The dictionary defines “mentor” as “a trusted counselor or guide.” This definition can be expanded to mean a person who is helping another to develop a career, a project or even a life. A mentor chooses to help from the kindness or goodness in his/her heart and does so by teaching, coaching, role modeling or advising someone in their endeavors. The guidance provided is not intended for personal gain.
Mentoring takes place in a variety of settings. Mentoring is common in the workplace, especially where a senior manager or executive takes someone in a junior position under his/her wing. Doctors mentor interns. Lawyers mentor law clerks. An experienced educator may mentor a newly hired teacher in the district. Chefs, jewelers, master leatherworkers, painters and a myriad of professionals mentor apprentices. There are also mentors who pledge to help troubled or at-risk youth, alcoholics or drug addicts and so on.
In some environments, there is group mentoring where multiple people who belong to the same organization, jointly mentor newcomers. Group mentoring encourages collaboration and co-learning in either a structured or less structured environment and is especially effective in a workplace.
What does a mentor actually do? These are the primary functions:
How does the mentor to mentoree relationship work? Who can be a mentor?
Organizations that implement mentoring programs do so for four main reasons:
The above four reasons also apply perfectly to mentorship in network marketing. Look at it this way. The LPGN upline IBO can be the mentor and the newly recruited downline is the mentoree. By helping the new downline understand the benefits of the products and the business opportunity, the upline is developing a moneymaking IBO who can create an individual life, livelihood and legacy.
By mentoring this new IBO and making sure he/she knows the best way to leverage the 10 streams of income, the upline is creating a long-lasting relationship that goes beyond business—the mentor is establishing a friendship. Friends are far more likely to stay in a partnership. And, someone who has been taught how to make a living, improve the health of family and friends and to give back to the community is likely to remain a loyal and dedicated IBO.
In network marketing, mentoring is still rooted in the mentor’s desire to help someone else. The silver lining is that doing good in network marketing inevitably results in the mentor receiving benefits in return.