Posts tagged mentor

Frustrated with the Hiring Process?

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As a professional coach and mentor I often work with people who are trying to find a job in the corporate world. They are often frustrated with the hiring process and struggle.

One of the most frustrating things is being declined without even a phone call.

Here’s some situational advice…

Large companies often post jobs externally and internally at the same time. However, they will often look at internal candidates first before they look at external. If they find someone that fits internally, they will hire them first.

If you are looking for jobs on search engines, like indeed and LinkedIn, chances are that job has been posted for a while and the company paid to expand the search. People who have a job alert set up with that company posted long before you did.

The most important thing in job hunting is to create and leverage a network in the companies you want to work for. If you don’t have strong, personal connections then you are fighting with those that do.

Not tailoring your resume? Shame on you! You have to adjust your resume for every job. Make it easy for recruiters and boolean search engines to pick your resume out of the stack.

Finding a job is a full time job in itself. Align yourself with an expert who has successfully sat on the job search side and hiring side. Hiring is a process…once you understand it, you can beat it and not let it beat you!

Startup Weekend — San Antonio

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Get your tickets today to Techstars Startup Weekend held here in San Antonio, March 22-24, 2019, at Geekdom!

Techstars Startup Weekend is a 54-hour event designed to provide superior experiential education for technical and non-technical entrepreneurs.

Beginning with Friday night pitches and continuing through brainstorming, business plan development, and basic prototype creation, Techstars Startup Weekends culminate in Sunday night demos and presentations.

Participants create working startups during the event and are able to collaborate with like-minded individuals outside of their daily networks. All teams hear talks by industry leaders and receive valuable feedback from local entrepreneurs.

The weekend is centered around action, innovation, and education. Whether you are looking for feedback on an idea, a co-founder, specific skill sets, or a team to help you execute,

Techstars Startup Weekends are the perfect environment in which to test your idea and take the first steps towards launching your own startup.

Get your tickets today:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/techstars-startup-weekend-san-antonio-tickets-54707627988?fbclid=IwAR0PQoHbc7tWK6k7OWA8PFZt-0ZoT9EWumGRJIy2WxvIJ4d8g7bAhuqxplU

Do You Have A Business Plan

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Two thirds of all small businesses do not have a plan (according to a recent survey). However, I believe that number is much higher!

Are you an entrepreneur? Run your own business, even if it’s as a realtor, having a side hustle, or pushing a MLM product? Do you have a written business plan? I’ll bet 9 times out of 10, the answer is, “No.”

Those that actually have a written business plan, when was the last time you looked at it? When was the last time you updated it? When was that last time you used it to drive business decisions? Again, 9 times out if 10 the answer will probably be, “Never.”

Small businesses are twice as likely to succeed when they have a business plan. If it’s a well designed plan, and not something filled in off the internet, the likelyhood significantly increases!

A well designed business plan, built by someone that knows what they’re doing, costs very little. Especially, when you consider the amount of money and time you spend to start and run your business–why would you not invest just a little to increase your likelihood of success two or more times?

Do you have your own business–what is it?
Do you have a business plan?
Do you use your plan?

Startup Resources — Funding

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Here’s a fantastic resource for startups in San Antonio. This information covers all sorts of topics from education to funding. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to feature some of these resources.

Funding is always a hot topic for startups. Where am I going to get money to make this thing happen? How much money do I really need?

Liftfund is local organization that has been microloans and small business loans to deserving entrepreneurs for over 20 years. They are just one of the many funding options in San Antonio and elsewhere.

Money is always crucial when starting or growing a business. When building your business plan, determining startup costs is very important. Here is an idea to use.

Draw a line down the center of a peice of paper. Top-left, write Must Have. Top-right, write Nice to Have. Sit down with your partners, spouse, friends, etc. and brainstorm money and things needed and place them in the appropriate column.

Write down everything…even if it doesn’t cost money. For instance, “Facebook and LinkedIn Business Pages,” should be Must Haves, but are free. A LinkedIn Premier Business account; however, will cost you.

This rather activity will help you think through the money you need to start and what you need to grow.

Bad vs Good Leaders

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Poor leaders ask you what you think about them.

Good leaders know!

Let’s face it, if you’re a good leader, you are “plugged into” your people. You know what they’re doing. You know what they’re thinking. That’s because you’re engaged with them!

In reality, bad leaders know they suck. Who wouldn’t know? No one can be that clueless! Why are they bad…so many reasons: micromanagement, absent, unengaged, poor communicator, etc.

These are the leaders that ask you for you opinion of them in 1:1s. Why, because they know they’re bad…and they know you won’t be honest, because their life will be a living H$%% of honest. Bad leaders know you will lie to their face to prevent retaliation.

And, in their sad, demented, world, this will make them feel good about themselves and confirm their veiled delusions that they’re a great leader.

How do we “flip the script?” How do we stop the madness?

Who Am I — Success Incubator

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Your success is my success…I’m a success incubator!

In the early 90s (Air Force cop), I got involved in quality. In 1998, I retrained as a fulltime internal coach and consultant. I was always the problem solver, so I moved from job-to-job every couple of years.

When I retired from the Air Force, I really wanted to help people–the business person. I created my own consulting business, Crosscutter Enterprises. Crosscutting is a jeweler’s way to bring out the brilliance of a diamond–I crosscut your business.

A month later, Booz Allen Hamilton (top 10 consulting firm) called me about a job they hadn’t posted and I hadn’t applied for. My interview was more of when can you start. Over three years, Booz changed and I left to work again with business people who need my help.

A month later, USAA called offering a contract. A month later, the exec I worked with told me he was going to hire me at the end of my contract–he did. For seven years I led four strategic engagements.

Today, I’m back…looking to work with you–businesses that need an expert to help them grow and solve problems.

Let me be your success incubator!

Mentor or Coach

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Over lunch a couple of days ago, we were discussing the subject of mentors and coaches and started to highlight the difference in the roles. Sometimes people can seemlessly operate in both roles at once, so the roles do not seem distinctly different, but they are.

We discussed a few items that seem to differentiate the two roles:

One of the items was Blind Spots. Coaching is designed to identify blind spots, where mentorship is more designed to overcome blind spots once identified. Sometimes the coach can guide the coachee in ways to overcome the blind spot, while in other situations they might recommend they obtain training or a mentor.

Another item was Proximity. Coaches are generally involved with what they are coaching you on, whereas a mentor is someone you mostly meet with to discuss things with. Coaches tend to actively participate in the thing they are coaching you on so they can witness your actions and provide advice and direction if improvement is needed.

Another item was Selection and Appointment. Although some organizations have more formal mentorship programs, generally coaching relationships are formal and assigned for a specific reason. Mentors are normally sought out to discuss and close a gap.

When we were discussing the subject, we discussed two different types of coaches–Lean Six Sigma and Executive. Both of these are very specific roles where an individual is involved with what is going on in a coachee’s life. In Lean Six Sigma, for example, the coach is engaged with every step of a coachee’s project,  guiding them in the application of the skills they should have learned already. If the coach recognizes that the coachee has difficulty in running meetings or presentations, they might suggest that the coachee obtain additional training in those areas. If the coach notices that the coachee has trouble with time management, they might suggest establishing a mentorship relationship with someone that they know is particularly good at time management. If the coach is good at time management, they might quickly switch into that mentor role, but this is outside of the original coaching arrangement.

This is why people often see coaches and mentors as the same thing–they can cover more areas than what they are specifically coaching for. In the case of an executive coach, the coach might be able to provide all kinds of advice and assistance on leadership and employee motivation. However, they probably would suggest the executive have a mentor if the coachee is trying to learn how to navigate the company’s culture toward promotion.

When you think about the roles, this should help you better delineate what each does and which you need.