Strategic Tools That Elevate Mentoring Conversations - business skills for mentors

Practical Skills Sharing with Philippa

As business mentors, our role isn’t to give answers—it’s to unlock clarity, encourage reflection, and guide strategic thinking.

Even experienced mentors benefit from using structured tools to deepen conversations and bring practical value to mentees. In a recent session with the Association of Business Mentors, I introduced three proven frameworks that help SME leaders build momentum and take ownership of their journey:

• Personal SWOT

• GROW Model

• 7 Ps of Marketing

These tools are more than concepts—they are catalysts for self awareness, alignment, and action. Essential business skills for mentors.

1. Personal SWOT: Deepening Self Awareness

The Personal SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis is a great entry point into mentoring conversations. It helps both mentor and mentee uncover internal drivers and blockers that influence leadership and decision making.

🗣 “One founder realised that their strength in vision was offset by a weakness in delegation. That insight became the foundation for building better team systems and trust.”

💡 Mentor Tip: Ask your mentee to complete a SWOT independently, then review it together. It encourages ownership and often reveals deeper issues.

2. GROW: Structuring Progress-Oriented Dialogue

The GROW Model—Goal, Reality, Options, Will—is a classic coaching tool that structures meaningful, forward-focused conversations.

Use it to help mentees clarify what they want, evaluate their current position, explore possibilities, and commit to concrete actions.

🗣 “I worked with an SME MD who wanted to grow exports. Through GROW, they set a 12-month target, identified the current lack of partnerships, explored engaging UKTI and trade fairs, and committed to taking first steps within two months.”

🎯 Mentor Insight: The GROW model keeps mentees accountable while allowing them to take the lead—exactly where a mentor adds value.

3. 7 Ps of Marketing: Reviewing Strategy Holistically

The 7 Ps—Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, Physical Evidence—are essential for helping mentees evaluate their business strategy from multiple angles.

🗣 “A tech founder had a great product but slow sales. By working through the 7 Ps, we identified weak promotional channels and a need to train the sales team—leading to stronger alignment between product and market.”

🔄 Pro Tip: Encourage mentees to do a quarterly 7 Ps review. It keeps strategy and execution aligned as the business evolves.

Bringing It All Together

Each tool can stand alone—but used in combination, they offer a powerful framework:

• Start with a Personal SWOT to understand the leader behind the business

• Use GROW to define and drive progress

• Apply the 7 Ps to ensure strategy and operations stay aligned

These tools will develop your business skills, help you structure impactful conversations and empower your mentees to reflect, prioritise, and move forward with confidence.