DO I NEED A BUSINESS MENTOR?
John was chatting to me last week about one of his mentoring clients. He was explaining the exciting journey and how it’s a favourite part of his job, and the most rewarding. I think it’s amazing that pharmacy owner’s trust and respect John enough to have him mentor them. What I think is EVEN more amazing is that these people have reached out; because lets be frank it’s hard to admit when you need help.
There is such a stigma about acknowledging you need some guidance, people tend to feel that they need to do things alone. In some cases that might be the case but in others most certainly not. In business you need a sounding board, someone to observe from a distance, to provide non biased information and advice. Having a mentor allows you to remain focused, driven and on track to achieve your goals. John has his own mentor who has helped him achieve a great deal in his business and personal life.
John discussed in some other posts about the current state of the pharmacy industry, the blame game, negativity and challenging your thinking. I firmly believe that having a mentor could help you with most of these important issues. Within the world of pharmacy at present, being more competitive and challenging than ever before, I believe that the cost of not having a mentor far outweighs the cost of having one.
HERE ARE THE TOP THREE BENEFITS OF HAVING A MENTOR:
The benefit of having a sounding board, having someone review and reflect on your business from a different perspective. Your business partner like you has a personal connection to your pharmacy and this certainly changes the way they view the business. You need someone a little more removed to discuss, plan and set goals for your pharmacy.
The benefit of experience. Your business mentor should be someone with similar business experience but not necessarily a pharmacist themselves. You can utilise their past experiences and lessons learnt to gain wisdom for your business. I don’t think anyone can disagree that it’s better to learn through someone else’s failures then having to experience it firsthand.
The benefit of setting realistic goals. Sometimes you cloud your own judgement without even realising. Having a business mentor helps you set realistic goals for the future. This includes setting strong KPI’s to measure your pharmacy.
Last blog I spoke about the art of reflection. A business mentor is a great tool to reflect what is (or isn’t) working within your pharmacy. If you want to chat with John about how he and the team at Peak Strategies can assist you, please don’t hesitate to call us on (08) 9315 3117.
More about Mentoring and Business Growth Strategies available at Peak Strategies.