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This post was written by Katherine Connolly of Keeping HR_Simple

http://www.keepinghrsimple.co.uk/

Over 100 people listened to Richard McCann talking in the Cambridge Cancer Help Centre last night and many of us were moved by what he had to say.

I have heard messages like these before – “you can do it”, “get out of your comfort zone”, “challenge yourself”. I’ve never once thought they applied to me. I’ve never once felt personally affected by any of them. For me, the speakers and writers were always talking to someone else. They didn’t apply to me because I didn’t want to feel challenged. I didn’t want to leave my comfort zone, thanks very much. I never wanted to release my potential because as far as I was concerned, maybe I didn’t have any. I’d rather not try than do it and fail.

I’ve never once felt personally affected by any of them.

Last night, Richard’s message got to me. I believe that things happen for a reason (Jason always says that things don’t just happen, things happen just) and that the time was right for me to get that message and what’s more, to act on it.

Until we started this business, I was a PA.  A very good PA, thanks very much. I went to work every day, stayed in the office, acted as the central point of contact for everyone and everything. If someone wanted to know where something was, guess who they came to? If someone wanted help or advice or to pass on a bit of gossip, guess who they talked to first? I knew everything that was going on and I was very comfortable. My feet were firmly under the table there and I loved it all; the job, the company and the people.

I’ve learnt that I’m capable of much more than I think I am.

Now I know that I was missing out. Doing that job was fulfilling maybe 1/10th of my potential. If even that. I’ve learnt so much in the last year but mostly I’ve learnt about myself. I’ve learnt that I’m capable of much more than I think I am. I’ve learnt that I can go out and talk to people – people I’ve never met before. I’ve learnt that I can survive difficult situations. I’ve learnt that I have a way to go before I could call myself a good public speaker. But I’ve tried it and I’m willing to keep trying it. I may never be as good a speaker as Richard McCann but I have the potential to be. I’ll never dye my hair ginger though – I don’t want to be an honorary member of “the ginger massive” .

Most importantly of all, I’ve learnt that if I say “no” to the things that scare me or worry me or make me feel uncomfortable, I’m missing out. So, thank you to Richard McCann for bringing that message home to me. People probably tell you all the time how you’ve affected their lives but you should know how you’ve affected mine.

Richard McCann

What’s the difference between a coach and a mentor?

I’m often asked this question and one of the best explanations I’ve seen recently is this article was written by Mark Boyd, Marketing Manager at School For Startups http://www.s4s.com

Want to be a successful entrepreneur?

Try to be born into a wealthy family that starts and owns successful businesses. That almost always seems to work well. Growing a company from the ground up requires a broad set of skills, and there’s nothing like discussing corporate mergers and intellectual property rights over the dinner table to prepare you to launch a successful enterprise as soon as you leave school. At least that seemed to work well for Bill Gates.

But, for most of us, it is too late to choose a Mother and Father. That means you’ll have to find a good Mentor instead. Nothing shortens the road to personal and financial success for an entrepreneur more than some early hand holding by someone who has built a business from the ground up. Why?

Because you can’t teach what you don’t know . . .

An effective mentor should have the following properties:

• They have owned and operated a successful business, and they have demonstrated that they have the skills you need to master in order to succeed.
• They have some experience in running businesses similar to the one you want to run. It doesn’t need to be an enterprise in the same industry, but if you are planning to sell products it helps if your mentor has some insight into product design and product sales. If you are selling services, it is handy if they can help you come up with manpower management solutions.
• They’ve dealt with their fair share of disasters and disappointments. More than half of the skills required to build a successful business are related to dealing with the unknown and turning unpleasant surprises into unexpected opportunities. Furthermore, most very successful business professionals have had to start multiple enterprises in order to reach their current positions.
• They need to understand the true evolution of a business. A business starts with a simple idea which becomes a business model. They’ll understand the dangers inherent to each stage of a business, and be able give you some guidance to alleviate the growing pains. They won’t tell you to just write a business plan and take a loan . . .
• They’ll be honest. They’ll happily admit that they don’t know something they don’t know. They’ll tell you when they think an idea is unwise. They’ll offer their advice and then happily watch you make your own mistakes.
• They’ll be almost as proud of your successes as you are.
• And they’ll open up their Rolodex to offer you access to some of the resources and relationships they used to build their own successful enterprises.

While your boss may be your mentor, your mentor is not your boss. He is not your teacher. He is your advisor and your slightly senior compatriot. He is your coach and your confidant. One day, if you are very lucky, you will find he is your friend.

Finding a good mentor can make all the difference between success and failure when it comes to starting a business. It will almost certainly change the course of your life forever. If you are starting your first business, and you don’t have a mentor to guide you, perhaps it is time you set out to find one.

It may be one of the best business decisions you ever make . . .

Published in the S4S blog 23 Aug 2010

I don’t have a Rolodex but I do have a vast network of contacts, I’m a she and not a he and if you ask for my advice you’ll get it but you may not always like it.

If you want someone to offer you soft words and assurances that you can have whatever you want I’m not the right mentor for you. I don’t deal in fluffy thinking and I know that businesses work irrespective of whether you are passionate about them or not.

If you want straight talking based on 30 years in business and a sound knowledge of what makes people tick, you’ve come to the right place. Call me.

In 1908 a young journalist, Napoleon Hill, interviewed billionaire industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who at the time was one of the most powerful men in the world. Carnegie believed that the process of success could be captured in a simple formula that could be duplicated by the average person. Carnegie commissioned Hill to interview over 500 successful men and women, many of them millionaires, in order to discover and publish this formula for success.

His book “Think and Grow Rich” was published in 1937

Hill concluded that to emulate the most successful people it was necessary to follow these principles:

Define your Sense of Purpose and All-Consuming Goal

Create the Self Confidence and Belief that you can Achieve what you Desire.

Master the Principles of Success.

Acquire the Specialized Knowledge that will Achieve your Goal.

Outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear

Make Practical Use of Your Imagination.

Use Organised Planning and Put Desire into Action

Master Procrastination and Make Decisions

Develop Persistence and Overcome Obstacles

Aquire Power, the Essential Ingredient for Success through Harmony with Others

Understand the Role of Sex in Success

Know that Thoughts become Things – The Subconscious Mind

Develop your Sixth Sense to avoid Dangers and Grasp Opportunities.

These principles form the subjects for a series of talks at our Inspired Events. The events are a wonderful opportunity to mix with like minded people and hear truly inspirational speakers but if you can’t attend the events, you can get all the details of the talks by subscribing to this blog or reading The Inspired Blog