This week we’ve chosen DMU’s Leicester Castle Business School as our Business in The Spotlight. So many of us living in Leicester(shire) see DMU purely as an academic institution for students. Turns out we’re right and wrong, as their world-class tutors and leading business brains are also there for external businesses to access, and they’ve just launched a Business Mentoring Scheme, which you should know about as we move out of lockdown and into recovery mode.
DMU SEEK 10 BUSINESS LEADERS FOR BUSINESS MENTORING SCHEME
Leadership can be a lonely business at times – let alone when you’re trying to navigate how your company can adapt and thrive in a global pandemic.
Chances are you’re juggling questions from staff, customers and your suppliers and you may not have advisors or people to go to who you can bounce ideas off, and who can be an impartial listener and help you move forward.
That’s where De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) comes in. Its Leicester Castle Business School is offering free business mentoring for leaders to help them survive and thrive. Andrew Nicholson, Associate Professor Enterprise at DMU, has contacted Fraser Urquhart Media to offer free coaching to business leaders.
Andrew, who has years of consultancy experience with companies ranging from SMEs to global firms, said: “As we’ve all been told repeatedly, these times are unprecedented, and we all need to decide what the new normal is and work with it.
“With this highly uncertain backdrop, business leaders are still expected to manage their teams, maintain or improve productivity, focus on their customers’ needs and create a sustainable future for their business.”
DMU is offering 30 free mentoring and coaching sessions, of an hour each. We’re looking for 10 business leaders each of whom would receive three sessions. To take part in the programme, you need to be:
- 100% committed to your own personal development
- 100% committed to your business and your team
- Able to be open and honest about your current business and leadership concerns
- Willing to discuss and debate with your coach/mentor
- Willing to be challenged by your coach/mentor
- Willing to make achievable and motivational goals for yourself and your business
How can coaching and mentoring help me?
Having a coach or mentor will enable you to talk through ideas and decisions – it could be assessing a new direction for the business, new ways of working or simply someone to talk to about pressures and fears. Having someone else’s perspective can be invaluable.
Right now, businesses will need to develop new processes for employee engagement, serve new customer needs, or move in a new online direction. Having a coach’s external perspective can help you to spot ways to redirect resources and internal talent, find efficiencies, and to identify new opportunities to help the business to bounce back better.
“DMU celebrates its 150th anniversary this year and has been working with businesses in Leicester for nearly all of that time,” says Andrew. “We can support you and give you someone to talk to – a problem shared is a problem halved.”
Here are some typical outcomes from mentoring and coaching:
- Get productivity back on track
- Ensure your teams are connected and committed to the organisation
- Navigate the uncertainty and complexity of the next few months
- Support with decision making and future planning
Who will be my coach or mentor?
A DMU Business Mentor will be an experienced business person, used to managing teams and developing customer relationships. They will provide a trusted sounding board and challenge you with purposeful questions. They will help you formulate plans, make decisions, and ensure you are in tune with the current business environment.
Your coach will be skilled in empathetic listening and questioning, helping you adjust your own personal and professional style to the new normal. Together, they’ll help you find new motivation and purpose in these difficult times and will ensure you align that purpose with your business needs and desired outcomes.
Your mentor or coach can also help you adjust your management and leadership style to the current virtual environment and get the best out of yourself and your team.
