MENTOR GUIDE

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MENTOR GUIDE
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Leaders don't create followers, they create more
leaders. Tom Peters
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Overview

• What is a mentor?
• What is the Magazine Mentoring Exchange (MME)?
• What are MMEs goals objectives?
• Whats in it for me?
• What do I have to do?
• What are my responsibilities?
• Is there anything I shouldnt do?
• What if I need help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

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What is a Mentor?

• A mentor is a coach, guide, counselor and trusted
  advisor.
• S/he is willing to share his/her expertise to
  guide the development of another person and
  therefore should have considerable quantitative
  and qualitative experience to do so.
• Mentors should have industry experience in one or
  more functional area of the magazine publishing
  business including but not limited to advertising
  sales, business management, consumer marketing,
  editorial, marketing, production and research.
• A mentor can be of any level and rank but should
  have a minimum of three years industry-related
  experience.
• Mentors share useful insight into the magazine
  industrys cooperative culture coach on a
  variety of topics from business knowledge to
  political savvy provide support, positive and
  constructive feedback, and praise and encourage
  mentees to meet their professional goals.

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About MME

• The Magazine Mentoring Exchange (MME)
• Is a self-service, web-based mentoring and
  networking talent management program
• Facilitates developmental relationships between
  more experienced magazine professionals with
  those less experienced
• Provides social networking tools necessary to
  promote workforce interaction, collaboration,
  praise and recognition, just-in-time learning and
  self-expression

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Goals Objectives

• To promote an effective tool in improving
  industrial retention and reducing turnover
• To create strategic networking opportunities that
  will increase exposure to underrepresented
  segments of the magazine industrys workforce
• To ready the industrys high potential employees,
  especially those of color, for leadership
  opportunity and/or career advancement

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The Benefits of Participation
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What Do I Have To Do?

• Share useful insight into the magazine industrys
  culture
• Coach on a variety of topics from business
  knowledge to political savvy to strategic
  networking
• Provide support, positive and constructive
  feedback, and praise
• Encourage mentees to meet their professional and
  personal goals/objectives
• Be accessible and available

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Mentor Expectations Dos

• Respect and value eachs similarities and
  differences
• Create and manage realistic expectations of the
  depth and breadth of the mentoring relationship
• Seek out and be receptive to constructive
  feedback
• Keep commitments
• Set goals and actively work toward accomplishing
  them with your mentee
• Be supportive and offer help
• Be accessible and available

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Mentor Expectations Donts

• Don't have a preconceived plan for the final
  outcome of your relationship.
• Don't try to force your mentee to follow your
  footsteps. If the footsteps fit, s/he will follow
  them voluntarily. Value the mentees unique path
  and where s/he is along that path.
• Dont intimidate nor act as a judge or jury.
• Dont replace management nor promise employment.
• Dont engage in any unlawful practices nor share
  confidential organizational information.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Q. What if my mentee contacts me too much?
• You should begin by reviewing the parameters and
  see if they can work more effectively. The
  parameters of the relationship should be
  established at the first contact including
• preferred method of contact (i.e. in-person,
  e-mail, phone)
• frequency (i.e. weekly, bi-weekly)
• time schedule (i.e. during or after work hours)
• amount of time you can devote (i.e. 30 mins, 1-2
  hours)

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• Q. What is the appropriate length of time for a
  mentoring relationship?
• This can vary according to the relationship that
  is established and the needs of the mentee. Some
  can last for years and others last for just a few
  months.

• Q. How will I know when it is time to end our
  mentoring relationship?
• A. It will probably become obvious to both of
  you. If the contact time becomes consistently
  longer, the mentee may find the need for a
  different kind of mentor. Likewise, the mentor
  may feel s/he is ready to mentor someone else.

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• Q. What If I Need Help?
• Taking on the responsibility of being a mentor is
  rewarding. However, you may find it to be quite
  challenging at times, too.
• Please do not hesitate to contact Shaunice
  Hawkins, MPA VP of Diversity Multicultural
  Initiatives (shawkins_at_magazine.org) to discuss
  any issues and concerns which may arise.

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Best wishes for a highly success mentoring
relationship.Thank you for your enthusiasm.We
appreciate your time.