Nonprofit Mentoring Network |
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| Intended Audience These mentoring guidelines are primarily intended for nonprofit professionals who mentor each other outside of the organization (as apposed to mentoring within the organization). Mentees (the one being mentored) can be anyone from junior staff to junior executive directors, or an experienced professional who wants mentoring in a particular skill or knowledge area. If you are not a nonprofit professional or want to set up mentoring internally, you will still find value here. Feel free to tailor these guidelines to fit your needs. Why do We Need Mentoring? Certainly some aspects of mentoring can be done internally by a supervisor, but a staff person may not feel comfortable sharing their concerns with their supervisor, especially when their problem IS the supervisor. Typically in the small nonprofit, there will be only one development director, one finance director, and a lonely executive director. When a new person is hired, she or he is lucky to get two weeks of training from the person they are succeeding. It seems we’re just supposed to figure it out for ourselves. An executive director will not likely be able to offer much support to a new accountant, and a new executive director may feel like they have no one to turn to for help. Now consider that nonprofits are growing in number and size, and there is a projected shortage in nonprofit leadership in the next ten years. We need to groom young nonprofit professionals so that our nonprofits can fulfill their missions well. We need to support them so that these young women and men will be ready to lead in the next ten years. Finding a Mentor / Mentee The best partner may be someone you already know, someone you can get introduced to, or someone with experience in a very similar position. A good match is very important. The most successful relationships are those in which the mentor has specific experience needed by the mentee. LinkedIn and Facebook are excellent ways to find someone to connect with, or you can research other nonprofits similar to your own. Don't be afraid to look outside of your state; mentoring can be done by phone. You can also visit the sites listed to the right. If you work for a large nonprofit, then you may want to find a mentor from a different department or location. The Introduction Generally, the mentee is responsible for beginning and managing the mentoring relationship, so this is addressed to the mentee. After you identify a candidate, ask them to coffee or lunch so that they can share some of their experience with you. It’s best to hold off on using the word “mentor” until you’ve spent an hour or two with them. Don’t just talk with them about work. Ask about their interests. Even if you decide that they are not a good match, you will hopefully have gotten some good advice and made a helpful networking contact. If you feel comfortable that they would be a good match, then ask them directly if they would be willing to mentor you. Establishing the Agreement Once you are both interested in establishing a mentoring relationship, it’s time to talk about what that means.
The Mentor:
The Mentee:
Meetings can be spent on long-term planning, strategizing, discussing progress on goals, problem-solving, teaching, or anything else. Establish an agenda for each meeting, either before-hand or at the beginning of the meeting. The mentor could ask, “What do you want to accomplish today? What would be a good outcome?” Go over the results of action steps from the last meeting, and end with a commitment to new action steps. The mentee should always share their appreciation for the mentor’s time and efforts. Ending the Relationship When the two of you decide to end the mentoring relationship, plan to spend a meeting on closure. Talk about what each of you got out of the relationship, and what the mentee accomplished during the time spent together. Celebrate and show your gratitude. |
Contents:Intended AudienceWhy do We Need Mentoring? Finding a Mentor / Mentee The Introduction Establishing the Agreement The Mentor The Mentee Ongoing Meetings Ending the Relationship I would love to hear about your experience with mentoring. You can post to the LinkedIn or FaceBook pages, or to my blog post on mentoring. Sites of Interest:Nonprofit Mentoring Network on LinkedInNonprofit Mentoring Network on FaceBook Center for Nonproft Success Mentoring Program Gotta Mentor Young Nonprofit Professionals Network Public Allies - Training Young Leaders Association of Fundraising Professionals Other Nonprofit Links:Coaching for Nonprofit ProfessionalsSupport Options for Nonprofit Professionals Nonprofit Resources |
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Call or email Steve to set up your free coaching session: 608-572.0084 |
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