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FM Mentoring Workshop 2005: A Springboard for Success

by David Wright

On Friday, March 25th, the DREAM Team launched the third annual mentoring cohort. This most recent group has 13 matched pairs with high levels of understanding and commitment to the potential benefits of a mentoring relationship. Much of this is a result of the communicated experiences of the 48 mentoring pairs from the previous two groups. Mentoring is an important emerging element of Financial Management’s culture. It’s another of the many FM employee developmental tools available to any FM employee. After two years of mentoring experience, word has spread that the FM Mentoring Program is an effective way to find support in identifying mentee objectives and direction towards attaining goals in a sensible, constructive way.

This year’s cohort has three mentors with mentoring experience from past groups, two mentors from the mentor pool were matched for the first time and the remaining 8 mentors are new to the program. The DREAM Team continues to recruit mentors adding to the quality and diversity of future matches for prospective mentees.

The workshop began over tasty morsels of bagels & invigorating morning coffee, and as it is with new relationships, there was plenty of animated discourse, punctuated with laughter and significant expressions of understanding and agreement. This portion of the workshop is exceedingly meaningful to me as I try to interpret the initial success of the paired matches. The DREAM Team works diligently at analyzing the available information to assist in matching the mentee with a mentor that will provide the mentee with the best prospect for a successful mentoring relationship, and it all comes to fruition when witnessing the introductory interaction between the pairs.

With a resume that includes national recognition for mentoring leadership and training, Ruth Johnston led a highly interactive learning experience for the mentoring pairs that combined elements of self learning and shared discovery, with an overview of successful mentoring practices. With a seemingly effortless manner, she engaged the group from one activity to the next with humor and practical, thorough knowledge of the curriculum; giving the participants confidence in using her mentoring building blocks in forming effective partnerships.

The highlight of the workshop occurred with delightful stories from a three member panel moderated by Heidi Anderson and consisting of Mai Lin Chua, Shara Hayden and Karen Long. Beginning with some important milestones in their lives that defined their character and perseverance, they each revealed mentoring anecdotes, formal and informal, that assisted in their development. These are confident and highly competent women who have overcome hardships. Not having mainstream American business characteristics (i.e. Caucasian males), their barriers were primarily placed in front of them because of their diverse ethnic and gender backgrounds. These were inspiring stories of triumph along the continuum road of accomplishments.

As with most of the workshop, the mentoring pairs worked side by side in the afternoon, this time documenting measurable goals that can be referenced throughout the year to keep the mentee on target, by completing an entrance survey that will also be compared with an exit survey completed at the end of their one year commitment, for an accurate measurement of their growth. And finally at the conclusion of the workshop, each mentee also signed a mentoring agreement with their mentor creating the structure of their relationship in addition to the purpose and specific goals of the mentee’s mentoring plan.

From the tentative, first stage of their young mentoring relationship, to varying levels of comfort in a well grounded friendship, these pairs made a lot of progress in one day, developing the needed trust and commitment to realize the mentees’ goals not otherwise attained.