Training course (PT)

This module is focusing on soft skills and training Business Advisors on how to support entrepreneurs having an idea and to help them know the reality of their business.

This module includes four topics:

• Dealing with failure;
• Conflict situations;
• Peer stories;
• Use past experiences to develop an idea.

Dealing with failure

Use online the material on this topic: Dealing with Failure. The case of a failing relationship between a business advisor and a (potential) entrepreneur with the aim to identify and recognize the common emotions after failure, to understand how to deal with failure, to use fundamental steps to recover from failure, to understand the common factors that can lead to a failing relationship between a business advisor and an entrepreneur.

Use the Presentation Dealing Failure in power point during face to face sessions where four themes are presented: what is a failure and the fear of failure, learning from failure, important steps for the recovery process, and dealing with a failing relationship.

Tools for three themes are prepared:

• Use the template Personality, capabilities and interests to do a self-analysis and select the ones he/she relates to and to write the business entrepreneurship areas he/she is interested in. It can help the entrepreneur to make a critical analysis of himself/herself, knowing his/her capabilities and identifying his/her business interests. It also can help the entrepreneur understand that the failure doesn’t necessarily has to do with his/her personal capabilities, reminding himself/herself in the of that and re-establishing the motivational feelings.
• Use the template Expectations &Fears where the entrepreneur has to write her/his expectations and fears on the business project. Guide them separating the fears by dimensions as financial security, ability to finance a venture, personal ability, potential of the ideal, venture´s ability to execute, threats to social esteem, opportunity costs.
• Use the templates Causal Factor Tree that helps the Business advisors /entrepreneur through an analysis of multiple scenarios and causes (identifying the failure and its causes) to better understand what went wrong or can go wrong. The template Journey Map helps the entrepreneur to know which are the next steps he/she needs to take, to try again, having learning from his/her mistakes.
• Use the exercise Activity Personal Flag, using the sheets and colour pencil, in order to make their own personal flag answering six questions with a small drawing, symbol, word or short sentences:
• _What is your biggest individual success?
• _What would you like to change about yourself?
• _Who is the person you have the most admiration for?
• _What is your greatest talent?
• _What do you most appreciate in life?
• _What are the biggest difficulties and difficulties of working in a team / or with your consultant?

Ask each one to present and share the result, highlighting what he found most interesting in each flag and what he found out about himself and the group.

Conflict situations

Use online the material on this topic that consists of themes: Some facts about conflict, the Causes of Conflict in an Advisory Relationship, the Outcomes of Conflict, Conflict management-and Conflict resolution stages, Techniques to overcome conflict situations, Skills to overcome conflict situations, to recognize and use strategies to overcome conflict situations.

Use the presentation in power point about conflict and work with it during face to face session.

Use the Tool Colours & Feelings for practical exercises during face to face session. Ask everyone to express the colour of the emotion they are feeling, and to present the chosen card explaining what that colour represents. If some participant shows a negative emotion, all other participants must offer a positive emotion - through a colour that conveys a good feeling by selecting a card.

Peer stories

Ask participants to study theoretical material and peer stories at home. Stimulate their curiosity by success stories. Use two real peer stories - Tool-Newspaper Peer-Stories.  During the face to face meeting, discuss on how the stories are successful. Use the questions to keep the discussion going on. What are the challenges they encounter? How did they deal with the problems?

Create own success stories with Business Advisors/Entrepreneurs, using the developed the Tool- Create own story.

Use past experiences to develop an idea

Use of the past exercises (Journey Map) and guide the entrepreneur to develop further his/her idea and make it a reality.

Use the Tool Life storyboard that allows the participants to draw/write the different steps of his life, important moments, and always in chronological order. Guide the entrepreneur to complete the Life storyboard of his/her business or about his journey in relation to business creation.