Let’s say that you have met with a potential mentor and there is a good connection between the two of you. You can keep this relationship informal, where you reach out to the mentor on an as needed basis or you may want to consider establishing a formal mentoring relationship where you meet with them on an ongoing basis. Every relationship is unique and to ensure a successful relationship, you should create a mentoring agreement. This provides you with a good opportunity to discuss and jot down expectations for the relationship so that you are both on the same page. You will want to discuss your mentoring objective, goals and how the mentor can support you in achieving them. During the conversation, you may come up with new ideas and/or goals that you feel would be helpful to work on as well. This discussion will help to shape the relationship and provide clarity on what you would like to achieve together. Brainstorm some of the activities and/or topics that you can discuss during your meetings in order to reach your mentoring objective. For example, you may want to role play specific scenarios, such as a job interview. You can also lead a meeting or attend a networking event with your mentor and then ask them for their feedback about your performance. A meeting may also consist of a specific issue that you are having at the time, and the mentor can guide you in coming up with a solution. You should also speak about how the relationship can work. The following are a few areas that you should discuss: Meeting formats: How would you like to meet? Would you like to have meetings in-person, over the phone, video conferencing, email or live text chat? It could also be a combination of formats. Frequency of meetings: Would you like to meet every week, biweekly or monthly? Length of relationship: How long are both of you willing to commit to this relationship? Some formal relationships can be as short as one month or as long as one year. You should also discuss a plan if you or the mentor would like to end the relationship earlier than anticipated. Availability: What days and times typically work for each of you to meet? Length of meetings: Will your meetings be 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes or 60 minutes in length? Cancellations: What is the best way to notify each other in case a meeting needs to be postponed? Agendas: Will you submit an agenda prior to the meeting? If you agree on sending the agenda in advance, the mentor may want to provide their input as well. The agenda can include updates, specific discussion topic(s), action items and setting the next meeting date and format. Confidentiality: Discuss how confidential information will be handled. It is far too easy for a formal mentoring relationship to fizzle out and lose momentum over time. You need to make the most of this opportunity by ensuring that you and the mentor are benefiting from the experience. If you have gained all that you need to gain from the mentor, then have this discussion with your mentor. It is much better to end the relationship rather than keeping it going with the mentor wondering what ever happened to you and the mentoring relationship that you had both agreed to. To end a mentoring relationship, you may want to discuss your experiences with them and how they have helped you to grow both personally and professionally. By reflecting on the relationship with your mentor, you will be able to celebrate your achievements and better prepare yourself for your next mentoring relationship, whether you are the mentee or mentor.

Have you started a mentoring program or are you thinking about starting one? This is great news, because mentoring is one of the most effective ways to transfer knowledge, keep your members energized, engaged and to help them develop important skills. Whether your mentoring initiative is informal or has a formal structure, here are a few ideas on how you can build some buzz.

Have a mentoring team

The mentoring team will be responsible for defining the mentoring program’s goals and objectives. They will create a plan outlining the organizational benefits, member benefits, who the mentors and mentees are, the number of projected matches for the year, and how to measure the program’s success.

They will also be responsible for running the program on a day-to-day basis. You should define each team member's roles and responsibilities. After deciding who will be the project lead, you should appoint individuals to be in charge of training and events; marketing and communications; providing customer service and support to the participants. If you decide to create a virtual resource centre with up-to-date reports, articles and videos about mentoring, this can be assigned to a team member as well.

The mentoring team will also want to have regularly scheduled meetings to ensure everything is on track and to start incorporating some of the participant’s feedback into the program.

Promote your marketing initiative

Marketing is one of the key components of any successful mentoring program. The trick here is to develop a comprehensive marketing and communications plan for your program’s launch and then to maintain or build the enthusiasm as the program matures and adapts to your company's needs.

You can create posters, send out a monthly email recognizing your members and sharing success stories, post event photos on your internal/external social media sites, leave a Hershey Kiss with a mentoring tip on everyone’s desk, get media coverage about your initiative, and have your executive ambassadors speak about your mentoring program whenever an opportunity presents itself.

Host training sessions and events

You will want to schedule regular orientation sessions which can be attended by both mentors and mentees and that will provide everyone with an understanding of how the mentoring program works and its objectives.

You may also want to train your participants in the art of mentorship by providing them with the knowledge and tools they need to have meaningful mentoring relationships.

Also, host events that will bring everyone together – you can book inspirational speakers who will address some of the common goals of the mentoring community such as leadership development, do an express mentoring event (think speed dating), host a discussion with some of the participants who can share their experiences and answer questions.

Lots of Recognition and Incentives

Build in a few ways to recognize people for participating in your mentoring program such as recognizing a mentor every week for providing the best piece of advice.

You can also offer points for every mentoring relationship established or the number of hours in a relationship. Points can be redeemed for merchandise, vacation days, gift certificates and professional development.

Another idea is to enter your members in a monthly draw for a mentoring meeting with the CEO over coffee. Nothing will encourage participation more than seeing that everybody in your organization – from the top on down – is invested in the success of the initiative.

Maximizing your potential through mentorship Having arrived In Canada from China just two years ago, Monte Zhu, a father of three, could not find a job as a financial software programmer. Monte eventually came to Seneca and graduated from the College’s Accounting Techniques program. But he realized he needed some help to navigate the job application process and find options that fit his expertise and education. Monte needed a mentor. To read full story, click on the following link:

As a mentor/mentee you have an amazing year ahead with lots in store to help you achieve all your goals. Be on the outlook for those conversations that inspire you because you may be receiving mentorship when you least expect it. After each inspiring conversation, take some time to reflect on what you gained from the conversation and think about if there is any advice that you should integrate - if so, start right away because every month you will be integrating at least one new piece of advice, so there is no time to waste. As you can imagine by implementing all this advice, you will be a much stronger person. You will be more likely to participate in your company’s mentoring program, and at the same time you will join a mentoring program with an organization that you are passionate about such as The Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA). In the near future, you will also be attending an eye-opening conference that will leave you with a clearer direction and best practices that you can bring back to your organization. Basically, anything and everything is possible with a mentor by your side. Happy Mentoring Month!

To get your 2014 off to a great start, MentorCity and Celestica invite you to… Mentoring Conversations an innovative and dynamic speaker series on topics related to MentorCity members’ mentoring objectives and goals. Engage with our speaker...best selling author Barry Siskind who will talk about Networking. Date: Thursday, January 16, 2014 Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. (EST) To participate… 1. RSVP by January 14th by clicking on the following link https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/mentorcitys-mentoring-conversation-with-barry-siskind-on-networking-tickets-9957399851 About Barry Siskind Over the past thirty years Barry Siskind has traveled throughout the world working with thousands of clients in virtually all industry groups both in the private and public sectors helping them improve their results at face to face events. He is the author of seven best-selling books including Powerful Exhibit Marketing and Making Contact – The Art of Business networking, and he has also written over 500 original trade articles and industry reports as well as a Guru series for the Centre for Exhibition Industry Research. Barry’s syndicated column appears in 50 publications worldwide. His energetic, motivational and informative presentation style has earned him a listing in Canada Who's Who. About the Series Hand-picked expert mentors will engage participants from across MentorCity’s local and global communities in high-impact and energetic mentoring conversations. Speakers will share their experiences and stories in response to participants’ mentoring objectives and goals. We are providing these live webinars as a way to help engage our members more fully in their mentoring communities, to highlight the benefits of mentoring, and to evolve a mentoring culture among us all.

Thank you for sharing your time, knowledge and experiences over the past year as part of the MentorCity community. One of the most rewarding and exciting aspects of this business is seeing people get connected to meaningful mentoring relationships. This story is from one of my mentees as she steps into the mentor role... “What I have really enjoyed about my experiences on MentorCity is the rich and dynamic relationships I have built. But perhaps the most surprising aspect of my experience was the opportunity to 'mentor up'. I was apprehensive when I was invited to mentor someone 25 years older than myself! I was worried that our conversation would reflect a power imbalance based on age and experience. I was completely taken aback by the depth of our conversation - the reality was that it truly felt peer to peer. I was able to talk about my experiences, background and best practices for my industry. My mentee was truly engaged with what I was saying and I felt I had established a level of credibility during our conversation. MentorCity has given me an opportunity to explore ideas and build relationships with people I wouldn't otherwise have access to. I'm grateful for the growth and experiences I've had as a result.” ~ Jodi Slomp, Regional Trainer, Delta Hotels and Resorts On behalf of MentorCity, I would like to wish you a very happy holiday season and a successful 2014 filled with many mentoring conversations. Shawn Mintz, President, MentorCity