Home> Services> Mentoring       Mentoring is an effective strategy which can contribute significantly to the development of individuals. Mentoring offers a way of building skills towards future career goals. It works best as one element in career development. Mentoring is an effective method for the transference of professional, technical and management skills. The role of the mentor is to: Provide objective and trustworthy support and counsel to the mentee/protégé in a non-threatening environment Assist in making the most of the learning opportunities that the mentee/protégé encounters in performing work activities Encourage and stimulate the individual which may also involve building up the mentee/protégé’s self confidence In summary, the mentor provides: Guidance and options Support Encouragement In selecting mentors, consideration needs to be given to relevant experience, the personal attributes of the person and the genuine interest by the mentor in taking on the responsibility. Interpersonal skills are important to develop and so is personal growth. Mentoring is a partnership between two people, which enables a mentor to share their professional and personal skills and experiences, and to grow and develop in the process. It is based upon encouragement, constructive comments, openness, mutual trust, respect and a willingness to learn and share. Typically, mentoring takes place between a more experienced and a less experienced individual. Benefits for individuals The benefits to the less experienced (mentee/protégé) include: increased skills and knowledge a supportive environment in which successes and failures can be evaluated development of professional confidence and self-confidence. The benefits for the more experienced (mentor) include: renewed enthusiasm for their role as an experienced individual challenging discussions with people who have fresh perspectives satisfaction from contributing to the mentee/protégé’s development improved ability to share experience and knowledge opportunities to test new ideas The mentoring relationship – suggestions for forming a sustainable relationship: From the beginning, both parties should agree that either may end the arrangement at any time without fault. There is no formula on how often a mentee/protégé – mentor pair makes contact. The parties may choose to meet regularly, or they may prefer to meet when there is the need to focus on a particular issue. The parties may agree on a set time for each meeting, or they may be more comfortable with a less formal arrangement. These and other issues must be worked out by individual mentee/protégé - mentor pairs. A simple written mentoring agreement can help clarify roles and expectations. This agreement sets out the duration of the relationship, the areas it will focus on, the likely frequency of meetings and the maximum length of each meeting. If problems arise in the mentoring relationship, the parties should talk the issues through. The program co-ordinator may also be approached for advice. If the mentoring partners decide to end the arrangement, another mentor may need to be found. Successful mentoring For mentoring to be successful, both mentees and mentors must be: Committed, able to listen, and open to new ideas Good with time management and be mature, realistic and discreet Knowledgeable or able to get information Challenging and analytical, and able to change/accept change In addition, mentors must be: motivating and able to demonstrate leadership honest and able to give constructive advice, and able to act as a role model   Here’s another way to organize your BPW Mentoring Program   Have all mentors and protégés fill out a mentoring application form Chair of the program matches mentors and protégés after studying the application forms Here are further guidelines on the mentor/protégé or mentor/mentee relationship: 1. If you still have not been matched with a mentoring partner - there are two ways you can get started. You need to contact the Mentoring Program Chair expressing either who you would like to be matched with or the Program Chair can make a few recommendations, both based on the Mentoring Program Profiles sent out at the beginning of the Program. The list is updated and distributed periodically as new people join the program. 2. Now that you’ve found a partner, there is some homework before your first meeting. Before you and your partner(s) meet for the first time, you need to ask yourself what you wish to accomplish and hope to gain by joining the Mentoring Program, at a personal or professional level. What skills do you wish to learn, what goals would you like your mentor to help you with or offer advice on? Do you have objectives (personal, career, fitness, cultural, etc.) you wish someone to help you achieve, or are you only wanting a friend who can be there for some support and guidance when an issue comes up at work or in your personal life? For mentors, how do you wish to contribute and share, what motivates you to want to be a mentor - in terms of satisfaction, skills learning, etc. People join a Mentoring Program for different reasons. Be clear about what it is that you want. Only then will you be able to find a suitable partner and get the best out of the program support available to you. 3. First Meeting - Establishing Objectives Meeting your mentoring partner for the first time can be exciting yet confusing. This is when both of you need to have a chat, get to know each other a little bit, and discuss what it is that both of you hope to gain from and contribute into the partnership. Mentors, find out what your mentee/protégé’s expectations are. Determine if you’re able to help and to what extent. Be honest and realistic about what you can offer, within the scope of your current work and life demands, in terms of time, abilities and capabilities. It has to be a mutually satisfying and balanced relationship, rather than consistently being the one who gives or receives from the partnership. Discuss goals and objectives to arrive at a mutual understanding that your mentor can and is willing to help you achieve them. Pre-determining the direction of your partnership and setting objectives will help you stay on track throughout the course of your mentorship. If both your aims are merely to be supportive of each other, being a friend and a sounding board in general, that is fine too. Structure your mentorship to suit both your needs, make it as formal or as informal as you both like. The choice is entirely yours, but be clear on this at the onset so both parties know exactly what to expect. Each partnership will be different and unique. Do not compare yours with others. No two mentorships are the same. 4. What do you talk about during your meetings? Allow the other person to get to know you by sharing personal interests and professional aspirations. Talk about anything you like – share perspectives on work, current affairs, hobbies, families, arts & entertaining, cultural backgrounds, etc. The topics can be as varied as you like or they can be as focussed as you want, the choice is yours. Anything you do not wish to discuss (religion, politics, relationships, etc.) should be conveyed clearly and openly with your partner. Set some boundaries around what you will and will not talk about within the mentorship. 5. Building Trust and Connections It takes time to build trust in a partnership before certain information of a personal or sensitive nature can be shared. Be patient and be willing to invest some time to build, maintain and sustain such a connection with your partner. Being in a mentorship will help you gain skills in building meaningful and lasting relationships, something you’ll find invaluable and crucial to your personal and professional growth. 6. Monitoring the progress of your mentorship Flexibility Understanding everyone has busy work and personal schedules, be flexible on the frequency of your meetings and the need to reschedule from time to time. However, be committed to giving the mentorship some priority so that you do not end up defeating the purpose of joining the program. Be open to adjusting or fine tuning your aims and expectations over time, especially if your personal or work situation changes, which will also impact your needs or availability. Convey changes openly with your partner, so that both of you are up to date. Working towards solving these challenges together as a team will also help you gain problem-solving skills that are beneficial for other areas in your life. Communication Despite how busy you are, please make an effort to maintain communication with your partner. Given the technology available today, email and phones will connect us no matter where we are. Choose the communication methods that work for you both. All new relationships take time to build. Staying in touch, however brief or at length or wherever you may be, helps you maintain and deepen the partnership. Both partners are responsible for keeping up with the communication process. Do not wait for the other person to call or write. If you’re going through a busy time with work, personal situations, or traveling, please let your partner know about your availability. Stay on top and monitor progress. Initiate, be proactive, invest effort and energy into the partnership to make it strong. Be willing to discuss issues arising from your mentorship – however difficult or embarrassing they may seem at first. By learning to deal with problems timely and effectively helps you gain valuable communication skills. Providing feedback to both your partner and to the Program Chair allows the opportunity for improvement, strengthening both your mentorship and the program. 7. Transitions and Changes If at any time your personal or professional situation changes and there is a need for you to either terminate your mentorship, wish to be re-matched with another participant, or leave the program, it is strongly encouraged that you communicate those changes and wishes to your partner and the mentoring program chair. End a partnership properly and professionally so each party feels good about what they have contributed to the partnership. 8. Mentoring Term At the onset of the program, we asked participants for a minimum commitment of 4 months. We hope that your mentoring relationships last up to a year or longer. Understanding it takes time and trust to build relationships, some people may raise the question on the possibility of continuing their partnership for as long as they like. This is perfectly fine, so long as a mutual decision has been reached with your partner and the Program Chair is aware. This option also gives everyone a chance to find participants with other skills and experience they wish to partner up with. The flexibility to do either is there. A reminder is sent out as the term nears to remind everyone to submit their decisions. The Mentoring Program accepts applications from all interested BPW members on an ongoing basis. Encourage others to give back to the business community. Send out the message that it is only by helping each other can the support amongst business and professional women become strong and powerful. The Society needs more mentors to share their successes and wisdom. We need to encourage each other to continue to grow through seeking support from one another. Collaboration leads to success. 9. Expectations of the participants of a Mentoring Program A mentoring program strives to create a supportive and positive environment for all participants to come together to share, experience, learn, connect and grow. All program support and events are planned and organized in hopes that they provide value to all participants, personally and professionally. The Program does not expect anyone to fully participate in all events. The only expectation from the Program is that you maintain minimal amount of communication with your partner and that you contribute to the partnership responsibly so that there’s mutual learning and benefits. Do not let your partner down by not delivering what you promise.   Some tips and reminders   A mentor is a friend, a coach, a motivator, a partner, a supporter, an advisor, an advocate, and a role model. A mentor is not a social worker, a parent, a headhunter, a counselor, a therapist, nor a babysitter. Do not judge. Accept each other’s individuality. Do not make generalizations or assumptions. Ask for clarifications. Do not preach or tell mentee/protégés what to do - share advice, insights and wisdoms without expecting your mentee/protégés to listen or accept everything suggested. Regardless of how experienced and knowledgeable you are, everyone is here to learn, remove your ego and learn together as a team. Some Useful Tips Establish Ground Rules & Set Boundaries - discuss when it’s a good time to call, email or meet. Be respectful of each other’s time and schedule. Discuss areas of topics you do not feel comfortable in sharing information on. Provide an accepting and supportive atmosphere for each other to share and express Be respectful of each other’s time, privacy, thoughts, opinions, ideas, etc. Understand and honour each other’s time and schedules, be on time for meetings, do not reschedule unless you must, give the mentorship your priority and commitment. Accept each other’s differences in personality, preferences, choices, appearance, etc. Follow through on commitments Help each other stay on track, get involved in supportive programs and engage in activities within the Mentoring Program Listen – not just to hear but also to feel what the other person is experiencing - attentively, empathetically! Speak – with compassion and understanding. Be mindful of your tone and attitude. It’s as much as what you say which matters, as how you say it. Share accomplishments and celebrate your successes. Praise each other on achievements. Be each other’s sounding board. Have fun and share laughter. Strike a balance between being serious and committed towards your goals within the mentoring partnership, but not so serious that you’ll lose sleep over a missed meeting. Final Concern What if something arises that I do not feel comfortable in handling? That’s what the Program Chair is for. If you’re not clear whether a request from your partner is appropriate within the scope of this Mentoring Program or you wish to get some advice on handling a delicate situation, the Program Chair is the person to ask for advice as she should be objective. Acknowledgements to BPW Hong Kong’s Mentoring Convenor Cecilia Lui for the previous section on suggested mentoring guidelines.         Home | BPW International Newsletters | BPW Business Pages | BPW Roster Online | BPW Online | Projects | Calendar | Site Map BPW International International Federation of Business and Professional Women Contact : member.services@bpw-international.org Copyright © BPW International. All rights reserved.