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NAWBO-OC Mentoring Program
 The
2008 Mentoring applications are closed and we have 40 women
enrolled. Matching will be done in February and the Kick-off/Training
event for those involved will be held March 7th at the Summit
House Restaurant. Congratulations to all mentees who have
applied, and thanks to all the wonderful mentors that have
volunteered to help another women business owner on her journey
of discovery. For questions, please contact Dee
Elliott, Mentoring Founder/Director at 714-813-7190.
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men•tor (men'
tôr) n. 1. A
wise, loyal advisor. 2. A
teacher or coach, a communicator, a guide who helps
you plan
your journey of discovery.
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 "The
NAWBO mentoring program is a great opportunity to learn from
someone who understands what it takes to be
a successful woman business owner. My mentor,
Judy Greenspon, is helping me set priorities and keep
my objectives in focus so my business can continually
move forward."
- Karen Mileski, Sales Consultant & Trainer,
Kemry Corp
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 "Being
part of the mentoring program is an excellent way to get to
know other members. With 20 years of experience in public relations,
some asked why I wanted to be a mentee. I was looking for a
direct, savvy and sophisticated mentor to give me a zero base
look at how I present my capabilities. I was thrilled to find
I had been matched with our president, Camille Jayne! She fit
my requirements perfectly. Our goal was to approach a tier
of companies to leverage our national media contacts. Camille
asked the tough questions resulting in new ways of looking
at my business. Our presentations were too heavy on content,
not adequately clear to the recipient and needed to be more
graphically pleasing. Together we have created a better presentation
of our capabilities. We are going through a strategic planning
process as well. Our early results have confirmed we are on
the right track."
- Debbie Douglas, Douglas Advisors |
Mentoring Overview
GOALS OF THE NAWBO MENTORING PROGRAM:
To use available resources within the NAWBO organization
to help other NAWBO members achieve their personal and professional
goals more effectively through mentoring.
REQUIREMENTS FOR MENTORS:
1) You must be a NAWBO member, established business owner,
or corporate sponsor.
2) You must be a good listener, be proactive and
be a proven leader.
3) You must have a proven track record of success
4)
You must be able to keep the program and your mentor/mentee relationship
confidential, and commit to taking no money for your services from
your mentee.
5) You must be able to commit to the time requirements
(2-3 hours/month plus the 4 hour training seminar). You must fill out
the program
application on line. (New mentors will be interviewed to be certain
they are right for the position)
REQUIREMENTS FOR MENTEES:
1) You must be an active NAWBO member and have been so for
3 months.
2) You must complete the application form completely.
3)
You must be able to commit to the time requirements that are
put forth by the program, including the kick off training, mid year
and year end meetings.
4) You must pay an administrative fee of
$100.00 prior to the start
of the program.
5) You must sign a letter of commitment, committing
you to the full 8 months and a liability letter to NAWBO-OC
Definition of a Mentor: A wise, loyal advisor. A teacher or coach,
a communicator, a guide who helps you plan your journey of discovery.
Mentoring is the latest buzzword of the new millennium.
We've heard it in business and in our personal lives. Businesses
currently invest thousands of dollars in mentoring programs. Our
program provides similar benefits to NAWBO members. Research has
found that the quickest way to achieve your goals is by having a
single dedicated person help you along the way. The mentoring program
will allow you to partner with someone who wishes guidance to identify
her goals and help her attain her personal and professional objectives.
You and your mentee do not necessarily have to be in the same profession.
Mentors only need to possess skills in the areas where you want to
grow and more importantly have similar values to her mentee. The
Mentoring Program is not designed to help you make new business contacts,
although this may be a by-product of the program. Mentoring is about
someone’s personal and professional development. As a mentor,
you will grow and share your knowledge and expertise with someone
who wants to learn. As a mentee you will gain valuable experience
from someone who has been on this path before you.
When you apply to the program you will be asked
to fill out a questionnaire which will help us to match you. Please
be honest in your answers
since this is the only way the program will work. The information
that you give us here will be kept confidential and will be shared
with no one but the Mentoring Committee. Below we have given you
an overview of the role of a Mentor and becoming an effective Mentee
so that you can better understand the program. continued
below...
 "For
a number of years during my career I wished for a mentor to assist
me with my career choices and focus. Not until I started my own
business and became a member of NAWBO did I have the opportunity
to request to be part of a mentoring program. I am honored and
delighted that I was matched with Deborah Brooks, a past RW recipient.
For me it is a perfect match. We have only begun the 9 month
mentoring program and I can already see a positive change in
my business style, expectations and results. Deb is analytical,
has excellent listening, marketing skills and business savvy.
I only joined NAWBO last summer and have already reaped multiple
benefits through the mentoring program. It is truly a premier
program which provides encouragement, enrichment, development
and support to its mentees. I highly recommend the mentoring
program to NAWBO members and hope someone else will have the
great experience I am having."
- Barbara Hogan, Personalized Insurance Services
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"My
mentor is helping me with long range planning, developing a
business plan and considering novel ways of finding additional
clients
which is particularly a challenge in my industry (Bio-pharmaceuticals).
I must say Rachael's mentoring style is so encouraging
and motivating. I am also learning a lot about myself in the
process. I think business development is hard because in part,
I see it in negative terms. It is never easy to do something
when one views that function in the manner that I do. So I
certainly need to re-frame this experience and my mentor is
helping me
with this. I am learning, although it is oftentimes uncomfortable
and yes, even scary."
- Ruchika Raval, Global Biopharmaceutical Solutions
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Communicator
Mentees respond best to mentors who listen well, ask open-ended questions,
and establish an environment for open interaction. A successful partnership
is characterized by a two-way exchange of information, with mentors
sharing examples based on their successes and failures and providing
honest and candid feedback.
-
Guide
The best mentors become guides who help mentees plan their own journey
of discovery. Because most mentors are natural problem-solvers, they
must curb their tendency to tell rather than coach. Mentors can point
to opportunities and pitfalls but they should not make the mentees
decisions. Mentees learn most from mentors who present a variety of
options, allowing the mentees to work through the analysis and make
the final decision.
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Ally
An honest ally is essential in the mentee/mentor partnership. As an ally,
the mentor should be able to appraise behaviors and demonstrate how
others may perceive them. Because the mentoring partnership is built
on trust, confidence, and commitment, mentees can receive honest feedback
about their strengths and weaknesses – feedback that few people
have the opportunity to receive. The mentor also serves as a sounding
board, providing a risk-free environment for those who want to vent
frustrations, share difficulties, and seek other perspectives.
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Catalyst
A catalyst is the outside force that inspires action. Mentors can help
their mentees look at unanticipated possibilities and not just concentrate
on what they expect to happen.
Becoming an effective
Mentee:
The power of mentoring has been recognized throughout
the ages. Your membership in NAWBO allows you to take advantage
of this unique and rewarding mentoring experience.
Through our research, we have observed the
behaviors that lead to the most effective and productive partnerships.
What we have learned is that the best partnerships occur when
mentees:
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Respect the commitment being made
by their partner.
This respect manifests itself by being prepared and on time for meetings,
following through on action items, and acknowledging the mentor’s
dedication and support.
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Participate fully in the program.
Commitment to the program and your peers is essential if you are to reap
the benefits of your mentoring experience. For example, attending monthly
meetings and building networking and support relationships with your
peers show your commitment.
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Assume responsibility for the partnership.
The responsibility for managing the mentoring partnership clearly belongs
to the mentee. The best mentoring experiences occur when mentees take
ownership for their growth, invest in the partnership, and create a
vision for their journey of discovery. Where mentees lead, mentors
will follow; mentees should select the destination and make the journey
memorable.
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Be open to new ideas.
The purpose of the mentoring experience is to open mentees to new possibilities
and perspectives. The best mentees are willing to consider new ideas
and recognize that growth can sometimes be uncomfortable; they come
to the program wanting to learn and not expecting to be taught.
-
Make honest communication a priority.
Communication is key to the success of the partnership. Mentees have
responsibility for accepting and encouraging honest feedback from their
mentors and for providing the same kind of feedback to their partners.
Mentors, like mentees, want to know how they’re doing.
"LOOK AT YOURSELF THROUGH SOMEONE ELSE’S
EYES"
NAWBO OC does not guarantee
a mentee or mentor spot for everyone who applies and reserves
the right to match those best suited for the program. Mentor
and mentee applications can be obtained by contacting the NAWBO-OC
office.
 "As
a business owner I have to make big important business decisions
on my own. The mentor program offered through NAWBO OC Chapter
has provided me with a direct source of support. What has been
most amazing to me is that this support has allowed me to break
through boundaries in such a short period of time. It has been
so rewarding to achieve new bench marks. My mentor relationship
has influenced me to gain access to my inner entrepreneur and
it has been reflected in my attitude at work. My experiences
at work are a game and I am here to win this game. Wow... I
am being stretched and it is seriously exciting to me. Thank
you NAWBO and Michel-Joy."
- Lisa McGhee, Back Bay Fitness, Inc.
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"I
love the mentoring program. I’m working with Patricia
Hirsch 3 days a month (once in person and twice over the phone).
We've already covered balancing my schedule/calendar, projecting
income for 2 years and being aware of one's self (body language
and communication). We’ve also worked on being accountable
and it’s all working. I'm more focused than I've been
for a long time. Thanks for this 'fabulous' opportunity!"
- Elise Rainey, Beauti Control
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2008
Program Timeline/Schedule of Events
The items
marked in red are mandatory that each mentee/mentor must attend or complete.
See below for time commitments
for this program.
-
Dec 22: Application, overview
and timeline on website.
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Jan 11: 2nd email reminder to membership regarding
program, if space is still available.
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Jan 30: Applications
due from membership.
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Feb 7: Committee meets to match mentors/mentees.
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Feb 11: Match results given to mentors/mentees.
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Mar 7: Orientation/luncheon
9–11:30am: Training
session. 12–1pm: Lunch at Summit House
in Fullerton.
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May 1: Mentors-only meeting in Irvine. What's
working, what's not? Best practices for mentors. Networking.
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S.O.M.E. Meetings: Sessions Organized for Mentoring
Education. Prior to NAWBO regular meetings (4:30pm) Open
to mentees and mentors. May 6, June 3, August 5 at
4:30pm.
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June 19: Mid-Program workshop – Education
session and review of program, dinner and networking. Mandatory
for mentees. Optional for mentors
-
Nov (TBD): All mentors/mentees
wrap up meeting with survey results. Last
formal meeting for this group. Best practices and educational
session. Dinner and networking. Mandatory
for mentees. Optional
for mentors.
TIME COMMITMENTS: EACH
MENTOR/MENTEE GROUP must commit to meet 2-3 HOURS EACH MONTH AND
MUST ATTEND THE TRAINING SESSION. MENTEES MUST
ALSO ATTEND THE MID-YEAR AND YEAR-END MEETINGS. For questions please
contact Dee
Elliott, Mentoring Founder/Director at 714-813-7190.
Note: Copyright of this Mentoring Program by Dee
Elliott. Not to be copied or used by anyone without her written permission.
 "What
amazes me more than anything else is your matching process.
My mentor, Frumi has run approximately five different businesses,
and that’s the additional business building background
I was hoping to learn from. An added bonus is that her
emphasis is on accounting / finance, which is my weakest
area in business. I was blown away at what a good fit you
were able to find. She helped me understand the value of
validating some of my entrepreneurial ideas before investing
too much time
and energy experimenting. She also has helped me expedite
my sales process with simple suggestions, such as blocking
out time in my calendar to do follow up calls the day after
every speaking engagement. And she inspired me to stick
to higher rates for private coaching, which is buying me
both time and money reserves so I can relax and be more
selective about my clients."
- Nahid Casazza, Aspyrre
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Creating Successful Mentoring Programs
 by Vicki Torres of NAWBO-LA
For chapters considering a mentoring program, the Orange County chapter
could serve as a model...
Dee Putman-Elliott, of Executive Moving Systems, chaired the committee
that created the eight-month-long program in Orange County. It drew
interest from existing members and from four women business owners
who joined the chapter specifically because of the program, she said.
Keys to a successful program, Putman-Elliott said, are:
• Thorough preparation and research on mentoring.
• Training and testing of both mentors and mentees.
• Establishment of a formal program with a beginning and an end.
• A committee to oversee the endeavor, make any needed adjustments,
and evaluate results.
Putman-Elliott had previously created mentoring programs for other
organizations and had gathered extensive research, plus information
from professional mentoring services. She knew that mentoring partners
must be paired according to shared values to ensure the greatest
success of the match, and the OC program included professional values
tests. "Values are more important than being in the same industry," she
said.
A March training session provided 14 participants (7 mentoring
partnerships), with the basics about their roles. The mentees were
told not to expect a "fix" for an ailing company. The mentors
were told not to "run" their mentees' companies. The emphasis
was on guidance, assistance and communication. All participants signed
a waiver of liability for the chapter.
The participants met for 2 to 3 hours in person monthly, with phone
calls or emails in between. The program officially ended with another
group meeting and final evaluation.
Putman-Elliott stressed that a formal structure and operations, not
just a casual list of volunteer mentors, is crucial to providing
real value. "Overall, it was highly successful," Putman-Elliott
said of the effort. "A couple of partners developed such a close
relationship that they will continue as friends and other mentees
decided to hire their mentors afterward as coaches."
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