“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.
If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.
But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”
-Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, The Bible, New Living Translation (NLT)
“Hindsight is 20-20…”
“There are two types of pain; the pain of discipline or the pain of regret”
“I wish I knew then what I know now…”
These phrases have something to do with your professional and personal learning curves. And you’re not alone if you want to shorten yours.
But how?
There’s no quick-fix. But there is a way to drastically reduce your learning curve as a dentrepreneur.
Before we talk specifics, here’s some research based insight to illustrate.
The Elliot Leadership Institute at Johnson & Wales University commissioned a survey. For their study, researchers surveyed senior executives and middle managers in the food service and hospitality industries about leadership competencies.
They discovered that leaders who had been mentored felt the experience invaluable. They also admitted that their mentors helped them build their leadership skills including decision making, strategic thinking, planning, coaching, and effectively managing others.
(Source: Michael Masterson, The Pledge-Your Master Plan for an Abundant Life, pp123-124.)
And another…
Lillian Eby, a psychology professor, conducted a study on mentoring with the nonacademic employees of the University of Georgia. Dr. Eby discovered that 89 percent of those who were mentored reported satisfaction with their jobs, and more than 90 percent considered their mentor someone they could trust and confide in.
She further found that more than 70 percent of the protégés also reported that their mentors helped them advance in their careers and taught them new skills…
(Source: Lillian Eby, “Summary of Research Findings.” Available at www.uga.edu/psychology/faculty/ebydebrief2005.doc)
Vice-Versa
Coaches mentor. Mentors coach.
Let’s not debate the nuances of each (coaching and mentoring). Instead, let’s boldly agree that “two are better than one…” in leadership…and especially as you courageously chart your path into dentrepreneurship.
Uncharted territory calls for pioneers
The most pioneering steps you take will often lead into uncharted territory. That’s why it’s scary and why many, including you prior to now, have stayed on the safe path.
On the other hand, you can chart your path with a proven map, alongside someone who has the capacity to coach you to get to the peak of each decision making process along the way. Sure, there are obstacles, impasses, ups and downs but it’s a shared journey.
Charting your dentrepreneurial venture with a “coach” will benefit you greatly. Here’s the essence of your coaching relationship:
- Coaching minimizes your assumptions.
- Coaching provides you invaluable and memorable experiential learning.
- Coaching positions you to grow faster, leverage more opportunities, and manage the peaks and valleys along the way.
- Coaching creates substantial breakthroughs and well-timed opportunities you can’t achieve on your own.
Two Additional and Practical Benefits of Coaching for Your Dentrepreneurial Venture
1-Your questions become a source of strength.
As a dentrepreneur be unapologetically comfortable with asking questions. Want to grow, get stronger, attain new levels of success, stretch your capacity, and shape your future?
Ask questions.
There’s no proof of success with appearing (emphasis on appearances) to have all the answers.
You show more ignorance by not asking questions than you do attempting to prove your wisdom by having all the “supposed” answers.
Being a coachable dentrepreneur involves having more questions than answers. TWEET THIS LINK
- Chart your path by allowing yourself to step so far into the unknown that you must ask for help or feel as though you’ll perish. It’s more beneficial to fail-forward into the wisdom and experience “arms” of a coach/mentor.
- Keep a running list of questions for which you have no immediate answers. Probe, question processes, ask “why not” more than “why me,” believe everything-is-figure-out-able with someone to share your questions wit
- Allow your questions to force you into a beneficial coaching/mentoring relationship with a proven pioneer. Questions open your path to new and potentially business enhancing ideas.
2-Your frame of reference is flexible and fluid not forced.
There’s more than one path to success. The key is finding yours as a dentrepreneur and being flexible enough to seek guidance along the way. TWEET THIS LINK
You need a “bootstrapping mindset” as a dentrepreneur. But that doesn’t necessarily exclude the counsel and wisdom of a coach/mentor relationship.
Remember you want to be in a position to shorten your learning curve. Your dentrepreneurial path is treacherous enough without bootstrapping yourself into an abyss of unnecessary and potentially costly missteps.
- Give yourself permission to see your dental enterprise with fresh-eyes. Another set of “eyes” (and “ears”) will give you an idea sounding-board that you (alone) are inadequate to achieve.
- Let your guard down. Vulnerability is your friend when you take a coach/mentor along on your dentrepreneurial path.
- Remember dentrepreneurship is a journey…not a destination. Cliché’ as that sounds, it’s true. You join an “evolution” when you step out as a dentrepreneur. You’re constantly evolving and being shaped by those you choose to share your journey with.
Now is the time to know your limits. It’s okay to admit them and question them.
Let’s talk. And if you’ve been listening, you’re sure to be full of questions that I’m more than happy to help you answer.
Let’s go…!
Membership to Dentrepreneur’s Master Class Coaching can be found by clicking here and registering TODAY!