Will We Have the Powerpoint Sent to Us After the Presentation

IEEE Mentoring Program Q&A from the Dynamic Mentoring Connections Webinar on May 22, 2008

The Mentoring Connection (TMC)...... 3 What is the URL for The Mentoring Connection?...... 3 What is our group ID for the IEEE Mentoring Program?...... 3 How do you become a mentor in the program?...... 3 Where I can get login access to the site that you just showed?...... 3 IEEE Mentoring Program...... 4 Will we have the PowerPoint sent to us after the presentation?...... 4 May I use this internet service in mentoring?...... 4 What are the contact details of the faculty conducting this program?...... 4 Can I download the presentation afterwards?...... 4 Is this a member benefit with basic IEEE membership or do I need to subscribe or be part of another society?...... 4 Is this program supposed to help you find a job? Or just improve your skills? I do have potential mentors, but I am really trying to improve my chances of applying for and finding another job...... 5 Finding a Mentoring Partner...... 6 Do you have any tips on writing a good explanation to get the mentor to accept you as a mentee? How do I improve my chances to be accepted by the mentor?...... 6 Are potential mentors usually picky? Is it difficult to be accepted?...... 6 How do external and internal mentors compare for effective output?...... 6 Is it better to seek out a mentor of similar age, or should the mentee look for more diversity?...... 6 What do you look for in an ideal mentor or mentee?...... 7 What about the mentor's goals? What would a mentor wish to get out of the relationship?...... 7 I think mentoring is about gauging the potential of the mentee and guiding him/her to achieve what s/he is capable of instead of asking questions about his/her desires, any views on this?...... 7 I have career needs based on being a Disabled Engineer. What is the best way to find a mentor who has experience in this area?...... 7 When do I get matched to a mentor? Where can I go to find information on available mentors?...... 8 I am a masters student and I am searching for a mentor who can exactly guide me in my career and also technically. I am from an electrical engineering background...... 8 I did my MSc in communication eng and am willing to go ahead in my field to be more specialized. I am searching for a mentor that can let me to achieve my goals...... 8 I am seriously in need of a mentor for career growth and who can help me technically...... 8 What do you prefer for me if there are many mentors matching me? Can you provide the search facilities, I was trying to search by specialization of the mentor but it was difficult for me...... 8 Can you know how many mentees your perspective mentor already has?...... 8 What were your accomplishments in your previous mentoring experiences?...... 9 What should I do if the person I selected to be my mentor never responds?...... 9 Mentoring Meetings...... 10 How do I get help to progress in mentoring?...... 10 If you are meeting by phone or virtually, what should be the target length of each meeting?...... 10 I have mentored many times outside of the IEEE programs; however, I find that it is hard to get some mentees to respond to key questions...... 10 I have had a dormant mentoring partner for last five years. How do I re-activate the same partnership?...... 11 What is the ideal duration of mentor/mentee relationship?...... 11 I found a few mentors, but our relationship is not so strong. What should I do?...... 11

If you have any additional questions, send and email to [email protected] and we will respond back to you.

Provided by The Training Connection, Inc. 2 The Mentoring Connection (TMC)

What is the URL for The Mentoring Connection? www.mentoringconnection.com

What is our group ID for the IEEE Mentoring Program? The Group ID for the IEEE Mentoring Program is IEEE2006. You only need to use the Group ID when you are first creating your account. If you have already created a User ID and Password, or think you have, but have forgotten your login information, please contact Cathy Downer or anyone at The Training Connection, Inc. and they can give you your information.

How do you become a mentor in the program? To sign up for the program, you will need to go to www.mentoringconnection.com and sign in using the New Member Login. You will be asked to enter the Group ID which is IEEE2006. You will then be able to create your user profile along with your User ID and Password. Write down your User ID and Password as you will need it when you log in thereafter. After you create your profile, you will be asked to complete the Application. Fill in all the information and click I’m Done when you are finished. To access your account again, go in through Already a Member and enter your User ID and Password. Your Application and Profile will be added to the pool of available mentors. The Mentees self-select the mentors when they search for their specific criteria.

Where I can get login access to the site that you just showed? Go to www.mentoringconnection.com. If you have forgotten your User ID and Password to access your account on TMC, please contact any of the consultants or the Program Coordinator. If you have not created an account, see the previous answer for instructions on logging in for the first time.

Provided by The Training Connection, Inc. 3 IEEE Mentoring Program

Will we have the PowerPoint sent to us after the presentation? There is a copy of the PowerPoint presentation used during the presentation is available on the TMC Library. To access the Library, from the Home drop-down menu, click on Library. Under the heading “PowerPoint Presentations,” select the one entitled Dynamic Mentoring Connections PowerPoint for May 22, 2008.

May I use this internet service in mentoring? Unfortunately, the screen sharing feature used for the Dynamic Mentoring Connections webinar is not available to use for your mentoring partnership. However, there are many programs available that allow you to chat or hook up a webcam in case you’d like to have online face-to-face chats. Here are some of those programs: Yahoo Messenger: http://messenger.yahoo.com/ Windows Live Messenger: http://get.live.com/messenger/overview AIM: http://download.aim.com/client/65

What are the contact details of the faculty conducting this program? Cathy Downer, IEEE Mentoring Program, Program Coordinator Email: [email protected] Phone: +1 732 562 5506 Kathy Wentworth Drahosz, The Training Connection, Inc., Consultant Email: [email protected] Phone: +1 703 551 0734 Jennifer Cunningham, The Training Connection, Inc., Consultant Email: [email protected] Phone: +1 703 551 0734

Can I download the presentation afterwards? Click here to view the recorded presentation: http://ieee.acrobat.com/p40981535/ In addition, the PowerPoint presentation is available on the Library in TMC for your reference anytime.

Is this a member benefit with basic IEEE membership or do I need to subscribe or be part of another society? Participation in the IEEE Mentoring Connection program is one of the many benefits of IEEE membership with no additional costs or fees to participate.

Provided by The Training Connection, Inc. 4 Is this program supposed to help you find a job? Or just improve your skills? I do have potential mentors, but I am really trying to improve my chances of applying for and finding another job. The purpose of the program is to expose you to different fields in the area of engineering and help the members increase their professional network. If a job opportunity comes out of the relationships you build with the other members, then that is great. However, that is not the sole purpose of the program. In addition, remember the skills you learn with your mentor can also help improve your chances of finding another job. Skills such as conflict resolution, building effective relationship, time management can be invaluable to your personal and professional advancement.

Provided by The Training Connection, Inc. 5 Finding a Mentoring Partner

Do you have any tips on writing a good explanation to get the mentor to accept you as a mentee? How do I improve my chances to be accepted by the mentor? When sending a request to a mentor, you will want to think of it as if you were applying for a job. Read through their application and pick out key words, or things you found interesting and refer to them in your request. For example, “I noticed you have a background in electrical engineering. That is a field I have been interested in breaking into, but have had trouble knowing where to start.” This shows the mentor you have read through their application, you know what you are looking for, and also gives them an idea of how they could possibly help you.

Are potential mentors usually picky? Is it difficult to be accepted? Sometimes mentors are not sure if they have the skills you need and therefore may not accept your request for match because they don’t want to disappoint you. It is important early on to carefully read through the mentor’s application form and pick out the key words that they said about themselves and refer back to them in your request for match. For example, “I noticed in your application form that you bring team leadership experience. I am a new team leader and I would like to learn from your past experience.”

How do external and internal mentors compare for effective output? Depending on your career goals, it can be very helpful to have two different types of mentors. An internal mentor can help you navigate the inner workings of the organization and/or advance your career based on their corporate knowledge and history. On the other hand, an external mentor can offer you a broader view of the industry as a whole and point you towards the experts in your field and who to study. An external mentor can also simply offer you a different perspective and a fresh view because they don’t work for the same company.

Is it better to seek out a mentor of similar age, or should the mentee look for more diversity? As general guidance, mentees should look beyond age for a mentor who has not only the skills and experience, but also the willingness to help them fulfill their developmental goals. It is more important that the mentor is able to challenge and push you beyond your comfort zone. While age could be an indicator of years of experience, you will want to review what exactly the mentor can offer you and see how closely it aligns with your developmental goals.

Provided by The Training Connection, Inc. 6 What do you look for in an ideal mentor or mentee? We asked this question during the Dynamic Mentoring Connections webinar, and here were some of the participant’s responses:  Honest to him/herself  Focused  Eager and willingness to learn  Curiosity  Adaptability  Open-mindness  Good listener  Pro-activity  Willingness to change  Someone who has 'been' there  Positive attitude  Someone who has the knowledge  Inquisitive and the experience  Pays attention

What about the mentor's goals? What would a mentor wish to get out of the relationship? A mentor may join the IEEE Mentoring Program for many reasons; whether they would like to help a young engineer develop their technical skills or pass on knowledge and experience to someone following in their footsteps. As a mentor, you will want to identify the competencies, skills and passions you bring to the table and understand how that can help a fellow IEEE member accomplish their mentoring goals. Some benefits to being a mentor in the IEEE Mentoring Program are the satisfaction of giving back to the group, exposure to different perceptions and experiences in the field of engineering, and the opportunity for the mentor to work on their own mentoring and coaching skills.

I think mentoring is about gauging the potential of the mentee and guiding him/her to achieve what s/he is capable of instead of asking questions about his/her desires, any views on this? With regards to this question, at the beginning of the mentoring partnership it is important for the mentor to clearly understand what they (the partnership) is trying to accomplish together. So, in essence, the mentor will need to spend some time exploring what the mentee desires in terms of his/her short or long term goals. This conversation will then lead into guiding the mentee towards what actions they should take to achieve what he/she is capable of.

I have career needs based on being a Disabled Engineer. What is the best way to find a mentor who has experience in this area? You may want to post a “want ad” on The Mentoring Connection’s Discussion Forum letting the participants in the IEEE Mentoring Program know that you are looking for a mentor who might have some wisdom to share based on your special needs. In the spirit of networking, you may find either a mentor who will respond to this request

Provided by The Training Connection, Inc. 7 personally and/or guidance from fellow participants who might have a person in their network they could refer you to. Be sure to take advantage of the Private Discussion Forum. For example, if someone responds to your request, you could always send them a private message and continue the conversation off-line.

During the session, there were a few questions about finding a mentor with different backgrounds (see questions in italics below). The answer to those questions follows. When do I get matched to a mentor? Where can I go to find information on available mentors? I am a masters student and I am searching for a mentor who can exactly guide me in my career and also technically. I am from an electrical engineering background. I did my MSc in communication eng and am willing to go ahead in my field to be more specialized. I am searching for a mentor that can let me to achieve my goals. I am seriously in need of a mentor for career growth and who can help me technically. What do you prefer for me if there are many mentors matching me? Can you provide the search facilities, I was trying to search by specialization of the mentor but it was difficult for me.

As a mentee in the IEEE Mentoring Program, it is your responsibility to search through the available mentors and find someone who can support your mentoring goals. TMC has a pool of available mentors where you can review their bio or request them as a match. To access this pool of available mentors: 1. Sign in to www.mentoringconnection.com 2. Click on Mentoring Tools. 3. Click on “View Bios” of prospective mentors. 4. Select the Competencies/Skills, Location, and/or Career Path you want to use to define your search. 5. Click “Search” to generate the list of Mentors that meet your criteria. 6. From here you can send an email by clicking their name, View Bio, or Request Match.

Can you know how many mentees your perspective mentor already has? No. However, when you first initiate contact with the mentor, you may want to request that information if it is really important to you.

Provided by The Training Connection, Inc. 8 What were your accomplishments in your previous mentoring experiences? We asked this question during the Dynamic Mentoring Connections webinar, and here were some of the participant’s responses:  Exchange information about job  Technical fields matching environment  Locations  Updating my CV  Languages  The importance of networking

What should I do if the person I selected to be my mentor never responds? Unfortunately, you may send a mentoring request to someone that either by choice or circumstance never responds to your request. If you do not hear back from a request after two days, you may want to send a reminder. If you don’t hear anything after one or two reminders, feel free to withdraw the request. To withdraw a request: 1. Login to www.mentoringconnection.com. 2. Click on Mentoring Tools. 3. Click on View Matching Requests. 4. Under Open Requests, you can choose to “Remind” or “Withdraw” a matching request. 5. The mentor will receive an email notifying them that the request was withdrawn. Also, there is nothing wrong with talking to a few mentors about a possible mentoring match. Not all mentors are the same, so you may be able to establish a partnership with one about developing a specific technical skill, while another mentor could help you build a relationship with your supervisor. It’s okay to keep your options open.

Provided by The Training Connection, Inc. 9 Mentoring Meetings

How do I get help to progress in mentoring? There are many resources available to help you progress in your mentoring experience. The Library on TMC has the PowerPoint presentation from the Dynamic Mentoring Connections webinar, a MAP Learning Activities Workbook, Mentoring Guide, just to name a few. Another resource is the Best Practices which can be found on the home drop-down menu. It give the participants ideas on how to get their mentoring partnership started, but also provides a benchmark to where you and your mentoring partner should be after your first meeting, 6 months down the road, 12 months down the road.

If you are meeting by phone or virtually, what should be the target length of each meeting? The length of each meeting will depend on a few things; What are the topics to be discussed? How many times have you met before? Have you determined an appropriate meeting time? In the beginning of your mentoring partnership you and your mentoring partner may need to have longer meetings to get the partnership moving. But as you progress, the phone or virtual meetings may only serve as a “check-in” to let each other know how you are doing. As a general recommendation, you may not want to have your meetings last more than one hour which will give each of you a designated start and end time. To help keep the meeting on track, you may want to come up with an agenda of talking points for the meeting. This will also allow you to recap what was discussed at the previous meeting to review what has been accomplished since then.

I have mentored many times outside of the IEEE programs; however, I find that it is hard to get some mentees to respond to key questions. As a mentor, it is important to ask your mentee key questions (see below) to get your mentee talking about their overall mentoring goal:  Where are you going?  How are you going to get there?  Where are you now?  How can I help? As a mentee, it may be hard to verbalize your goals, but it is important for you to openly discuss your thoughts with your mentor as they may be able to help you focus your plans and goals. One way to encourage your mentee to respond may be to assign a series of key questions as a pre-work assignment prior to your meeting. This allows them an opportunity to think through their answers ahead of time and be better prepared to engage in a rich and beneficial discussion with you.

Provided by The Training Connection, Inc. 10 I have had a dormant mentoring partner for last five years. How do I re- activate the same partnership? If you are looking to re-activate an old mentoring partnership, the first thing you may want to do is initiate contact and see if the mentee or mentor is still interested in being matched. If so, go back and review your Mentoring Agreement or Mentoring Action Plan and see what you can add/update to get your partnership back on track. Again, the Best Practices is another great resource to help get the partnership back on track.

What is the ideal duration of mentor/mentee relationship? The duration of the mentor/mentee relationship depends entirely upon what the partners would like to accomplish. The partnership could have as little as one meeting, or it could be as long as one year. The Mentoring Agreement, available on TMC, is a great tool to help establish the structure of the partnership by encouraging the mentee and mentor to discuss up front the goals of the partnership, the roles each person will play, and logistics.

I found a few mentors, but our relationship is not so strong. What should I do? Sometimes partners can jump into getting the partnership started, and forget about taking time to get to know one another. If you feel like you and your mentoring partner haven’t quite made a “connection” yet, at your next meeting/phone call, take the first part of the meeting to “get acquainted.” Here are some things to help you get started: 1. Find the commonalities. Number of years in the industry, have you both worked for the same organization, similar career paths, common skills, etc. 2. Look for uniqueness. Share what specialized knowledge you bring to the partnership, do you speak a foreign language, bring past military experience, etc. 3. Explore hobbies. Do you have a hobby? What do you do when you are not working? 4. How similar/different are your personalities and/or behavioral styles? What are the benefits of being matched with someone who is a different behavioral style? A similar style? You do not have to be friends with your mentor or mentee; this is first a professional relationship. As long as your partner hasn’t broken trust or confidentiality, but they are helping you accomplish your mentoring goals, give the partnership a try.

Provided by The Training Connection, Inc. 11