How to Find a Business Mentor in Poland

Ryszard Skarbek
1 day ago
9 min read

Updated: 18 hours ago

Working with an experienced and trustworthy mentor can offer multifaceted benefits. In recent years, the popularity and effectiveness of mentoring have been growing and gaining increasing recognition. This raises the question: How do you find a mentor?

And if so, what kind? Are there different types? Are there specific specializations, and how do I choose the best mentor for me? And above all, where should I begin my search for a mentor?

We will try to answer these questions and, as is usually the case in Empowerment Coaching Krakow, first define as precisely as possible what we mean by the term "business mentor" in this article.

In the Polish reality, a Business Mentor can mean at least two different things.

First, it can be understood as an experienced entrepreneur who, drawing on their practical knowledge and experience, provides advice and support to other, less experienced entrepreneurs and business people. In this case, collaboration with a mentor is usually arranged around the principles agreed upon by both parties to the mentoring relationship. Such collaboration may also, in specific cases, address the question: "How to leave your job and start your own business?"

Secondly, a business mentor can be understood as an experienced individual with appropriate mentoring training who works in a similar industry or business sector, particularly within the same company. This type of mentor helps not only entrepreneurs but also less experienced employees who wish to benefit from a mentor's support in developing their careers or specific skills (e.g., leadership or project management).

In this case, collaboration most often (though not exclusively) occurs within structured mentoring programs launched by a given company or by foundations, associations, and other non-profit organizations. Commercial mentoring programs, offered by specialized consulting or training firms and targeted at leaders in a specific department, such as HR, are also becoming increasingly common in Poland.

So let's take a look at how you can find an experienced advisor.

How to find a business mentor?

Depending on who you are, where you are, and what your needs are, finding the right mentor can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Below, we've listed a few proven methods. For clarity, we'd also like to add that in this article, we focused on finding a potential mentor in Poland.

While writing this article, we also faced a dilemma: whether to mention specific companies or associations, or to remain more general. We chose the former, primarily because of you, dear reader, and the specific informational value it can provide.

However, please consider the companies mentioned by name as examples, not an exhaustive list. This selection in no way implies our intention to endorse any specific companies or associations. We are writing this article on our own behalf, sharing the knowledge and experience we have gained both through various mentoring initiatives and individual collaboration with numerous mentees.

How to find a business mentor for an entrepreneur or startup?

It's probably worth asking first: what makes you a startup and distinguishes you from other young business initiatives? To avoid a discussion that's beyond the scope of this article, we'll answer this question subtly: if you consider yourself a startup, then you are a startup.

Support from the right mentor for start-ups.

Poland has a well-developed startup ecosystem and the associated support startups can count on – from nationwide to regional solutions. These, in turn, bring with them various meetups, hackathons, ideathons, accelerators, and scaleups (oh, that love of startups for English!) – or, to translate "from Polish to ours," meetings and forums where you can benefit from the experience and knowledge of others. For details, please visit www.mamstartup.pl.

A natural source of valuable business mentoring for startups is, of course, what a given Venture Capital can offer, e.g., the supervisory board or program council.

Increasingly, large, global, and well-organized corporations are inviting young startups to collaborate. They need their freshness and innovation. Thanks to such collaboration, startup founders can not only acquire the capital necessary for growth but also learn a lot of good things from the "corporate world" (yes, contrary to popular belief, there can be good things in the "corporate" world). In such a relationship, an experienced leader from the "corporate" world can be a valuable business mentor for a startup entrepreneur.

Another way to find an experienced startup mentor is through initiatives and programs launched by various non-profit organizations. Examples of such startup-focused initiatives include those run by Youth Business Poland - Technology Incubator Foundation. This foundation also has a very extensive database of business mentors with diverse backgrounds. The YBP Foundation can also be a good option if you're a student looking for a mentor. Are you a student? Browse YBP's offerings and find someone with the right knowledge and experience.

Finding a mentor for growing entrepreneurs.

In Poland, there are numerous support forms available for developing entrepreneurs, including assistance from experienced advisors.

Commercial mentoring services offered by various mentors are certainly worth mentioning. In this case, it's worth thoroughly investigating their offerings, whether business mentoring is exactly what you need right now, and whether the chosen mentor has real experience in starting, running, and growing their own business in Poland. And if so, what specific experience?

Another option for a developing entrepreneur seeking a potential mentor is various entrepreneurs' and business leaders' associations. There, you can find both a more experienced professional and take advantage of peer-to-peer mentoring, which involves sharing experiences among people grappling with similar business challenges.

Among the organizations that offer support to entrepreneurs running family businesses, it is worth mentioning the very active Family Business Initiative association (with the icon of Polish entrepreneurship and management theory, Professor Andrzej Blikle, as an honorary member) and the Family Business Foundation.

Another place to seek professional support is through chambers of commerce, both sectoral and regional, or chambers of industry and commerce. An example is the Polish Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs. An interesting example is the mentoring program for law trainees implemented by the District Law Council in Warsaw.

Voivodeships and local governments also organize some successful mentoring initiatives. The best example seems to be the Opole Voivodeship Business Mentoring Program.

For clarity, it is worth mentioning giants such as the Lewiatan Confederation, the Business Center Club, Henryka Bochniarz, and activities focused on supporting women in the 21st century.

Finally, it's worth noting that a growing number of Polish universities are taking steps to bridge the gap between science and business. This is achieved through the creation of Partner Clubs of a chosen university or Entrepreneur Clubs run by a given university. An example of such activity is the Entrepreneur Club at the Warsaw School of Economics, which, for example, organized the 1st National Congress of Business and Management Teachers on April 13, 2023, and began building a database of mentors and business practitioners.

How to find a good mentor when you are an individual?

Now, let's explore the possibilities in Poland for finding the right mentor if you're not an independent entrepreneur. For example, you might be a full-time employee, a mother looking to re-enter the workforce, or even a student.

First, look within your company.

If you know your company is planning to launch a mentoring program, we strongly encourage you to apply and take advantage of the experience. The relationship you develop with your mentor during the program can develop into a long-term personal relationship, perhaps even a friendship. It's important, however, that a "click" between you and your mentor occurs during the mentoring program. If there's no chemistry, it's not worth continuing. A mentoring relationship (like a coaching relationship) is a very individual matter, and it's not your fault if you don't find common ground with your chosen individual.

If your company doesn't plan to implement a mentoring program, take matters into your own hands and find someone who suits your needs. How do you do this? We'll cover this in more detail in a separate post.

How to find a female mentor and build a good relationship?

It is worth checking out the EMCC Polska Association resources.

The European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) is the most respected and largest professional mentoring association in Europe. Its Polish branch maintains a database of mentors, certified for their mentoring skills according to international standards. Theoretically, you can collaborate with top mentors. You can find the Polish EMCC member database at this link: https://emccpoland.org/members/

It is also worth mentioning that EMCC Polska creates annual reports on Polish mentoring programs, as well as organizes a competition entitled "Super M - Mentoring, Mentor, Mentee ", to which creators of mentoring programs from three different categories can apply: business, NGOs, and universities.

Here you will find more information about the initiatives awarded in 2022.

Offer of mentoring programs from non-profit NGOs.

In recent years, a growing number of open mentoring initiatives have emerged in Poland, available to everyone free of charge and organized by NGOs ( Non-Governmental Organizations). Applications can be made by completing a specific application form. Mentors working in these initiatives typically work pro bono and are selected and approved by the organization based on the information provided in the application.

Based on forms completed separately by mentees and mentors, the mentoring program organizer pairs mentees to best meet mentee needs. In addition to regular meetings, these programs offer opportunities to participate in group webinars and other development events scheduled by the program organizer.

Examples of open mentoring programs operating in Poland, organized by non-profit organizations, are as follows:

Mentoring Program of the Women Leaders in Business Foundation.
Program of the Polish branch of the Project Management Institute.
An open initiative of the Polish branch of Vital Voices.
Polish edition of the Global Mentoring Walk.
Youth Mentoring Program of the Twórcy Foundation.
Career Development Program Mentors4Starters Foundation.
DareIT program from IT women for women seeking a job in the IT industry.
A program by Bosch and the MamoPracuj Foundation for women who want to return to the labor market.

Selecting a mentor within commercial mentoring programs.

While there aren't many of them yet, and you have to pay for them, tailored mentoring programs aimed at specific target groups are already emerging in Poland. You can participate as an individual and pay out of pocket, or as an employee, in which case your company covers the costs.

Examples of such programs are "HR Group Mentoring" by CoachWise or "Design Mentorship" by ... DesignMentorship.

The first is a specialized program aimed at HR leaders. The second is for everyone. It focuses on tomorrow's skills, identifying talents, and developing a career path. It utilizes, among other things, the widely recognized Gallup CliftonStrengths Test.

A mentor supporting you during your MBA studies.

Increasingly, MBA program curricula offer the option of individual support from an experienced mentor. In addition to the lectures and workshops you can attend, you can receive individual support from an experienced mentor, whom you can choose from among those offered by your university. This relationship can develop into a long-lasting friendship that extends far beyond the MBA program itself.

Moreover, business practitioners, individuals with practical knowledge and business experience in various areas, are increasingly being invited as lecturers for MBA programs. Such individuals can be the best mentors. Furthermore, MBA programs organized by Polish universities increasingly offer opportunities to travel abroad and visit other renowned universities or international companies. Polish MBA programs also increasingly often feature speakers from abroad. This all provides a wonderful networking opportunity. It often happens that a selected MBA "student," exceptionally inspired by a lecture or workshop led by a given business leader, develops a personal relationship with them, which then develops into a long-term mentoring journey and, ultimately, friendship.

An example of an MBA program that offers individual mentoring support as part of the study program is the Executive MBA at the Krakow University of Economics.

What are the benefits of working with a business mentor?

A good mentor can provide invaluable support in various areas, regardless of the mentee's current experience. More experienced individuals can also benefit from working with a suitable business practitioner, provided they are currently seeking further development and learning, regardless of age. Not to mention the fact that in today's world, reverse mentoring also exists, i.e., a relationship in which an older person learns from a younger person, for example, about new 21st-century technologies.

The benefits of mentoring are numerous, so we will dedicate a separate article to them.

P.S. We don't recommend seeking this type of support on social media. But if you decide to seek a mentor this way, before starting a collaboration, especially a paid one, be sure to read reviews from their clients, and ideally, speak in person (preferably via video call) with at least one of them. This way, you'll also ensure that the review comes from a real person, not an avatar.