????筆者非常推崇商業導師制，本人既為公司提供過指導，也得到過導師的指點。最近，我經常聽到創業者抱怨良師難尋，或是導師效率太低。其實，與其他關系一樣，要想使導師制發揮作用，需要雙方共同努力。

????大多數創業者認為，導師就應該是閱歷豐富的長者，就應該親自為創業者提供指導和建議，并且要在創業者的事業中投入情感。他們從來沒想過自己也要有所投入，一方面，要培養與導師的關系，另一方面，要真正用心傾聽導師給出的建議，而不是心存抵觸。

????導師制以及其他個人發展活動可以快速增加個人在商界的價值和收入。布萊恩?特雷西在其新書《追求真正值得擁有的東西》（Earn What You're Really Worth）中也為我的這一觀點提供了佐證。那么，該如何尋找和利用合適的導師呢？以下是我特地為創業者總結的幾個要點：

????? 確定清晰的公司發展目標。考慮理想的導師人選之前，首先要明確你希望導師為你提供哪方面的輔導。一位成功的財務主管不見得能夠為優秀營銷策略的制定和執行提供有用的建議。如果沒有目標，就永遠無法抵達成功的彼岸。

????? 持續工作、學習和練習，以便鞏固指導的效果。愿意學習和快速成長的人最能引起優秀導師的興趣。這并不是要創業者盲目地接受指導，但卻意味著創業者的確沒有找借口的時間，必須老老實實地努力理解、落實指導意見。

????? 不要要求導師拿出過多的時間，否則很可能招人煩。切記，最優秀的導師通常都非常忙碌，所以，如果有人占用他們太多的時間，肯定會引起他們的反感。其實，最佳方案是請求導師在私下里專門拿出一小塊時間，比如十分鐘，同時準備確實值得討論的問題。

????? 創業者在與導師的會面過程中應該主導討論的過程。導師不應該成為公司的主導，創業者也不應該指望導師能夠對自己采取的措施或失敗的方案提供寶貴的反饋意見。最有效的做法是，創業者提出議題，力求得到具體的見解；但同時，也別忘了敦促導師給出更廣泛或相關的建議。

????? 切記導師、朋友與教練三種角色之間的區別。導師會告訴你需要聽到的話，而朋友也許只講你喜歡聽的話；商業教練的主要作用是幫助創業者掌握通用的技能，而導師的目的是根據具體情況為創業者提供指導。同一個人無法身兼數職。

????? 定期溝通進度和當前的任務。要想使導師更愿意提供幫助，最好的辦法莫過于創業者向導師表明，自己聽從了指導，而導師的幫助的確發揮了作用。同時，這也是繼續給導師分配新的指導任務、繼續學習新知識的一個巧妙方法。

????I'm a big fan of mentoring in business, and have been on both the contributing and receiving end of the process. These days, I seem to often hear from entrepreneurs who are struggling to find a mentor, or complaining about their lack of effectiveness. Like any other relationship, it takes work on both sides to make mentoring work.

????Most entrepreneurs view a mentor as someone older and more experienced who takes the time to personally give guidance, advice and takes an emotional investment in your success. They don't think about this process requiring an investment on their part, both in nurturing the relationship, and really listening, without being defensive, to advice given.

????Brian Tracy, in his new book, "Earn What You're Really Worth," solidifies my ideas on how mentoring, as well as other personal development activities, can quickly increase anyone's value and income in business. Here are some key points on how to find and utilize the right mentor, which I have adapted specifically for entrepreneurs:

????? Set clear objectives for yourself in your business growth. Decide exactly what it is you need mentoring on before you start thinking of the ideal person to work with. A successful financial executive probably isn't a good mentor for building and executing a great marketing strategy. If you don't have an objective, you won't know when you arrive.

????? Work, study, and practice continually to solidify the guidance. The very best mentors are the most interested in helping someone who is willing to learn and grow quickly. That doesn't mean you should accept any guidance blindly, but it does mean no time making excuses, and an honest effort to understand and implement action items.

????? Don't ask for too much time or make a nuisance of yourself. Remember, the best mentors are busy people, and they may be opposed to someone trying to take up a lot of their time. The best approach is to ask for small focused blocks of time, maybe just ten minutes, in private, and be prepared with real issues to discuss.

????? When you meet with a mentor, you should lead the discussion. Your mentor should not be driving your business, or expected to provide critical feedback on actions taken or missed. It's most effective if the entrepreneur proposes the agenda and drives for specific insights, but never forgets to press the mentor for broader or related implications.

????? Remember the difference between a mentor, a friend, and a coach. Expect a mentor to tell you what you need to hear, not like a friend who may tell you what you want to hear. A business coach is focused on helping you with generic skills, whereas a mentor's aim is to teach you based on specific situations. The same person can't be all of these.

????? On a regular basis, send a note to communicate progress and current tasks. There is nothing that makes a potential mentor more open to helping you than your making it clear that you are following through, and the help is doing you some good. This is also a good way to hand out and follow up on assignments to your mentor.