A Different Spin on Mentoring

I do it because the teacher always receives the greatest lessons he seeks to teach others. - Jim Rohn

Last week I was invited to go for a coffee and chat with a friend whom I had not seen in a few years. We talked about the economy, business, and sales. We also caught up on family life.

Halfway through our time together, Kyle pulled his chair a little closer to the table and proceeded to tell me about a difficult business situation he was facing. He had recently bought a company, and he was struggling to drum up enough business to keep it afloat. He asked me for advice on how to best get over the hump.

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During the next fifteen minutes, I went deep into the trenches of my own experiences, along with what I have learned from the hundreds of books I have read, the seminars and courses I have attended, and the countless similar discussions I have had over the years. I helped my friend to see his problems from a different angle, and he walked away from our discussion with some next steps to take.

This morning I got a text from him. He told me how much he had appreciated my time last week and that he was close to landing a deal that would put him over the hump. I felt some personal pride in having helped him, but I also realized that the answers were already inside him. I just helped him to see his obstacles from another point of view.

But there is an interesting side benefit to having helped my friend. Yesterday, while meeting a prospective client, I found myself in a challenging position. I noticed my neck and shoulders tense up as I thought to myself, Now, Spurvey, how are you going to deal with this one? However, an interesting thing happened. I found myself thinking back to my conversation with Kyle and some of the advice I had shared with him. I found fresh ideas on how to approach the situation and walked away with both a happy client and a positive feeling. If I had not met Kyle for coffee last week, would those ideas have been as fresh in my mind? Probably not.

Are you going through a slump right now and not sure what to do next?

I suggest that you find someone who you can help to deal with similar issues.

Why do I so willingly accept opportunities to help others? Why do I write articles and books? Why do I take advantage of almost every speaking opportunity I am given?

So that I can be there to learn from the experience.

I do it because the teacher always receives the greatest lessons he seeks to teach others. - Jim Rohn

What is the best way out of a slump or a difficult situation? Talking someone else through theirs.

What is the best way to solve your own problems? Talking to someone else about their problems.

Why?

When you help others to see their problems from different angles, you hear yourself say things that you may never have realized were inside you. The compilation of your education and experience comes out to help this other person and ultimately to help you, by forcing you to relive the experiences again, and again, and again.

Tapping into our resources for the benefit of someone else is often easier than doing so for the benefit of ourselves. Through these mentoring opportunities, we stay mentally sharp and ready to conquer our own issues.

If you are serious about taking your life to the next level, start helping others to do just that.

I welcome your comments below.

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