’s performance and development needs.
BE PATIENT AND BUILD TRUST!
The aim is to help the mentee to articulate and achieve his/her goals. Both parties will respect each other’s time and other responsibilities, ensuring they do not impose beyond what is reasonable. The mentor will be aware of and operate within the limits of their experience and expertise. The mentor and mentee will be honest with each other about how the mentoring relationship is working.
(Based on an adaptation of the Code of Practice published by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.)
EXAMPLES OF MENTORING ACTIVITIES
• Provide direction to, or a list of, relevant books, web resources, articles, or other resources • Serve as a resource broker • Provide job shadowing opportunities or an on-site visit • Discuss training and educational opportunities
OFFER ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES!
• Suggest methods for advancing the mentee’s development • Request or offer résumé assistance and long-term career guidance • Provide networking opportunities or assist the entrepreneurs in professional networking • Recommend developing activities • Communicate about experiences and challenges as an entrepreneur • Attend a business related event together • Provide effective feedback • Acknowledge areas in which you do not have the necessary skills and refer to other resources
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Mentoring is a lot more than traditional consulting. A mentor doesn’t just provide answers but seek the best solution to the problem in hand in co-operation with a mentee. It is a mutually beneficial exchange of ideas. This kind of interactive relationship requires the mentor to put his/her whole heart and mind to the process in order to care about and encourage the mentee to find the right path. In this way the mentoring benefits both parties.
ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES WITH YOUR MENTEE!
- Timo Puukko, a mentor
Young Innovative Entrepreneurs project in Fac ebook : facebook.com/YIEproject Read more about the activities from our bl og : yieproject.blogspot.fi
Young Innovative Entrepreneurs is a business development project that will make it more attractive for young entrepreneurs to stay and do business as well as initiate projects in the Barents region. The Young Innovative Entrepreneurs project aims to develop a support system for implementing innovative business ideas by young innovative entrepreneurs in the Barents region, facilitating cross-border cooperation.
WOULD YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER AND GAIN AS A MENTOR FOR A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR? CONTACT: MINNA MIETTUNEN
Communications coordinator, The Regional Organization of Enterprises in Lapland minna.miettunen@yrittajat.fi +358 400 984 077
EILA SEPPĂ„NEN
Project manager, Lapland University of Applied Sciences eila.seppanen@lapinamk.fi + 358 40 502 2413