Sensei/Grasshopper Is Back (with another 2,000 points)!

One of the most remarkable things about the ActiveRain Community is the willingness of the members to share their expertise with each other. The evidence for that is in the 2.5 million+ blog posts in the archives, many of which are valuable how-to articles, detailed explanations of how to make technology work, and suggestions covering all aspects of real estate and associated fields, including how to best navigate the resources of AR itself.

But sometimes reading about how to do something isn't quite enough. Sometimes a bit of background is needed, or more detail, or a one-on-one walk-through, or maybe just a friendly bit of support and encouragement. Sometimes, a mentor can make a huge difference.

And this is particularly true for our newer members, who are trying to figure out how this whole AR deal works and how it can help their business.

The Sensei/Grasshopper Challenge is about mentorship. Its purpose is to encourage AR members to make productive connections and to share skills, techniques and insights. It's about becoming better - as individuals and as a community - at what we do, whether it's selling, staging, lending, inspecting, constructing or repairing, or providing title for our clients.

So here we go on Round II of the Sensei/Grasshopper Challenge!

There are two ways to participate in the challenge:

1. Grasshopper: Get a Mentor

We have a group - Sensei/Grasshopper - where newer members, or old dogs who want to learn new tricks, can find an experienced guide to help them learn a technique. You can write a post to this group requesting help with a subject you'd like to learn how to do. Be as specific as possible in describing what you want. And be practical - we're all busy, so if someone is going to take time to help you, don't ask for something massive and general, like "I'd like to learn to sell homes". What are people doing here that seems interesting and might be something you'd do if you could figure it out?

You don't have to post a request, though - you can contact someone directly to arrange help. So if you see someone doing something you want to learn, go ahead and get in touch with them if you'd like.

Understand that we're talking about a short-term commitment - whatever it is, your use of a mentor will only be to set you on the road and show you the way. It wouldn't surprise me if you developed long-lasting friendships and connections from this contest, but that's not a requirement from either side.

By the end of the contest, write a blog post describing your experience - tell us what you learned from your mentor and how you're using it. Post it in Sensei/Grasshopper.

2. Sensei: Be a Mentor

Go to the Sensei/Grasshopper group and read the posts (if it seems like it would help, use the comment section to help posters refine their requests). Look for someone who needs to learn what you already know. Make a connection and help them get started. Set up a short-term timeline for your assistance.

Or if you would like to provide specific help for a skill or technique, write a post in the group about what you'd like to offer. We'll get you connected.

By the end of the contest, write a blog post describing your experience - tell us what assistance you provided and how it's going to be used. Share some detail about your assistance - maybe it can help others as well. Post it in Sensei/Grasshopper.

That's it.

Okay, there are a few guidelines for this challenge:

Dates: This challenge runs from Friday, March 1 through Sunday, March 31. All posts qualifying for the challenge must be posted by 11:59 PM, March 31 to qualify for points.

Mentor/Mentee: Any ActiveRain member can be either a mentor or mentee, but you can only be one, one-time, for this challenge. We're thinking that this is basically a one-on-one experience, but if you'd like to try something a bit different, e-mail me and we'll see if it makes sense within the general idea of the challenge.

Qualifying for points: Please read this carefully and try to get it right the first time...please? When you have posted your final report to Sensei/Grasshopper, send me an e-mail, with a link to your post, your name & your AR username, and the name of the AR member who you worked with on this challenge. Please put "Sensei Grasshopper" in the subject line.

Points: Everyone who successfully completes the challenge will be awarded 2,000 points!

Questions? E-mail me - richardg@maryanddick.com

Best of luck, and remember - have fun!

Mary & Dick Greenberg Elevations Real Estate LLC 106 East Oak St. Fort Collins, CO 80524 970-689-4663 www.maryanddick.com