Carmichael Centre Mentor Scheme

What is the Carmichael Centre Mentor Scheme?

Providing a helping resource to leaders of charities and other not-for-profit organisations Being the leader of an organisation can be tough anywhere but it is especially true in the not-for- profit sector. The CEO1 cannot really share all concerns with the board because the board is the employer and the Board of Directors want to see the CEO as competent and capable at all times. The CEO cannot really share personal concerns or anxieties with staff members who are employees, who want to see their leader as being able to solve all the problems.

The value of a mentor is having someone who can ask questions that clarify the situation and can help relieve the anxiety that builds when there is nowhere to articulate the doubts that the CEO may feel. The purpose of the Carmichael Centre Mentor scheme is to help meet with this need by establishing a panel of social mentors with relevant experience and skills who volunteer to provide one-to-one advice and guidance to CEOs and equivalents of voluntary, community and charity organisations. The scheme is being provided free of charge to mentees. The mentors are volunteering their time and Carmichael Centre will manage and administer the scheme.

The community, voluntary and charity sector is facing many challenges such as, funding cuts, drops in fundraising income, reduction in staff numbers and the need to re-visit their strategic plans as they face ever increasing demands by clients for their services due to the impact of the economy. CEO’s can benefit from the experience, skills and support of an experienced mentor to help them navigate through the current difficulties. The proposed social mentor scheme is meeting that need.

Current Pilot Phase

We have initiated a pilot mentoring scheme in April 2012. The pilot phase involves 8 mentors and 8 mentees to road test the concept and provide feedback on the design and operation of the scheme which the Carmichael Centre plan to launch on a larger scale in the autumn. The initial feedback from both mentees and mentors has been very positive with both mentors and mentees gaining from the process.

Time Commitment

The expected time commitment is about 2 hours every six weeks to 2 months. It is anticipated that after 5-6 sessions the frequency of the meetings will drop off whereby, the mentor and mentee might only meet up quarterly unless there is a particular issue that could benefit from a mentor/mentee meeting. The maximum duration of mentor relationship with a particular mentee will be 12 months.

For further information, contact Diarmaid Ó Corrbuí, CEO, Carmichael Centre, Tel: 01 873 5702; Mob: 087 249 0704 or email [email protected]

1 We have used the term CEO but it also applies to equivalent job titles such as Executive Director, Manager.

 2012 Carmichael Centre, North Brunswick Street Dublin 7; Ireland Website www.carmichaelcentre.ie Carmichael Centre Mentor Scheme

Additional Information What are the roles of Mentor and Mentee? The word “mentor” comes from the Greek and means to serve as a trusted counsellor, confidant or facilitator, especially in occupational settings. The Mentor’s role is to: The Mentee’s role is to:  Share their knowledge and insights learned  Drive the process through the years • Set the agenda in line with his/her • Listen and provide context to issues and development needs problems • Be open-minded and listen • Aid in the exploration of the consequences • Seek opportunities to put new knowledge of potential decisions into practice • Act as a sounding board • Practise taking different viewpoints and • Provide feedback perceptions • Provide information • Be honest, especially about strengths and weaknesses • Facilitate self- discovery • Challenge assumptions and perspectives • Encourage exploration of new ideas or alternate ways of thinking

What’s in it for me?

Benefits for the Mentee: Benefits for the Mentor  An opportunity to explore his/her own  An opportunity to “give something back” by strengths, weaknesses and ambitions in giving a leader of a charity/not-for-profit confidence with someone who has “been organisation some advice, guidance and there before” benefit of some of the insights and lessons learnt from their own work experience • A source of challenge to his/her assumptions about the job or specific  An opportunity to learn from and gain challenges and how it should be done or insights to a different type of organisation addressed and activity • Growth in self-confidence and self-  Expand his/her network to other mentors awareness and mentees • An informal audience, on whom to try out  Gain extra skills in communication and new ideas and approaches, before understanding presenting them to working colleagues or to the Board of Directors • The chance to learn from someone else’s mistakes • Insights into the politics and real decision- making processes and structures in others organisations - how to get things done

Benefits for the Mentee: Benefits for the Mentor • Encouragement in self development

How does the mentoring process works?

 CEOs and managers of community, voluntary and charitable organisations will be invited or can apply directly to participate in the Carmichael Centre Mentor Scheme.

 Participating mentees are asked to complete a short needs assessment form to help define the areas that the mentee is seeking support and any specific issues that they would like help with.

 Typical “hot topics” for mentees include; strategic/business planning; financial management; grant applications; fundraising; communications, PR, marketing; social media; website development and service delivery.

 The scheme co-ordinator matches the request for a mentor and the stated needs to the skills of a suitable mentor from a panel of experienced and available mentors. The co-ordinator may offer the mentee a choice of potential mentors who may be able to support the mentee.

 The matched mentor makes contact with the mentee to arrange an initial meeting. After the initial meeting, the mentee and the mentor should have a clear understanding of the ground rules for the relationship and what needs to be achieved during the mentoring period.

 The mentoring period will typically involve 5-6 meetings over a 6-9 month period at times and dates agreed by both parties, but this may vary depending on the needs being addressed and the nature of the mentoring relationship. However, it is unlikely to involve more than 8 meetings in a 12 month period. The mentoring relationship should at the end of a 12 month period if it hasn’t ended before then.

 There may be occasions where the matching hasn’t worked or the relationship isn’t working. The co-ordinator will try to identify a different mentor to work with the mentee.

 The mentor and the mentee will sign a confidentiality agreement undertaking to keep all discussions and information obtained in the course of the mentoring assignment confidential.

 The mentee and the mentor will be asked to provide overview progress and high level feedback reports to Carmichael Centre for quality control purposes.

Mentor Panel for Pilot Phase (April –Oct 2012)

Patrick T. Burke Patrick is a general manager who now acts as a consultant to a number of International Companies in the Beverage and Food industry with regard to strategic management and the branding of consumer products in the USA, UK and other EU markets. Having spent much of his career outside of Ireland with a major international company Allied Domeq Plc, his time was evenly balanced between the direction of strategic and commercial affairs and manufacturing operations in Europe, Asia and the US. He also held a number of Non-Executive directorships in the Service area, IT & Branded goods. He is a mentor on the Enterprise – Ireland panel for small business / Start-Ups. He is also mentoring at the Smurfit Post Graduate Business School and with the Begin Again Programme sponsored by the Dept. of Education.

Dick Fearn Dick is a career railway manager with 39 years’ experience of leadership and operational man- management in the railway industry. For the first 30 years of his career from 1973 to 2003, he was employed in the UK with British Rail (and its successor companies following privatisation in 1996). His experience in the UK involved railway operations management at station, divisional and subsequently regional level. In 2003 he joined Iarnród Éireann as Chief Operating Officer, subsequently becoming Chief Executive in 2006. Iarnród Éireann employs 4,150 people.

Evelyn Fitzpatrick Evelyn Fitzpatrick FCPA is an Accountant also holding a qualification in Economics. In 2009 she set up her own Consultancy as a Financial Advisor and Trainer to the Charity sector. She was Director of Finance & Administration of Focus Ireland for 8 years. During that time their Annual Report won the Chartered Accountants Published Accounts Award five times, which recognises excellence in financial reporting. Prior to this she was Finance Director and Company Secretary of Marks & Spencer Ireland for 10 years. She has served on the board of Dublin Inner City Partnership. She was a Board member and Trustee of The Irish Youth Foundation for nine years. She served eight years on the board of the Irish Association of Corporate Treasures and also acted as their Company Secretary.

Karen Kiernan Karen has been Executive Director of One Family www.onefamily.ie since June 2001. In that time, she has substantially grown the organisation, leading it through a process of professionalization. Specific achievements include the rebranding of the organisation and expansion of its client group and remit, the merger/acquisition of Gingerbread at their request and the development of several social enterprise services including training for professionals and book-keeping/financial services for NGOs.

Bernie Gray Bernie has over twenty years experience in HR, management and governance through a number of executive, non – executive and consulting roles. She was a Board Director in Telecom Eireann (1988- 1992) and the Executive HR Director in eircom (1998 -2002). Bernie is currently a business consultant and has carried out a range of assignments (HR, Change, Governance) in private and public sectors , including a number in the not for profit and voluntary sectors. She is also currently the Chair of Eirgrid plc, a board member of Business in the Community and the Chair Dress for Success. She was formerly a member of the Public Appointment Service (PAS) from 2008 -2011. She has a degree in Public Administration, Economics & Polictics from TCD, she is a CPA qualified accountant and has a Diploma in Executive and Business Coaching from UCD

Ken McIntyre-Barn Ken is a senior executive sales leader with over 17 years’ experience and a proven track record in a number of multinational organisations such as Unilver, Heineken, Wella Ireland and Kelloggs in Ireland, UK and Middle East with turnover up to €300 million. He has successfully worked in difficult market conditions and therefore, can add significant value to organisations in the current economic environment. Ken has an Honours Degree in Manufacturing Systems Management. He also has a Diploma in Coaching and is accredited in Occupational Testing by SHL and the British Psychological Society. He is Founder and Managing Director of Commercial Excellence – a consultancy specialising in helping organisations and people to achieve growth. Specialties: Executive Recruitment, Executive Coaching, Career Transition Coaching, Sales and Marketing Strategy

Pat Power Specialising in Strategy, Quality, Human Resources Management Systems, Pat is the Owner/ Managing Director of Power Quality Management Limited (PQM). Pat has 22 years consultancy experience and in that time has undertaken a number of assignments developing and supporting customer service strategies, implementing TQM, European Foundation for Quality Management, ISO 9000, W.C.M., Environmental Management System 14001, EMAS, Occupational Health and Safety Systems Development 18001 Specification and provision of management education and training in Quality, Environment, Occupational Health and Safety, Customer Service and TQM. Prior to establishing PQM he spent 7 years with Nokia Ltd/JA/Mont Ireland Limited as Group Quality Assurance Manager. Pat is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and is a fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants and Advisors (FIMCA).

Kevin Smyth Kevin has over 20 years’ experience at management level in the commercial sector, and he been CEO of 2 charities. One of which was 75% state funded, and one which was just 15% state funded. I have also served on the board of 2 charities. Kevin has also been a volunteer for most of his adult life. He has been involved in mergers, downsizing, transformation, service evaluation, fundraising, and strategy formation and implementation. Prior to joining the charities sector, Kevin worked for many years in the private sector including Statoil where he was Vice President Energy Operations. He has an MBA (first class honours) from the Smurfit School of Business and he is a qualified workplace mediator.

 2012 Carmichael Centre, North Brunswick Street Dublin 7; Ireland Website www.carmichaelcentre.ie