Is having a mentor or coach necessary for success? Do all successful people have mentors or coaches at some point in their professional or personal lives?

It is not necessary, but having a coach or mentor, can be a huge benefit, depending on where you are, in your professional or personal life.

Coaches are not just for baseball, fitness, and sports.

If you are at point zero of your career, a mentor/coach (who is willing to take a chance on you) can make the difference between you being able to succeed in field of work for which you have limited training, or not.

The apprenticeship model is a great model for learning, bypassing the need for formal education, and formal credentials.

I got my first job as a Commissions Analyst that way:

Minoo Jha

 · 4y

If you believe you can do something, do you have a better chance of actually doing it?

Hi, You asked, If you believe you can do something, do you have a better chance of actually doing it? Yes. I am reminded of taking up my first ever Commissions Analyst job. Here’s the story… When I became a Commissions Analyst, I did not know Excel. It was terrifying, because the job was entirely Excel based. Further, it involved an advanced level of Excel. I was so worried. I thought it would soon be evident I was a hopeless case. I was filled with doubt and concern. But if on one side there was all this doubt and concern I had, about whether I would succeed in the job, on the other side I had a fierce supporter and women’s advocate in the person of my hiring manager, Laura H. Aren’t some managers amazing? Sometimes they can take on someone with absolutely no experience in an area. And make them successful. This is what Laura did. She took a rookie single mom under her wing. And she gave her the confidence and grooming she needed to succeed. Shortly after I started working for her, Laura had to go out on maternity leave. I started panicking. “Laura, how am I going to manage? I don’t understand any of the formulas.” “Laura, if any of the formulas break, I won’t know how to fix them.” “Laura, if a new hire comes on board, what do I do – I don’t know how to set up their statement.” She put my worries to rest. “Don’t worry, Minoo, trust me you can do this.” “Just copy the formulas from the existing sheets on to new sheets for new hires.” “And if you break a formula, just look at one of the other spreadsheets and copy the formula over from there. “ “Trust me - you can do this.” Those were the magic words. “Trust me - you can do this.” I just needed to know I could do it. Laura had set me up for success with those words. In fact, Laura did not return from maternity leave. I handled the commissions function on my own for the next 5 years - until I went on to greener pastures. “Trust me - you can do this.” That’s all it took! It was the equivalent of putting a red cape over my shoulders. Throw someone the red cape today, by making them believe in themselves. The best managers do it.

The value of apprenticeship is tremendous, and I cannot say enough about it:

Minoo Jha

 · 5y

Should you have a mentor in all jobs?

Hi, You asked, Should you have a mentor in all jobs? Yes, the apprenticeship model is the most effective model for learning. And since my success in both my careers involved it, I felt compelled to write about it and composed this article on my blog. I am reproducing it here in full, because I believe it is relevant to your question. Recently I watched Cinema Paradiso. In the movie, a little boy becomes an apprentice to a movie projectionist and eventually takes over from the projectionist, when the projectionist loses his sight in a fire in the projection room. The movie made me think about the value of apprenticeships. An apprenticeship is not an internship. An internship is a paid or unpaid stint in a company, usually lasting a few months, typically offered to a college student during a college break. It is a vague term, and it is usually not a commitment the internee will learn anything specific by the end of the internship. Neither is a future job always assured. Thus an internee may finish her or his internship, without learning anything much of value, and be at square one in terms of securing the future. If she or he has learned a few things during the internship, it is by accident, and not by design. In some cases, internees may even have been left to twiddle their thumbs for most of the internship. Apprenticeships are different. When someone takes us on as an apprentice, it means they need an extra hand, and they are committed to teaching us the tools and tricks of the trade. Our work will be used; we are not there just to learn. We are there to be productive, to become a contributing member. Apprenticeships are always about learning the how. They are always about becoming a contributor. They are always hands-on. And they are usually, if not always, one on one. Eventually, we will, or should, be able to take on some, even all of the work, of the person or teacher who is grooming us. The person grooming us is an experienced expert whose job it is to create and deliver the work we are being groomed to do. Because of this one-on-one nature of an apprenticeship, working alongside an expert, being able to watch them at work, and to benefit from their guided instruction, we become competent, even with no prior experience or exposure. It all boils down to the teaching skills of our mentor or trainer, and our own receptiveness. Both My Careers Started With Apprenticeship I learned both copywriting and commissions administration by being taken on as an apprentice. Benjamin Franklin - whose first career in printing was learned as an apprentice in his older brother's print shop – said “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Involvement and immersion are essential to graduating from an apprentice to a skilled practitioner. When I was taken on as a commissions administrator, I knew nothing of commissions administration, and I knew nothing of Excel. But as I said in the Element of Believing In Someone, Laura H, the Commissions Manager of Palm Inc, took me on, and was prepared to spend the time necessary to immerse me in the commissions process. Thanks to her excellent training and confidence in me, I acquired the necessary competence. When Laura went on maternity leave, I was able to handle Palm's commissions on my own. Here are some well-known people whose professional careers started out as apprentices.... Chefs Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver are both nationally recognized, award-winning television chefs and personalities. That’s not all they have in common. They both started out their careers as catering apprentices. Fashion Designers Alexander McQueen, the famous and well respected fashion designer, started out as an apprentice tailor. Hair Care John Frieda, the celebrity hairdresser and maker of hair care products, began his career with an apprenticeship in hairdressing. Formal or Informal Apprentice Arrangements Lawyers do clerkships after they get their law degree; nurses pick up valuable information from the doctors they work with. Both formal apprenticeships such as clerkships, and informal apprenticeships such as working alongside doctors, are equally valuable. An Apprentice Mindset An apprentice mindset means you want to learn how to do something, not just be exposed to it. It is a key distinction. An explorer is not an apprentice. An explorer is just curious. For instance, we might go to a real estate class - to explore how to buy and sell houses. Or we might go to a class on investing in stocks, because we might want to find out how to invest in stocks. We may come away from this with a general idea, and leave it at that. We are explorers. It is only when we want to learn the ropes, and become competent at what someone else is doing, can we be considered apprentices. A Tax Example Several people have sat down with me to learn how to do their taxes. Some come to me with an apprentice mind. Those with an apprentice mind are extremely attentive, ask a lot of questions and make sure they understand as much as possible. They go back home and start doing their taxes on their own right away. If they have any questions or get stuck, they call me. That’s because they came to me with the intention of acquiring the skill to be able to do their taxes on their own. Others, however, will come just to explore. Those who come to explore sit beside me and listen while I explain how taxes work. But they do not absorb, or internalize any of the information. Because their purpose was to satisfy their curiosity, nothing more. When they go home, they go back to doing their taxes just the way they did before – with the help of a tax professional, or leaving it to their spouse. This is fine….. Sometimes we are curious and just want to explore. But you can see how a curiosity visit is completely different from an apprenticeship visit; a curiosity approach is completely different from an apprenticeship approach. So we need to know our mind. Because if we want to start applying what we have learned, our approach and attitude must be completely different. It must be that of an apprentice. If not for getting that break from Laura H at Palm, and being able to work one on one with her, I would not have made a successful career as a Commissions Analyst, and later as an SPM Consultant with experience in Excel, Centive, Xactly and Varicent. Later in my career, if not for my apprenticeship with the SPI team, I would not have been able to do several Xactly implementations. Later still, if not for working with the Spectrumbiztech experts, I would not have broadened my SPM expertise to include Varicent commissions software or become a commissions documentation specialist. Every new job should recast you in the role of apprentice - in one way or another. Because, there is always something to learn. And eventually, there should come a time when you are no longer the apprentice, but the teacher Maya Angelou says, “When you learn, teach. When you get, give” The key thing to offering an apprenticeship to someone, and taking them under your wing, is to want to pass on your mastery and competence to them, even if you do not care about doing so initially. In the movie Cinema Paradiso, Alfredo reluctantly starts teaching Toto the tricks of his trade; he only half cares that the boy is so interested in learning the ropes. But Alfredo changes his attitude and starts passing on his skills to Toto. He wants the boy to succeed - and doesn't get jealous when Toto takes over from him. As in Cinema Paradiso, an apprentice may reach a higher degree of fame and success than his teacher. Many former apprentices go on to become famous names, while their teachers languish in obscurity. We don't know who taught Gordon Ramsey, Jamie Oliver, Alexander McQueen or John Frieda. For instance, does the name Domenico Ghirlandaio ring a bell? How about the name Michael Angelo? Michael Angelo started his career as an apprentice to Domenico Ghirlandaio. So, if not for Domenico Ghirlandaio, there might not have been the Pieta, David, or the painting on the roof of the Sistine Chapel. By taking people under our wing, as Domenico Ghirlandaio did Michael Angelo, or as Alfredo did Toto in Cinema Paradiso, we can change their lives, we can extend our influence, we can recreate ourselves through a new generation of winners. The world needs more apprenticeships. Confucius said: “Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace” Indeed, teaching somehow how to do something enfranchises them, empowers them and gives them dignity – all of which are essential to being happy and living a well-adjusted life. I will end with a Japanese proverb which runs: “Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher” It sums up the value of an apprenticeship.

What if you are further along your career?

Is coaching and mentorship still helpful?

Yes.

It might help you make the leap to a new level of achievement, open your eyes to a new opportunity perfect for where you are in life, or help you recharge, and find a new sense of purpose and fulfillment.

You don't have to leave this to luck.

A life coach can help you if you are stuck, or if you are unsure what should be your next step in your career, or life. 

You only have to plug in "life coach" in the Google search bar, and names of life coaches will come up.

The rates of these life coaches will range from low to high.

Marshall Goldsmith life coaches, are held in high regard, and would be at the higher end.

Alternatively, you can also look into signing up for a Master Class.

There are so many options to jump start an existing career, or a new career, in today's world.

Including absolutely free resources on the internet, such as Career Pivot.

Finally, even a loving spouse, partner, family member, or friend, can be a source of mentorship, encouragement, and support.

Your very own private mentor and coach.

Never underestimate the value of turning to someone who knows you best.

Minoo Jha

 · 4y

When a spouse unexpectedly retires, what can one do to help him/her find a new path with purpose?

Hi, You asked, When a spouse unexpectedly retires, what can one do to help him/her find a new path with purpose? I have written a post about “using retirement well” on my blog. It may help your spouse. Reprinting it here for you to share with them. How To Reinvent Yourself in Retirement - 17 Ways - Pick a problem and try to solve it. It doesn't have to be your own problem. It can be any problem. -Take up a new hobby, or take an existing hobby to a new level. -Advance your existing skills. If you have musical skills, extend those skills; learn to play a new instrument; or learn to play more complicated pieces; or study music to learn new concepts; If you have cooking skills, extend those skills. If you've never cooked before, learn to cook. -Travel; discover new places, sounds, sights, smells, food. -Contemplate the big questions in life, and write your thoughts about them. -Rediscover a childhood passion - the theater, dancing, whatever. -Reconnect. Connect with old friends, connect with old coworkers, connect with relatives, connect with your kids. -Get fitness oriented in a new way. Take up a new sport. Train for a marathon. Set and pursue fitness goals. You now have the time. -Get involved in politics. Think about political issues. Evaluate the candidates. -Get involved in education. Involve yourself in the personal development of another human being. Take up a mentoring job at a school. Get involved in your children's or grandchildren's education. Become a career advisor. Give coaching in career skills, entrepreneurial skills, or life skills. -Broaden your horizons. Go back to school. Take online classes. Learn a language. -Learn to do things for yourself. If you've never done your taxes before, learn to do your taxes, or understand how they are done. Explore Turbo Tax online. You have nothing to lose; you only pay when you file. -Improve your understanding of personal finance. Learn about taxes. Learn about stocks. Learn about bonds. Learn about investing in hard assets. Learn about credit and borrowing. Learn about fiscal and monetary policy. Educate yourself about key retirement financial issues, by listening to useful podcasts for retirees, such as MoneyMatters by Scott Hansen and Pat McClain of AllworthFinancial. -Keep on your toes. Play games - Sudoku, Ken Ken, Merriam Webster Scrabble Online, online poker. Play Word Games. Play Number Games. Play Memory games. Challenge yourself. -Unretire. Take up a job. Join a non-profit. Start a business. CareerPivot or the 2nd Half Institute are resources to consider. -Start a Book Club, a Movie Club, an Investment Club. Start any club, where ideas can be exchanged, and you can continuously develop your thinking. -Write. Write a journal. Write a blog. Write articles. Write stories. Write letters for your children or grandchildren to read after you are gone. These are just some ways to ensure... Retirement Time Is Up Time, Rather Than Down Time… In fact…it may even turn out to be The Best Time Of Your Life.

When it comes to your job, or anything else in life.