At the Empowered Franchisee, we believe deeply in the power of mentoring–and science backs us up. In fact, studies show that career mentoring consistently improves mentees’ work performance and job satisfaction, among other benefits. So as a new or aspiring franchise owner, how do you find a franchise mentor of your own? This is the third in a three-part series designed to help you find out. In the first week, we covered mentor-mentee etiquette. Last week, we covered places to find a mentor. This week, keep reading to learn about mentoring red flags: warning signs to help you avoid mentors who might have ulterior motives.
Mentoring Red Flag #1: Your mentor expects to be paid
As a mentee, you should definitely plan to pay for coffee or lunch when you meet up with your mentor. You might also pay membership dues for a professional organization that includes a mentoring network as part of its benefits. But a mentor should never ask you to pay them directly. Mentorship, by definition, is not a paid role. It is something a person does voluntarily to help others succeed – which is why it’s so important to treat your mentor’s time with respect.
Mentoring Red Flag #2: Things get too personal
Mentors and mentees may share personal information with each other or even become friends, especially if they’ve known each other a long time. But a mentoring relationship should always start as 100% professional. Disclosure of personal information should be completely voluntary for both people, and neither should pressure the other to share. Your mentor should also never provide unsolicited advice on your appearance or personal life.
Mentoring Red Flag #3: Your mentor asks about confidential information
Beware of a mentor who asks about financial details (personal or professional) or probes for competitive information or trade secrets. That kind of information is crucial to your business’s value proposition and is almost always irrelevant to mentoring conversations. The one exception: if you have specifically asked someone to mentor you in growing your business’s revenue or improving your financial management skills. In that case, make sure to choose a mentor who is not a potential competitor or someone who otherwise stands to profit from knowing the details of your business’s financial situation.
Mentoring Red Flag #4: You’re uncomfortable with your mentor
This is perhaps the biggest and most important mentoring red flag on our list. Trust is essential to a successful mentoring relationship. Don’t waste your time with a mentor who makes you uncomfortable, and watch for these warning signs in particular:
- They ask you to invest in a business venture (a possible sign of a scam)
- They bring other people to your meetings without your permission
- They invite you to meet at inappropriate locations or times
- They sit too close to you, engage in inappropriate physical contact, or make suggestive or offensive remarks
The best mentors will ask for your input to help ensure they are not doing anything that makes you uncomfortable or is inappropriate. For instance, they might ask where you would prefer to meet or whether it’s OK to high-five you for an accomplishment. If you have specific places you’d like to meet or boundaries you would like them to respect, don’t hesitate to name those (e.g., “Coffee-shop meetups work best for me” or “Let’s bump elbows instead of shaking hands”).
Mentoring Red Flag #5: You feel tokenized
Your mentor should focus on your success. They should not treat you like some kind of acquisition, feather in their cap, or trophy they’ve collected. Nor should they use their role as your mentor to try and earn reputational points for themselves. Beware of a mentor who tries to take credit for your success or makes a big deal out of their role as your coach when they introduce you to others. Instead, they should highlight what makes you a rising star.
We hope this series on mentoring has been valuable to you and has given you some tools to help you find an effective franchise mentor. If you’re looking for a mentoring-minded team to help you choose the right franchise, please keep us in mind. In just 20 minutes, we can figure out whether it makes sense to work together. Book a call with Dave or Lauri today to learn more!
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