Experiencing the Magic of a ‘MENTOR MOMENT’

Welcome to success story, the most useful podcast in the world. I'm your host, Scott DeClaire. The success story podcast is part of the blue wire podcast network as well as the HubSpot podcast network. HubSpot podcast network has other great podcasts like marketing made simple hosted by Dr. J.J. Peterson. Now marketing made simple brings you practical tips to make your marketing easy and more importantly make it work. If you like any of these topics, you definitely want to go check out the show how to write and deliver a captivating speech, how to market yourself into a new job, how design can help and also hurt your revenue, creating a social media ad strategy that actually works. If these topics resonate with you, go check out marketing made simple wherever you get your podcast. Hey what's going on guys, Scott Clare here. Today I'm going to be talking about the magic of a mentorship moment. Now what exactly is that? Well a month or two ago and in lots of the content I put out, I was writing about the extraordinary benefits of finding a dedicated mentor. Now mentorship is a powerful tool. It's a relationship that can help you grow in ways you never imagined and I firmly believe that if you are going to get anywhere in life, you are going to get there through a mix of failure and finding people who can teach you things and expedite your growth curve. Now in particular to doses of mentorship or small bouts of mentorship and not just long-term mentorship and that's what I want to talk about today. A recent interview got me thinking is mentorship actually need to be a long-term ongoing commitment or can you also experience the magic and impact of mentorship in a short momentary dose. Well after speaking with leadership experts, Scott Miller, I believe the answer is yes. In fact I'd go as far as to say that sometimes the most powerful mentoring moments happen when you least expect them. So today in this video I want to talk to you and walk you through the process of finding and experiencing a mentor moment and if you've been struggling to find a long-term mentor in your career or if it's simply too daunting the prospect of sinking time into a relationship that may not pay off this one's for you. Before I go into mentorship I have to give you a brief bio about Scott because it's going to give you an idea as to why I value his opinion on mentorship so highly. So Scott has been an associate of Franklin Covey for 23 years. He helps organizations create exceptional leaders in teams. He's also written an Amazon top new release called Management Mass to Leadership Success, 30 challenges to becoming the leader you would follow. He's reached incredible success through hosting multiple podcasts interviewing incredible people on leadership as well. He's one of those rare people who speak wisdom every time he opens his mouth and I was honored to have him on the show and it was actually for the second time. Now Scott is someone who is mentored and has been mentored by many so I made sure to grill him on all things leadership and mentorship. Obviously we talked about defining a mentor, how to find one and the immense benefit of having a career in life mentor and if you actually like some of these topics and you want to go learn more go check out the podcast. The number of quotable moments in this interview is insane. You're bound to walk away with a head full of new perspective and motivating ideas. It's just what happens when you speak with Scott but for the purpose of this video I want to focus on something Scott said that really challenged my personal perception of mentorship. He said you can have a mentor in a 30 minute cup of coffee. It's a simple statement but it's packed with meaning so let's unpack that. The idea that you can have a mentor in any situation not just through long term sustained relationship is incredibly powerful. Scott calls these brief interactions mentor moments. Now a mentor moment is something that could happen in a very short conversation. Someone's wisdom can be imparted to you and completely change your life by changing your mindset, your behaviors and then your results. So how do you create these powerful mentor moments for yourself? That's what I wanted to dig into today so let's take a look. So first we have to decide why we want to go in search of a mentor moment. If you already have an established mentor you'll know that the benefits can be huge right. A good mentor can help you navigate your career. They can offer sage advice when you need it and champion you to others. They can hold you accountable. For many people ever finding a mentor is challenging. A few issues can crop up. You may not know where to start. You may feel daunted by the prospect of asking somebody respect for help. You may have had a bad experience with a mentor in the past. Luckily you don't need to have an official mentor to reap the benefits of having somebody to guide and support you in your career. You can also create what Scott called mentor moments. Opportunities to get guidance from somebody you respect even if that person is informally designated as your mentor. So mentor moments can be incredibly valuable offering the opportunity to get feedback and advice on specific issues as well as developing a deeper relationship with somebody you respect. You don't need a three-year commitment and a weekly catch up in order to reap the rewards. Even a quick chat can be beneficial. Now to quote Scott I think that people get scared about the concept of mentorship. They get worried because I'm not going to have a year with Sylvester Solon. But push yourself outside your comfort zone. Get that coffee meeting for 30 minutes with somebody who has achieved incredible stuff in their life and you're still going to get something out of that. As somebody who gets to experience these mentor moments incidentally whenever I record a podcast I definitely agree with Scott I've never really put like a label on it. So in my time as host of the success story podcast I've learned about almost every aspect of business. I've interviewed entrepreneurs, thought leaders, authors, CEOs and more. Each conversation in the conversations last for what maybe 30, 45, sometimes an hour but each conversation is a chance to learn something new no matter how big or small whether it's how to structure an argument, how to deal with difficult people or simply how to be more confident in your own skin. It could be how to go raise money. It could be how to go sell your product. It could be how to go market. Like there's a million and one things that I've learned from the podcast. So I always walk away from a chat with somebody who I admire feeling like I've learned something. So I've architected a format that actually repeatedly creates mentor moments for me and that's all from a simple hour long interview. Now let's talk about Scott's mentor moment example. So Scott not not me Scott Miller. So Scott is someone who has been in the mentorship and leadership space for over two decades. So I was interested to hear his take on what a mentorship moment looks like and the experiences that he's had. So from the co-founder of Franklin Covey, Haram Smith, Scott learned a powerful lesson that he now incorporates into his day-to-day outlook on life. I'll quote what he said verbatim. So he taught me this concept. You can see life through three lenses. I have to, I ought to or I get to. For example, I have to take the garbage out. I ought to take the garbage out or I get to take the garbage out. The first mentor in his book in Scott's book is a man named Nick Vujikik. Nick was born with no limbs, no arms, no legs, just a torso and a head. And Nick would love to take the garbage out on a five degree January evening in Salt Lake City. Nick because of his physical limitations has never taken the garbage out. So now whenever I'm entering a task or whether it be terminating somebody or flying to Miami from Salt Lake, I think of it as I get to. So I get to take a seven hour flight today. I get to be on another podcast moving from a mindset of I have to through to I ought to to I get to. That's a mentor moment and it could happen in a very short conversation. And that's a mentor moment that Scott reframed how he looks at life. Incredibly impactful reframe of how you look at life. When you think about something as simple as that a short little sentence, short little conversation allowed Scott to think differently about anything. So how can you orchestrate your own mentor moment? You don't need your own podcast. You don't need high up connections with VIPs or entrepreneurs or executives. Your mentor moment doesn't even need to be a conversation. In fact, if you resonated with the lesson Scott shared just two seconds ago, you've just had a mentor moment by watching this video. As you'll probably have guessed, creating a mentor moment isn't quite as a process as finding a long term mentor. That's just one of the perks. You just need to set up one coffee date, one lunch or even one Skype call, Zoom call, whatever. Of course, you still need to find somebody who is the right fit for you. But here are the things you no longer need to be as worried about. First thing is compatibility. So momentary mentors don't need to be a perfect fit for you. In fact, some of the most teachable moments come from those who are different from you. And since you're not looking for a long term mentor and relationship, you can afford to be more flexible with things like personality and working style. Number two, location. You don't need to live close by or even in the same country as your mentor and your mentor moment partner. Thanks technology. Of course, over the past few years, you know this, we can now connect to people all over the world in an instant. Just like I do with my podcast. And then three, time. You don't need to worry as much about whether you've got a few hours, each week to spare for mentorship with a mentor moment. All you need is 30 to 60 minutes of uninterrupted time to get the most out of the experience. The fourth thing you don't have to worry about career similarity. So with a long term mentor, generally you want to find somebody who can help you with both your career and personal development. Somebody a mentor who has done this before. However, with a mentor moment, you can focus on one specific topic or challenge that you need help with right now. Over time, you can then expand your mentor moment network to include other people who can help with different areas of your life and career. So ultimately, even if you are getting a mentor moment second hand almost by watching YouTube video or watching this video, the point is you should go out and seek short meaningful interactions because of course, the lessons that you'll learn if you watch somebody else communicating to somebody else doing a podcast. You watch a podcast where I'm talking to somebody. You may get something from that, but ultimately, you want to find a way to repeatedly create and orchestrate your own mentor moments so that they're meaningful and the most impactful to you. And the whole point of this is how do I remove the stress of long term mentorship? And also for the mentor, how do I make it so it's easier for them to say yes to sitting down with me for 15 or 20 or 30 minutes. I need you to reframe how you look at mentorship so that you can actually expedite your career. And this is one very easy way to do it. You have a shorter engagement. The mentor has a shorter engagement. You take meaningful tactical insightful lessons away from that engagement and then we all win. So when you are looking for a momentary mentor, there's a lot of things you don't have to worry about, but you still need to know what you should look for. So if you're looking for a mentor moment partner, these are a few things that you still want to look for, even if it's just for a 30 to 60 minute transaction or coffee or whatever. So you still want expertise. So they should be an expert in the topic or area that you want to learn more about. Decide upfront what you want to get out of the experience and make sure your mentor has a knowledge to help you achieve that. The second thing is experience. So along with expertise, your mentor should have plenty of experience in their field. This is what will help to provide tangible advice and guidance. Rather than just telling you what they think you should do, they'll be able to share real life examples of how they've dealt with similar challenges. And lastly, a different perspective. As mentioned before, one of the best things about having a momentary mentor is that you can learn from somebody who is different from you. This can help you see your challenges and goals in a new light through a new lens, as well as give you access to new ideas and perspectives. And let's keep these points in mind. I want to emphasize the fact that mentor moments aren't always orchestrated. They can also just happen naturally. For example, you might share an unexpected conversation with a senior colleague over lunch that opens your eyes to a new career opportunity. Or you might be listening to a podcast episode and hearing a guest share a piece of advice that completely changes the way you think about your life or your business. I've personally had countless mentor moments over the years that have helped me grow my business and prove my life. And I'm sure you have too, but you may not just realize it, but that's the secret. That's the X factor. You have to realize when you're learning something, internalize it and find a way to execute against it in your life. But there are definitely steps that you can take to attract these moments, even if they're not purposefully orchestrated and to create more mentorship opportunities. So spend time around people who inspire you and make you want to be a better version of yourself. If you regularly attend events like workshops, masterminds, or even have a few close entrepreneur friends, you'll be constantly exposed to new ideas and perspectives. Be open to advice. This one is key. If you're always closed off to new suggestions or unwilling to try anything outside your comfort zone, you'll miss out on a lot of great opportunities. Be curious. Asking questions is one of the best ways to learn. So make sure you're always curious about the world around you and the people in it. This includes asking your mentor moment partners for their advice on everything from your personal life to your career. And just generally keep an eye out for role models. As you progress from your career, you'll start to notice more and more people who you want to emulate. Make a list of these people and perhaps plan to ask them for coffee or a chat. If you want to set up a mentor moment, simply reach out to the person you'd like to mentor you and ask them if they're available for a quick call or meeting. If they're not available, don't be afraid to ask around your network for other recommendations. The beauty of a mentor moment is that they can be tailored to your needs and fit into even the busiest of schedules. Which is the number one most difficult thing and the largest hurdle you have to overcome when you're trying to get somebody who is very busy and you're trying to get their time. There's really no excuse not to take advantage of this powerful learning concept. If you have been in search of mentors with no luck, I want you to consider this your first ever mentor moment. Here's your ticket to go out into your workspace, into your community, into your online network and start finding people to learn from in more informal and spontaneous ways. And of course, I remain a strong advocate for finding long-term mentors who can help you guide yourself and your career in more significant ways. But don't underestimate the power of those fleeting mentor moments that can make all the difference in your day-to-day work life. As a take-home message, let me encourage you to think about the following points. Who are the people in your life who make you feel excited, curious, or inspired? What qualities do you admire in them? How can you create more opportunities to learn from them? The next time you're feeling stuck or needs some inspiration, take a few minutes to reflect on your answers and see if you can put yourself in a position to experience more mentor moments from these people. You'll be amazed at how much you can learn from a simple conversation or two. Now, if this was valuable for you, I highly recommend you have to go check out the full podcast. Of course, you're going to go check out Scott Miller, you're going to see all the work that he's put out, his podcast, his book. But ultimately, I hope this was valuable for you and I hope it inspires you to make more meaningful connections, to upskill yourself, to learn a little bit more, and to open yourself up to people that can actually progress your life, your career. So if you enjoyed this, please hit that like button, hit subscribe, leave a comment below any business, life, professional personal development topics. You leave it in the comment below. I'll go into it. So I hope you enjoy. Have a great week. I'll talk to you again soon. Bye now.