Having your first company must be a bit like having your first baby. Here we are, approaching our first Christmas. Everything's new, we're making some mistakes, relishing all the experiences and learning so much every day.
This week we offered a job to our first member of staff through the Future Jobs Fund, which means we'll be reimbursed for their wages for 25 hours per week and they'll receive expert coaching from social enterprise Striding Out.
It's an exciting step. We'll have to set ourselves up to pay National Insurance and monthly wages. And I'll have someone to help me with everything from sifting through tender opportunities to chasing invoices and helping us minimise our impact on the environment. After the first six months, we'll have to ensure we can afford to keep paying her without the Future Jobs Fund help. Quite a responsibility. But my hope is that our new person will more than pay for herself.
The other thing I'm doing right now is trying to secure some more funding to run more Poached programmes in the new year. Strange that as a communications professional I should have so much difficulty articulating my case to a funder. I think the problem is that when you're so close to something it's nearly impossible to see the best way to describe it to someone else. Fortunately, I was offered some free consultancy with PA Consulting through UnLtd. They took a look at a specific funding application and then took me right back to basics in terms of the impact we are having, how and why we're the people to do this kind of work. What a relief! I've now got an outline proposal to work on and a lot more confidence that I can convince funders that we're worthwhile. Well, of course we are.
This week was also our first Christmas party with a mixture of supporters, clients and trainees coming along. Incredible to think that at this time last year, Poached was still just an idea. We didn't have any funding, didn't have anywhere to work from and didn't really have much of a clue. Now we've got clients, trainees, staff, a shared office, an identity and an emerging culture of our own.
Just want to finish, then, with a big thank you to everyone who's helped to get us this far.
PR for the right reasons: a foray to the other side
Well, it's back to business here at Poached after a brief but productive pause. I have a new trainee, Louise, who is working for our new client, Healthy Planet.
This is my idea of Poached-lite now that the pilot is over: just one trainee who's main job is to help me out and make the most of any opportunity that comes their way. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, I'm still working to build business, gain new funding and get us set up for the future.
Healthy Planet has added an exciting new element to our work here at Poached and, in truth, one I was reticent to take on: PR.
What I know about public relations (or dealing with the media, which is what it mainly amounts to) stems from being on the other side of the fence. As a former journalist I know what annoyed me, what was helpful, and what I'd like to receive from a PR agency. But I've always steered clear of 'doing' PR - it feels a bit too much like crossing to the dark side.
There's another way of looking at it though. Right now I'm working for a client who has really interesting and positive messages about people and the environment. They're doing innovative things with technology, schools and businesses to try to gain as much as possible for the environment from the transactions that we would be making anyway - in this case buying gifts and paying rates.
So it's not difficult to want to help get those messages out there. And I'm sure journalists and the public will be keen to hear them. So, here's what I'm trying to do for Healthy Planet in a neat five points that you might find useful too.
1. Make sure the messages are simple and clear. Try not to do too much with the one press release/event/email/etc. People need one message that they can grasp quickly and easily - without having to think too hard or dig around for more information.
2. Think about what the audience will find interesting about it. Ask what's in it for them? Then lead with that. Good journalists will be attuned to their audiences' interests and will be more likely to run the story.
3. Target the message to an audience that has reason to be interested. Wasting your time on people or media outlets that will never want to run your story is also a waste of their time and damages your reputation.
4. Spend time getting the information right. Make sure it's concise, has all the facts, is set out clearly and consistently and has contact details and links to further information.
5. Take a deep breath and go for it. The worst you'll get is silence.
This is my idea of Poached-lite now that the pilot is over: just one trainee who's main job is to help me out and make the most of any opportunity that comes their way. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, I'm still working to build business, gain new funding and get us set up for the future.
Healthy Planet has added an exciting new element to our work here at Poached and, in truth, one I was reticent to take on: PR.
What I know about public relations (or dealing with the media, which is what it mainly amounts to) stems from being on the other side of the fence. As a former journalist I know what annoyed me, what was helpful, and what I'd like to receive from a PR agency. But I've always steered clear of 'doing' PR - it feels a bit too much like crossing to the dark side.
There's another way of looking at it though. Right now I'm working for a client who has really interesting and positive messages about people and the environment. They're doing innovative things with technology, schools and businesses to try to gain as much as possible for the environment from the transactions that we would be making anyway - in this case buying gifts and paying rates.
So it's not difficult to want to help get those messages out there. And I'm sure journalists and the public will be keen to hear them. So, here's what I'm trying to do for Healthy Planet in a neat five points that you might find useful too.
1. Make sure the messages are simple and clear. Try not to do too much with the one press release/event/email/etc. People need one message that they can grasp quickly and easily - without having to think too hard or dig around for more information.
2. Think about what the audience will find interesting about it. Ask what's in it for them? Then lead with that. Good journalists will be attuned to their audiences' interests and will be more likely to run the story.
3. Target the message to an audience that has reason to be interested. Wasting your time on people or media outlets that will never want to run your story is also a waste of their time and damages your reputation.
4. Spend time getting the information right. Make sure it's concise, has all the facts, is set out clearly and consistently and has contact details and links to further information.
5. Take a deep breath and go for it. The worst you'll get is silence.
Poached Creative pilot - summary of results
Over six months, Poached Creative helped eight people to gain an understanding of, and skills in, either writing or design. The pilot project aimed to provide experience and a track record for Poached in working with people who were long-term unemployed. It was also intended that the experience would help Poached to begin to build its portfolio and attract commercial clients. From April to October 2009 all the aims were either met or exceeded.
- 2 trainees completed a graphic design and communications programme
- 5 trainees completed a writing and communications programme
- of these, 2 trainees completed twelve-week programmes and 5 completed six-week programmes
- 1 trainee did not complete the programme
- 5 of the trainees were referred by the Careers Development Group (CDG), a charity specialising in getting long-term unemployed people back into work
- 2 were referred from Camden Calling, a social enterprise giving vulnerable people access to the art and music scene
- 1 trainee found us on a volunteering website.
Trainee outcomes
All trainees improved overall in their own assessment of their knowledge of, and their skills and experience in:
- interpersonal communication
- written communication (writers)
- writing for the web (writers)
- design principles (designers)
- file formats and requirements (designers).
Knowledge of writing for the web, web standards and principles and web technologies were the areas that saw the greatest impact in terms of trainee knowledge. For all but two trainees, the experience demonstrably improved their overall confidence and sense of direction. Many of the trainees talked about how the programme raised their self-esteem, helped them find motivation and gave them a sense of pride in what they had achieved.
Some comments from the trainees included:
"I really like the fact that it’s real work that you’ve got to get it right. I was being trusted with that and it really raised my self-esteem - that’s pretty important."
“Confidence in my own ability, interview skills, experience writing for professional organisations, feedback about my writing…I wish it could have been more than one day a week.”
"You've been a huge help in helping me get my confidence back."
"Good just coming into Poached each day and working with everyone. Getting up early and getting into good habits and a routine. It was difficult at first but it got easier."
"For anyone who wants to do anything involving web pages, journalism or writing, I think it’s a good idea."
“Very stimulating.”
"I've learnt loads, loads!"
“It was good, thank you.”
Read the trainee blogs for their first-hand pictures of the programme and their development.
Poached Creative is happy to share its practice with other organisations with similar social goals. If you would like to find out more about the project, or to see the full report, please email us.
Don't forget to pause: reflecting on the Poached pilot
Six months. Difficult to believe it really. On 9 April I was still hastily trying to secure office space with the Careers Development Group (CDG) at Wood Green and on 16 April I began my first day of the pilot with two trainees - both very different from eachother - in a temporary set up at Wood Green library.
It wasn't until the following week that I finally managed to move in to the Wood Green office and this was only because I took the Tuesday off work to go and sit outside the office manager's door until he had a chance to see me and approve the move. All this served to teach me that partnership working is difficult and other people have different priorities to you. It works when you manage to bring them into alignment.
It's about people, stupid
But Poached wouldn't be where it is without partnerships. CDG has been fantastic to us. I maintain that we had the best room in the (rather rabbit-warren-like) building. We had natural light and windows we could open. We had use of desks, chairs and a flip chart holder, and our own kitchen. They were always enthusiastic about the Poached idea and were a great source of people who wanted to take part in my programme. Brij was a CDG recruit, for example, and so was Chris I.
Over the six months I've built up good relationships with the two placement managers I've worked alongside and other office staff who would go out of their way to help me get things set up and sorted out. On my final day of Poached last week I said farewell to the CDG offices with a hint of sadness, but knowing that the personal relationships I've made there will continue to work to both our benefit.
Camden Calling has been the other very productive partnership that sprung up over the six months. They received some UnLtd funding in the same round as Poached and I immediately warmed to Alex and her vision of giving vulnerable people access to the mainstream gig scene in London. I suggested that Poached could help with some of the communication - their newsletter for example - and Alex sent me Chris W who took to the programme like a (poached) duck to water. They also sent us Dan, their illustrator, who soaked up the design training Chris G provided with palpable energy and enthusiasm.
Our connection with a Hackney-based youth information website couldn't have come at a better time. Chris W was coming to the end of his second six-week stint and in need of a new challenge. His interest in music and journalism and his upbeat, characterful writing style made me think that a youth website where he'd get to interview top performers and enthuse others would be right up his street. A mutual ally, Sally from vInvolved, introduced me to Lucy from What's Up Information and we immediately knew wanted to work together. Chris is now happily volunteering for What's Up and Poached will be moving into their creative office space in Hackney in a few weeks.
I can't finish this part of the post without a mention of my first trainee, Angela, who is now doing a three-month internship with Save the Children. She has been with Poached since that first day in Wood Green library and each week we'd have lunch together, discussing life, business and everything inbetween. She's been a fantastic support for me and enthusiast for Poached and I'm absolutely thrilled that she's landed the Save the Children opportunity in an extremely competitive market.
Change is the only constant
Which reminds me that Poached was conceived in a very different economic climate. When I first had the idea back in December 2007, the recession wasn't on anyone's horizon. Jobs in charity and public sector communications were rising and tackling long-term unemployment was a high Government priority because everyone else was looking alright. Fast forward to almost two years later and we've got the highest unemployment figures in 14 years, with the rise in youth unemployment the most worrying trend. On beginning the Poached pilot a year on from its conception, I realised that I needed to prepare people for work, but this might mean volunteering or part-time work rather than a stable full-time job. The focus had to change from employment to skills and getting people engaged in rewarding activities.
Funnily enough, this was no problem for some of my trainees. Chris W and Angela, in particular, wanted to ease their way back into work after severe personal breakdown. Being able to try a few different things, build their skills and confidence, and begin thinking about their future was more valuable for them than being forced into full-time work. Brij, too, was keen on volunteering and was surprised to learn that there were paid jobs in the charity sector that might suit him.
For others, it was work that they needed. Chris I and Rokeya were both very focused on teaching roles, which would be rewarding and offer a stable income. So their Poached programme focussed on improving their communication and writing skills in ways that will be useful to them in a classroom environment. We looked at different styles of communication, ways of structuring writing, and how to put your audience first. Chris I went straight from Poached into a teaching assistant role - all his own doing - and insists he'll use what he learnt in the classroom as well as in his spare time. He's writing a novel!
The ability to tailor what Poached does to help the individual turned out to be very powerful and I intend to keep this flexible, personal model in the next stage of Poached's development.
Keeping it real
Real work that mattered was also a theme that kept coming up throughout the evaluation. The trainees worked on case studies for NHS Jobs, web copy for Room2Heal, blogs, web and promotional materials for Poached and newsletters for Camden Calling as part of their training. They learnt how to change their tone and style to fit the client and the audience. They got to practice writing for a range of different mediums and channels. And they got to see the value of their work to others. What's more, they will all end up with a published piece of work to put in their portfolios.
Poached trainees produced work they could be proud of because we insisted on quality. Constant feedback, explanations and revisions meant that the learning, and the improvement, was tangible. But yes, this takes time. What I've learnt is that time really does equal money and I need to find a way of funding the training time so that we can keep the costs of our commercial work competitive. Looking at the models for doing this, and finding new funding streams, is going to be my next task.
New growth
So Poached is entering a new phase that feels a little like starting all over again, but armed with the knowledge and evidence to propel us to the next level. I know I need to pause and reflect on everything we've learnt so far to inform our development over the next few months. It feels a bit uncomfortable, because my natural tendency is to forge ahead, but I'm taking a couple of weeks to get my thoughts together and renew my energy before ploughing on. Sensible huh? Stay tuned for more adventures and keep in touch.
Jess at poachedcreative.org.uk
It wasn't until the following week that I finally managed to move in to the Wood Green office and this was only because I took the Tuesday off work to go and sit outside the office manager's door until he had a chance to see me and approve the move. All this served to teach me that partnership working is difficult and other people have different priorities to you. It works when you manage to bring them into alignment.
It's about people, stupid
But Poached wouldn't be where it is without partnerships. CDG has been fantastic to us. I maintain that we had the best room in the (rather rabbit-warren-like) building. We had natural light and windows we could open. We had use of desks, chairs and a flip chart holder, and our own kitchen. They were always enthusiastic about the Poached idea and were a great source of people who wanted to take part in my programme. Brij was a CDG recruit, for example, and so was Chris I.
Over the six months I've built up good relationships with the two placement managers I've worked alongside and other office staff who would go out of their way to help me get things set up and sorted out. On my final day of Poached last week I said farewell to the CDG offices with a hint of sadness, but knowing that the personal relationships I've made there will continue to work to both our benefit.
Camden Calling has been the other very productive partnership that sprung up over the six months. They received some UnLtd funding in the same round as Poached and I immediately warmed to Alex and her vision of giving vulnerable people access to the mainstream gig scene in London. I suggested that Poached could help with some of the communication - their newsletter for example - and Alex sent me Chris W who took to the programme like a (poached) duck to water. They also sent us Dan, their illustrator, who soaked up the design training Chris G provided with palpable energy and enthusiasm.
Our connection with a Hackney-based youth information website couldn't have come at a better time. Chris W was coming to the end of his second six-week stint and in need of a new challenge. His interest in music and journalism and his upbeat, characterful writing style made me think that a youth website where he'd get to interview top performers and enthuse others would be right up his street. A mutual ally, Sally from vInvolved, introduced me to Lucy from What's Up Information and we immediately knew wanted to work together. Chris is now happily volunteering for What's Up and Poached will be moving into their creative office space in Hackney in a few weeks.
I can't finish this part of the post without a mention of my first trainee, Angela, who is now doing a three-month internship with Save the Children. She has been with Poached since that first day in Wood Green library and each week we'd have lunch together, discussing life, business and everything inbetween. She's been a fantastic support for me and enthusiast for Poached and I'm absolutely thrilled that she's landed the Save the Children opportunity in an extremely competitive market.
Change is the only constant
Which reminds me that Poached was conceived in a very different economic climate. When I first had the idea back in December 2007, the recession wasn't on anyone's horizon. Jobs in charity and public sector communications were rising and tackling long-term unemployment was a high Government priority because everyone else was looking alright. Fast forward to almost two years later and we've got the highest unemployment figures in 14 years, with the rise in youth unemployment the most worrying trend. On beginning the Poached pilot a year on from its conception, I realised that I needed to prepare people for work, but this might mean volunteering or part-time work rather than a stable full-time job. The focus had to change from employment to skills and getting people engaged in rewarding activities.
Funnily enough, this was no problem for some of my trainees. Chris W and Angela, in particular, wanted to ease their way back into work after severe personal breakdown. Being able to try a few different things, build their skills and confidence, and begin thinking about their future was more valuable for them than being forced into full-time work. Brij, too, was keen on volunteering and was surprised to learn that there were paid jobs in the charity sector that might suit him.
For others, it was work that they needed. Chris I and Rokeya were both very focused on teaching roles, which would be rewarding and offer a stable income. So their Poached programme focussed on improving their communication and writing skills in ways that will be useful to them in a classroom environment. We looked at different styles of communication, ways of structuring writing, and how to put your audience first. Chris I went straight from Poached into a teaching assistant role - all his own doing - and insists he'll use what he learnt in the classroom as well as in his spare time. He's writing a novel!
The ability to tailor what Poached does to help the individual turned out to be very powerful and I intend to keep this flexible, personal model in the next stage of Poached's development.
Keeping it real
Real work that mattered was also a theme that kept coming up throughout the evaluation. The trainees worked on case studies for NHS Jobs, web copy for Room2Heal, blogs, web and promotional materials for Poached and newsletters for Camden Calling as part of their training. They learnt how to change their tone and style to fit the client and the audience. They got to practice writing for a range of different mediums and channels. And they got to see the value of their work to others. What's more, they will all end up with a published piece of work to put in their portfolios.
Poached trainees produced work they could be proud of because we insisted on quality. Constant feedback, explanations and revisions meant that the learning, and the improvement, was tangible. But yes, this takes time. What I've learnt is that time really does equal money and I need to find a way of funding the training time so that we can keep the costs of our commercial work competitive. Looking at the models for doing this, and finding new funding streams, is going to be my next task.
New growth
So Poached is entering a new phase that feels a little like starting all over again, but armed with the knowledge and evidence to propel us to the next level. I know I need to pause and reflect on everything we've learnt so far to inform our development over the next few months. It feels a bit uncomfortable, because my natural tendency is to forge ahead, but I'm taking a couple of weeks to get my thoughts together and renew my energy before ploughing on. Sensible huh? Stay tuned for more adventures and keep in touch.
Jess at poachedcreative.org.uk
Paying off
Poached Creative has just won its first paying client. A small start, yes, but a milestone that shouldn't go unnoted on these pages.
This is testament to the hard work of the team - me, Chris the designer and Angela - who have all been toiling unpaid for the five months of this pilot.
If there's any one lesson I've learnt from the experience so far it is that no matter what industry or sector you're in or who you work with, cold hard cash is an absolute necessity.
Now we've proved we're capable of earning it I think more will be forthcoming.
I have a bit of a theory of like things. Odd socks for example - just the odd ones, mind - tend to hang about in groups. Don't even try hunting, you'll never find the pair. Flip flops are the same. Find one lone flip flop on the beach and I bet you'll quickly find another in a completely different size and colour from the last. Abandoned shopping trolleys too. Find one floating in a canal and no doubt there'll be another on the tow path nearby.
I think earning money is like that. Attract a paying customer and chances are, if you don't mess it up, more will come your way. Success attracts success and I'm confident that after months of struggling to prove itself and become market-ready, Poached is on the way up.
This is testament to the hard work of the team - me, Chris the designer and Angela - who have all been toiling unpaid for the five months of this pilot.
If there's any one lesson I've learnt from the experience so far it is that no matter what industry or sector you're in or who you work with, cold hard cash is an absolute necessity.
Now we've proved we're capable of earning it I think more will be forthcoming.
I have a bit of a theory of like things. Odd socks for example - just the odd ones, mind - tend to hang about in groups. Don't even try hunting, you'll never find the pair. Flip flops are the same. Find one lone flip flop on the beach and I bet you'll quickly find another in a completely different size and colour from the last. Abandoned shopping trolleys too. Find one floating in a canal and no doubt there'll be another on the tow path nearby.
I think earning money is like that. Attract a paying customer and chances are, if you don't mess it up, more will come your way. Success attracts success and I'm confident that after months of struggling to prove itself and become market-ready, Poached is on the way up.
Twitter, the NHS and other stories
The US healthcare debate and the UK's backlash with the We love the NHS campaign has finally prompted me to join the Twittering masses.
I've been keeping an eye on Twitter for a while now - any communications tool that can mobilise the country in support of our most simultaneously loved and loathed institution deserves some attention.
There are several things that strike me.
1. Even though it looks like it's aimed at nine-year-olds, it's companies that use it most. It suprises me that so many professionals, academics and media personalities take it seriously. (OK, I'm not really surprised about the media personalities.)
2. Its best use seems to be to let people know about something really interesting that they don't know about yet. Why, then, so many people use it to tell their friends what they had for breakfast is beyond me. (But they do - oh yes they do.)
3. It's got tremendous potential as a democratising technology - a free and open platform for anyone to have their say in 140 characters. Basically it promises many of the things the internet promised and didn't quite deliver back in the dotcom days. I love it when people take hold of a technology and turn it to their purposes (so often it's the other way around!) and Twitter's use as a campaigning tool is particularly interesting.
So, I've decided to venture out there into Twitterland, tweeting as my professional self to share links and ideas that might be of interest to people who care about similar things - social enterprise, media, the NHS, unemployment issues, homelessness, good employment practice and such like.
You can find me at www.twitter.com/jessicatsmith
Don't worry, I've only posted one thing so far and I certainly won't be bothering you with what I had for breakfast.
I've been keeping an eye on Twitter for a while now - any communications tool that can mobilise the country in support of our most simultaneously loved and loathed institution deserves some attention.
There are several things that strike me.
1. Even though it looks like it's aimed at nine-year-olds, it's companies that use it most. It suprises me that so many professionals, academics and media personalities take it seriously. (OK, I'm not really surprised about the media personalities.)
2. Its best use seems to be to let people know about something really interesting that they don't know about yet. Why, then, so many people use it to tell their friends what they had for breakfast is beyond me. (But they do - oh yes they do.)
3. It's got tremendous potential as a democratising technology - a free and open platform for anyone to have their say in 140 characters. Basically it promises many of the things the internet promised and didn't quite deliver back in the dotcom days. I love it when people take hold of a technology and turn it to their purposes (so often it's the other way around!) and Twitter's use as a campaigning tool is particularly interesting.
So, I've decided to venture out there into Twitterland, tweeting as my professional self to share links and ideas that might be of interest to people who care about similar things - social enterprise, media, the NHS, unemployment issues, homelessness, good employment practice and such like.
You can find me at www.twitter.com/jessicatsmith
Don't worry, I've only posted one thing so far and I certainly won't be bothering you with what I had for breakfast.
The value of mentors
I'll be honest, I've been flagging lately. There's no real reason for it - everything's been going exceptionally well with the Poached pilot.
We're into the second half and Chris G has put together a really high-quality design programme for our two new, enthusiastic design trainees. I'm getting help and support from my trainees, who are all staying on beyond their original writing and communications programmes to gain more Poached experience. And there are a few commercial opportunities that I'm pursuing (with some high quality help from some of the people I most want to work with).
I've also recently won agreement from my current full-time job to go part time. What a relief! Finally I'll be able to devote the time to Poached that it needs to move to the next level.
But none of this seemed capable of lifting me out of a bit of a slump. I don't mean to sound ungrateful - it's just a fact.
Mentoring magic
This week, however, I think I've broken out of it. Business in the Community has managed to match me up with a mentor and just the first meeting with him has given me a renewed sense of purpose, achievement, and confidence. We're very different. He works for National Rail and basically manages railway lines. Years of experience, hundreds of staff, massive budgets. But we both think we'll get a lot out of this relationship.
Certainly, for me, it's having someone with business know-how who's committed to me for a few hours a month. I can talk through my difficult issues, test out different approaches, and draw on his vast knowledge. I don't feel like I'm putting too many demands on his time because he's already dedicated it.
There's also the power of having someone hold you accountable for the things you set out to do. Most of the time it's only me who'll get annoyed at myself for letting something slip and, of course, when time is tight it's always the longer term planning and development that gets pushed aside for more urgent matters such as training programmes and funding applications.
Immediately I'm reviving discarded business and project plans, going back to my original pilot project proposal and realising how far I've come, and planning out the market research and benchmarking I've been meaning to do.
Unofficial but invaluable
I've been very lucky recently to have several people step in as unofficial mentors, such as Emma Courtney who never fails with encouraging words and her questioning spirit and a new contact, Robert, who I met on that scary leadership programme I told you about. He's insisting I build my networks and contacts and checking up to see if I'm doing it.
Reciprocal support
Of course, in theory I know the value of mentors because I've been trained as one and I am one to many of the people I work with, but it's not until you receive it yourself that you realise just what a force for success a good mentor can be.
More about mentoring can be found on the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation website.
We're into the second half and Chris G has put together a really high-quality design programme for our two new, enthusiastic design trainees. I'm getting help and support from my trainees, who are all staying on beyond their original writing and communications programmes to gain more Poached experience. And there are a few commercial opportunities that I'm pursuing (with some high quality help from some of the people I most want to work with).
I've also recently won agreement from my current full-time job to go part time. What a relief! Finally I'll be able to devote the time to Poached that it needs to move to the next level.
But none of this seemed capable of lifting me out of a bit of a slump. I don't mean to sound ungrateful - it's just a fact.
Mentoring magic
This week, however, I think I've broken out of it. Business in the Community has managed to match me up with a mentor and just the first meeting with him has given me a renewed sense of purpose, achievement, and confidence. We're very different. He works for National Rail and basically manages railway lines. Years of experience, hundreds of staff, massive budgets. But we both think we'll get a lot out of this relationship.
Certainly, for me, it's having someone with business know-how who's committed to me for a few hours a month. I can talk through my difficult issues, test out different approaches, and draw on his vast knowledge. I don't feel like I'm putting too many demands on his time because he's already dedicated it.
There's also the power of having someone hold you accountable for the things you set out to do. Most of the time it's only me who'll get annoyed at myself for letting something slip and, of course, when time is tight it's always the longer term planning and development that gets pushed aside for more urgent matters such as training programmes and funding applications.
Immediately I'm reviving discarded business and project plans, going back to my original pilot project proposal and realising how far I've come, and planning out the market research and benchmarking I've been meaning to do.
Unofficial but invaluable
I've been very lucky recently to have several people step in as unofficial mentors, such as Emma Courtney who never fails with encouraging words and her questioning spirit and a new contact, Robert, who I met on that scary leadership programme I told you about. He's insisting I build my networks and contacts and checking up to see if I'm doing it.
Reciprocal support
Of course, in theory I know the value of mentors because I've been trained as one and I am one to many of the people I work with, but it's not until you receive it yourself that you realise just what a force for success a good mentor can be.
More about mentoring can be found on the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation website.
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