by We all benefit from people lending us a hand or giving us direction in our personal lives and the same is true for our business lives. Mentors, coaches, experts and volunteers call all have different impacts on our enterprises.
A study conducted by Grow Movement (2015) in Uganda showed that enterprises connected with a volunteer consultant increased their sales by 27%. Anderson et al. showed that enterprises coached by marketing specialists increased their monthly sales by 51%. The different impacts of different types of support and advice mean entrepreneurs need to know when to choose a mentor, coach, expert or volunteer. And that is, you need to know your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
When making any decision, it is important for an entrepreneur to conduct a SWOT analysis; SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The SWOT framework is used to evaluate the internal and external factors of an enterprise’s competitive position and it gives a good grounding for strategic planning and decision making. A SWOT analysis will help you decide whom should engage between a coach, mentor, expert or volunteer. Below we look in more detail at the different roles so you can use the results of your SWOT to make a choice.
Mentors. A mentor is an experienced professional who provides informal guidance and support. The guidance provided by a mentor often helps entrepreneurs discover their hidden competencies. Dilts, (2003) writes that mentoring involves validating positive intentions and shaping or influencing beliefs and values through following the mentor’s own example.
As an entrepreneur, sometimes after you start a business you face internal doubts about your competencies and abilities, which is where a mentor can help. Mentorship is usually based on relationships, so when looking for a mentor, think of people you have interacted or connected with, i.e., who knows about you? A mentor can be a family member, a lecturer, a colleague, a friend, or someone in your industry. Mentoring is usually an informal, personal service, it is not a service you can demand and paid for.
When you find a mentor, it is your responsibility to keep up the communication so you can benefit from them and increase your positive intentions. Different from motivational speakers, who do not know you and have no responsibility towards you, a mentor motivates you to discover the potential they see in you. When you have a good mentor, you can turn to him/her for advice before making a move.
Good for when: you need see your potential and build your confidence
Coaches. A coach can help you perform at the peak of your ability. The difference between a coach and a mentor is in the aim and providence. Dilts, (2003) says that coaching is outcome-oriented and promotes new thinking and acting to generate change. Coaching does not depend on pre-existing relationships or connections, for example, the international Grow Movement volunteers could successfully coach entrepreneurs in Uganda to increase their monthly sales.
You can choose a coach for your enterprise if you are already aware of your competencies and are looking to refine them. Szafran (2016) argues that it can be challenging for an expert to be a coach, as coaching requires more than just subject knowledge. According to Szafran, coaching is a process of learning, motivation, dialogue and support, which is conducive to the development of an enterprise.
Good for when: you want to finesse a specific skill
Experts. An expert is skilful and knowledgeable about a specific issue. Weinstein, (1993) groups expertise into two, “epistemic expertise” which is defined as the capacity to provide strong justifications for a range of propositions and “performative expertise” which is the capacity to perform a skill well according to the rules and virtues of practice.
You will usually choose an expert when you want to start a new project outside your own expertise. An entrepreneur should always do their own learning but in this case, you can save time and money by having an expert deliver reliable epistemic or performative expertise when you need it. You should always take the opportunity to learn from the expert as well as applying their expertise to your new project. When you hire an expert, make sure you get reliable testimonies of their abilities and previous successful projects.
Good for when: you need reliable expertise fast
Volunteer. Cambridge Dictionary defines a volunteer as “a person who does something, especially for other people or for an organization, willingly and without being forced or paid to do it”. A volunteer can take on any role in an enterprise, for example, they can be a coach as in the Grow Movement or they can be an expert.
You choose volunteers when you want to decrease your operational costs, as volunteers are not promised a salary or consultancy fees. Volunteers are willing to contribute their skills for free to make a change or impact in an area they are interested in, to showcase their ability or to gain professional experience. You can retain a volunteer after being impressed by his/her ability and talents, which can also reduce recruitment costs and risk.
Good for when: you need to minimise cost and risk
Conclusion
A SWOT analysis will give you clearer idea of your enterprise’s needs. With this knowledge you can better choose who to engage in your work. For example, if your enterprise is financially limited but you lack the expertise for your new project, you will choose an expert but find one who is willing to volunteer. Remember, your SWOT will change over time, so keep updating your framework so you can find the right mentor, coach, expert or volunteer at the right time.
| References |
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| Anderson, Stephen J., et al. “Do Marketers Matter for Entrepreneurs? Evidence from a Field Experiment in Uganda.” Journal of Marketing, vol. 85, no. 3, 2021, pp. 78–96. |
| Dilts, Robert. From Coach to Awakener. 2003 |
| Grow Movement. Results. https://www.growmovement.org/results/. |
| Szafran, Joanna. “A Coaching Culture–Towards New Organizational Challenges.” Lifelong Learning For Labour Market Needs, 2016, pp. 187–187. |
| Weinstein, Bruce D. “What Is an Expert?” Theoretical Medicine, vol. 14, no. 1, 1993, pp. 57–73. |
