For some people, in-person networking is exciting, fulfilling and easy. For others, the word ‘networking’ evokes feelings of dread, anxiety or discomfort.

The fear seems to arise from having to disclose ourselves and concerns about how we might be perceived. Will we ‘do’ networking the ‘right’ way? If we are...

Guest Post: by Zarmina Nekzai, President & Founder, Organization of Afghan Women & Youth

Her story of courage, healing and changing the future for women and girls in Afghanistan through education, entrepreneurship and hockey.

From the time I was young, I realized that women were treated differently in Afghanistan. Women weren’t...

We have a tendency to hold mentors in high regard. And rightfully so. A mentor’s perception, ideas, knowledge, feedback or nudge at just the right moment can feel magical. Unfortunately there isn’t a magic formula to have this happen all the time. 

You can, however, influence the creation of magic by making the following twelve...

“How do I become a mentor?”

An important question yet not discussed nearly as often as how to find a mentor. Many times we play the role of mentor in an informal way in our day to day interactions in both our personal and professional lives. When it comes to stepping more directly into the role of mentor we may hesitate...

Great mentoring relationships seem to have a natural ease that requires little effort yet yields valuable outcomes. What I’ve observed is that beneath this ease, mentoring partners have established and practice three principles that nurture the relationship itself as well as the outcomes – being curious, conscious and committed.

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I am fortunate. Throughout my corporate career, athletic pursuits, personal endeavours and in growing my business, I have had mentors, coaches, friends and colleagues who have been instrumental in my learning and resulting accomplishments. I know first hand the value of having a network of people to turn to for support and ...

About a year ago, two athletes from our local triathlon club and I were discussing The Ironman Muskoka 70.3 triathlon as a target race for our mentoring program. It’s a popular race that takes place about an hour north of where I live in Central Ontario. One of the athletes, a late-30’s super-fit guy, said he was thinking...

At the beginning of every orientation session for mentoring programs, I ask the participants to write down any challenges they foresee regarding the success of their mentoring relationship. The #1 challenge, by far, is always time.  From business owners to triathletes, people are concerned about how to make time for the...

When asked to reflect on relationships that have made a difference in their lives, many people think about their mentoring relationships. However, like other work and personal relationships, mentoring relationships fall along a continuum ranging from high quality to dysfunctional. Research has shown that one determining attribute of high...

In formal mentoring programs, preparation and training for the participants is critical to the success of the mentoring partnership.

Mentoring is an intimate learning relationship that requires intentionality to make it work. Too often I hear about programs that weren’t successful and have resulted in formal mentoring programs getting a...