Tools & tips for Successful Mentorship

Who inspires you?

Inspiration has taken on many facets lately. As we navigate these uncertain times, it remains critical that we work together to manage such challenges, continue to inspire & keep each other on the right path.

As you navigate your career path, it is important to consider having a mentor. Below is a list of a few famous people who have or have had mentors in their lives.

• Meta Platforms co-founder Mark Zuckerberg was mentored by the late Apple co-founder & CEO Steve Jobs.
• Talk show host, producer, actress & author Oprah Winfrey was influenced by the late poet Maya Angelou.
• Physicist & first woman astronaut Sally Ride was inspired by her graduate school professor Arthur Walker.
• Astronaut & former U.S. Senator John Glenn was influenced by his high school civics teacher.
• Actor, director & producer Clint Eastwood was influenced by his late grandmother. Says Eastwood, “my grandmother…always thought I was going to be something, when nobody else, including myself, thought I was going to amount to anything.“

Benefits of being a mentor

As a mentor, you can enhance your qualifications by building upon your leadership skills. Mentoring also expands your confidence as you leverage your knowledge. One can experience a sense of purpose in the act of giving back to others.?

Benefits of being a mentee

As a mentee, you will have an experienced individual willing to invest their time to listen & engage with you. As a trusted coach, they will offer unbiased constructive feedback, & hold you accountable while offering encouragement.?

National Mentoring Day is held on October 27 & was launched to bring awareness of the importance & benefits of both being a mentor or a mentee. More information can be found at www.nationalmentoringday.org

National Mentoring Month is held every January and celebrated by www.mentoring.org. The organization holds a variety of events throughout the month with engaging content for those looking to be a mentor or for mentees looking for a role model. While January has passed, we at ASCM NYC LI believe that mentoring is an ongoing process. And there is no better time than the present.

Did you know that mentoring software is available for companies to assist in the organization & assessment of effective mentoring programs? These tools allow matching of mentee with mentor, meeting scheduling, & the ability to measure progress. Capterra.com provides services to assist with comparing software platforms. The site highlights pricing, product features, pros & cons, & customer reviews.

According to their website, 71% of Fortune 500 companies offer formal mentoring programs. Popular organizations such as Reddit, Heineken, Toyota, Google, Merck, Cigna, Berkeley all use mentoring software.

Tips & Templates!

Not all companies are able to invest in such software programs. In their absence, below are a few tips to make sure you experience a successful mentorship.

For the mentor

• Show engagement. If you choose to meet virtually - turn your cameras on. Doing so allows both parties to see facial expressions which deepens the level of connectedness, engagement & trust. It also allows for less interruptions by seeing when the other person wants to respond.?
• Take initiative. Begin the conversation by talking about yourself to make your mentee feel more comfortable. Provide an introduction of yourself: where you’re from, your education, past/current employers, positions you’ve held, responsibilities, top skills/talents.
• Develop a list of questions & topics. There are a number of sites that offer long lists of questions to ask your mentee. Everything from getting-to-know-you, expectations, goals, values, self-awareness, etc. Togetherplatform offers an extensive list of questions & topics.

For the mentee

• Be prepared. Depending on where you are in your professional career, talk about where you’re from, your education, job experiences & positions, your top skills/talents, & any challenges you may have.?
• Similar to your mentor, you should have a list of questions to ask. Togetherplatform also suggests a series of thought-provoking ideas & questions to ask yourself in preparation for your meetings as well as questions you can ask your mentor.?
• This is a professional mentorship. Topics can cover hard skills, tangible elements such as educational qualifications, computer skills, writing skills, etc. Topics can also be soft-skill related, the intangible characteristics of a job such as communication or negotiation skills, problem-solving, etc?

Templates

Keep yourself organized with a toolkit of templates. You can develop your own, or below is a list of sites with free downloadable templates. Most are basic - setting objectives, laying out short & long-term goals with target dates & action plans, while others are more robust with questionnaires, exploring values, & developing SMART goals.?

• https://mentoring-matters.org/resources/downloadable-tools/
• https://www.hugo.team/templates/coaching-mentoring
• https://www.template.net/business/plan-templates/mentoring-action-plan-template/
• https://www.sampletemplates.com/business-templates/action-plans/mentoring-action-plan.html