Mentoring Program Design and Implementation * What is mentoring? * Why a formal program? * How do mentoring programs help? * What are keys to program success? * What training do participants need? * What are the first steps to a mentoring program? * Mentoring clients * Where can I learn more? An alternative to formal programs Audio Clips Why a formal program? (30 secs.) AIFF Format Please note that this file may take some time to download. For help listening to the audio, please click here. About my work Mary Dingee Fillmore, Director Clients Projects	Why a formal mentoring program? to give access to mentoring for those who would not otherwise find someone to give them job and career support. Most informal mentoring is "cloning", in which someone reaches out to a person with whom they can readily identify. As long as there is an unequal distribution of different kinds of people in professional and managerial positions, that means that some people will be excluded from informal mentoring. to foster communications across lines which are not usually crossed -- race, occupation, socioeconomic status, organizational level, and others. A one-to-one relationship requires that people get over their prejudices, learn about their assumptions, and take a broader view of work and life. to bring both people to the table with realistic expectations. The word "mentor" means all things to all people. In a formal program, both mentor and mentee understand exactly what is expected of them, through both training and written materials. to establish appropriate groundrules which both parties agree to. These include the importance of confidentiality, the fact that the initiative still rests with the mentee, and the need for both parties to evaluate periodically and give honest feedback. to broaden the perspective of both participants. By seeing the world through the other person's eyes, all kinds of changes are possible -- not just for the mentee, but also for the mentor. to provide a structure for setting goals and evaluating whether they have been met. to send an unmistakable message that mentoring is part of the job to everyone, to make Peter Senge's Learning Organization a reality rather than a good intention. to make the world a better place, where more people are connected and committed to helping each other. And there's more. Have a look at the impact of mentoring.
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