Vision

To help develop women leaders who transform our industry by creating coaching and mentoring relationships between WICT members.

“Mentoring is a privileged relationship between a more experienced person and a less experienced person where profound learning happens and a mutual responsibility grows. The mentee gains from the mentor’s tacit professional and organizational knowledge, and gets accelerated experience and insight. The mentor gains a sense of sponsorship and legacy, as well as fresh insights and renewal. Mentoring is less about competencies and more about wisdom.” Personnel Decisions International

Mentoring Produces Positive Results

• Greater confidence in professional effectiveness
• Increased ability to leverage skills to enhance career opportunities
• Wider network of contacts in the industry
• Shared knowledge and experience
• Enhanced leadership skills

Program Basics

• Formal six-month program.
• Mentoring teams of one mentor to two or three mentees, formed based on developmental interests. The program will consist of mentors and up to 20 mentees.
• Applications for mentees will be accepted until the published deadline. Participants will be notified of their participation and informed of training program logistics prior to the full kick-off session.
• We will take all interested applicants and make an effort to match them to the best possible mentor and mentee teams based on needs, interests and expertise, on a first-come, first-served basis.
• WICT offers you a high quality program at an affordable price—$375 if you are a member; $450 for non-members (payable upon mentor assignment – includes $75 basic membership). There are no refunds for the program.
• Each team will meet every 4-6 weeks for a two-hour face-to-face session. The team will determine the topics to be addressed. The team may discuss any topics of interest for which the mentor feels qualified to give advice. The scheduling of these sessions is up to the team and its mentor, and is at their convenience.
• In addition to these periodic meetings, the mentor will make himself or herself available for one-on-one meetings throughout the six-month period and for individual phone calls and guidance as requested. We encourage mentees to reach out to their mentors based upon their individual needs.
• Mentors are required to sign confidentiality and non-solicitation agreements.
  

Fall 2008 Mentoring Program Events

There will be a kick-off event at the beginning of the program (training), a mid-point assessment and a recognition event at the end. Dates are:

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008
8am – 5pm: Mentoring Kickoff Training for all mentoring program participants (location to be confirmed) MANDATORY

Thursday, January 22nd , 2009
8am – 11am: Mid-Point Checkpoint for mentoring program Participants (location TBD) MANDATORY

Thursday April 9th, 2009
Program Conclusion, Celebration Luncheon for mentoring program participants (location TBD) MANDATORY

In addition, two Roundtables will be scheduled. Roundtables are designed to provide an intimate setting to discuss development issues. Other optional networking opportunities will be provided during the course of the program as well.

Defining the Mentor

A mentor is someone who supports another individual and is concerned with his or her growth. A mentor is concerned for the individual as a person, not just as an employee. A mentor is concerned for his or her mentees’ development as a whole and not just in the job they do.

A mentor has an independent relationship with his or her mentee, not one based on authority or power. He/she will listen, question and only then advise. His/her advice will be given without judgment or criticism of the mentee as an individual.

A mentor is above all, person-focused. A mentor will have no stake in the relationship other than wanting to see the development of the individual, and will start with a bias in the mentee’s favor.

A mentor is a trusted friend, a teacher, a guide and a role model. He or she has knowledge and is prepared to transfer this knowledge to others, is expert or at least have advanced status in his/her field and is acknowledged as such by peers.

A mentor is nurturing by nature, non-competitive and supportive. He or she is patient but prepared to challenge the mentee, shows enthusiasm while maintaining perspective, and stays focused while being inspirational.

A mentor upholds the virtues of his/her chosen employment, trade or profession, and is loyal to his/her company or organization while at the same time recognizing its weaknesses, and constructively helps his/her mentee deal with those same weaknesses.

Your Role as a Mentee

The success of the program is highly dependent upon your participation and commitment. Mentees really “own” the process, therefore you get out what you put in.

A mentor is there to connect you with helpful resources, provide you with insight and offer advice will be given without judgment or criticism. You are the program’s most valuable asset, which is why we have provided you with the tools to assist in your development goals. Specifically, your role is to:

• Attend all of the mandatory mentoring program meetings (see above).
• Participate in the scheduling and agenda setting of group meetings that will be held every 4-6 weeks. When you don’t participate in these, others in your group (and you) are deprived of the benefit of the collegial support that is of great benefit to the overall value of the program.
• Reach out to your mentor for help or guidance. Some of our best mentees put a tickler in their files to reach out individually to their mentors at least once every three weeks via email or a phone call. This helps to build your relationship with your mentor and keeps him or her involved in your development.
• Utilize the tools that the mentor program provides. This includes the Development FIRST Workbook, the Manager’s Handbook, and the development plans that you will construct as a result of the kickoff training.
• Use the mentoring program co-chairs as necessary. Whether it is to update them on your contact information or suggestions for making the program more effective, this is the way that you can continue to reap the benefits of the investment of time and money you’ve made.

In addition, you and your organization will benefit in the following ways:

• By supporting the mentee’s career development, the participant may view her organization more positively and stay employed with her company longer.
• Participants will hear new perspectives and problem solving methods from others who have similar concerns.
• Participants will participate in the Development FIRST training. This can make the mentees more effective at managing their own careers and make them better able to request appropriate developmental assistance from their supervisors.
• Participants will have a neutral third-party sounding board that does not have the potential career risks (perceived or real) associated with utilizing internal resources.
• Mentees may be more effective on the job as a result of the advice they receive from their mentor and mentee teams.

Contact Information

Please contact any of the following individuals for further information.