Mentoring FAQ

Who can be a mentor?

Anyone currently working in the marketing, media and advertising profession in Australia or New Zealand. On submitting your details to indicate your interest, you will be invited to join the mentoring program based on your expertise and experience and your category specialty. This right is reserved to ensure we maintain the optimum balance within the program.

Who can be a mentee?

Likewise, anyone currently working in the marketing, media and advertising profession in Australia or New Zealand. The program is not open to full time students in marketing degrees but is open to those studying part time and working in a marketing role. Again, on submitting your details to indicate your interest, you will be invited to join the mentoring program based on your expertise and experience and your category specialty. This right is reserved to ensure we maintain the optimum balance within the program.

What is the commitment for a mentor and mentee?

The platform allows a mentor to choose the number of mentees they take on at any time. You should allow no more than one hour per week for each mentee. Likewise, for mentees, once you have selected a mentor, you should allow no more than one hour per week. However, in the pilot phase you may want or need to participate in additional online meetings to maximise your experience of the program.

How long is the commitment for?

That is completely up to you as both a mentor and a mentee. These relationships can be for just one week or many months or years. You can pause your participation at any time if you are busy and re-activate your participation when you are ready. The pilot program will run for three months and then the program will be expanded based on the results of the pilot program. You can also leave the program at any time.

Can I be a mentor and a mentee?

Yes. It is up to you how you engage in the program.

Is there any cost involved in participating?

There is no cost, other than your time, to participate in the pilot program.

As a mentee what is my role?

A successful mentee exhibits the qualities of truthfulness, dedication, respect and flexibility.

A good mentee is one who:

• Takes time to clarify his/her goals to achieve success in a focused and decisive manner
• Generates ideas, plans activities and agrees on a SMART plan
• Thinks carefully about possibilities and shared learnings, and comes well prepared to take advantage of a meeting
• Develops a relationship of trust and sets short- and long-term goals and action plans.

As a mentor what is my role?

An inspirational mentor is one who:

• Create rapports: Have the capacity to understand or feel what your mentee is experiencing
• Communicates: Ask clarifying questions, actively listen and volunteer feedback
• Builds trust: Enlist trust quickly so that both parties can share deeply, and challenges can be discussed candidly, in a safe environment
• Listens actively: Listen to ignite and suggest ideas to help your mentee. Validate your mentee’s future success by giving them the confidence to achieve your goals

What are the benefits for a mentee in this program?

A mentee can:

• Inspire professional and personal development through one-to-one shared learning
• Learn what you need from someone you trust. Gain insights and perspectives new challenges and opportunities
• Improve skills such as decision making, effective communication and industry expertise for career growth
• Create new networks and partnerships, and learn from the journeys and wisdoms of others
• Inspire other mentees through the skill and successes obtained from your relationship

What are the benefits for a mentor in this program?

A mentor can:

• Share your professional experiences to inspire growth in people you care about
• Develop and share your insights, while remaining open to new learnings from your mentee
• Challenge yourself by investing in your mentee’s professional success
• Build new and meaningful network and relationships
• Give back, inspire and be inspired

Should my mentor be in the same category, specialisation or discipline as me?

Before reaching out to a mentor, it is important to identify your goals and objectives. If you are seeking professional mentoring specific to your role or industry, then perhaps reaching out to someone in the same department would be effective. Alternatively, reaching out to a mentor from a different team can offer an external lens with different perspectives, knowledge and experience.

How do I set compelling goals?

To set compelling goals, it is important to ensure they are:

1. Desirable: What is the mentee passionate about? Personal development goals need to focus on the individual’s top priorities.
2. Feasible: Goals must be realistic and attainable, yet not too simplistic. Three goals should be set at one time.
3. Measurable: How will the goal be reached and what will success look like? What will the mentee do, feel or know as a result of attaining the goal?
4. Written: Writing down a goal and sharing it with someone increases the likelihood of it being reached.
5. Diverse: Goals should be a mixture of professional, personal, financial, community and health.

What does a successful mentor/mentee relationship look like?

A successful mentor/mentee relationship in built on T.R.U.S.T.

• Transparency as the mentor, building meaningful relationships through sharing your story. One modern definition of transparency is: “transparency is the currency of trust.”
• Respect – showing respect, listening to understand, putting personal views and values to one side, respecting differences for shared learning through new ideas. “Respect for ourselves guides our morals. Respect for others guides our manners.”
• Understanding – when one can walk in the boots of the other and show complete empathy, listening to ignite not listening to interrupt… then trust will follow. Create a “fail forward” culture. Ask for examples of failing and trying again. What were the lessons?
• Say what you mean – “Find your voice, speak your truth, listen deeply. More meaningful and mindful conversations will follow”
• Thrive Spending time together, enjoying great conversations, having a sense of connection, are the characteristics of a thriving relationship

How will I know if the mentoring partnership is going in the right direction?

The most successful mentoring partnerships are ones where the goals and desired outcomes and really clear between mentor and mentee. Use a goal sheet during each session to identify what you want to achieve and your timeframe. Spend 5 minutes at the beginning of each session doing an update on what has happened since your last meeting: What have you practiced that went well? Have your goals shifted? Ultimately, success is feeling like you are in an environment of trust, learning and growth.

Below are some questions to help you track whether your mentorship is working:

• Are the meeting schedules sufficient and long enough?
• Have you established a connection with each other?
• Are you making progress? Are objectives being met?
• What do you need to change to make your time together more efficient?
• Are you both adhering to the commitments you made to each other?
• Is the purpose clear? Are your current goals clear?

Is there a fixed duration of the program that involves certain objectives or goals?

The duration of your mentorship really depends on what goals and outcomes you would like to achieve. The duration options available are 1, 3, 6 or 9 months. Starting with the one month option, or ‘hour of power’ is a great way to review your goals, discuss your challenges or questions, and decide whether to extend the mentorship from there. We recommend meeting once a month for 6 months as the optimum duration for a mentorship.

How are mentors/mentees matched?

The matching algorithm is based on three components: mentoring focus areas, a values questionnaire and a profile keyword search. It is important to be specific when filling out your mentor or mentee profile as this will aid the algorithm results.

The platform allows you the opportunity to self-select a mentor based on suggested matches. There is also a tool to view all mentors or mentees on the platform and reach out to another member directly.

Can I change my mentor/mentee if I am unhappy?

Yes, you can end the partnership at any time if needed. If you are unsure about who to connect with, we recommend starting out by requesting a 1 month duration – hour of power – so you have the opportunity to have one meeting with your mentor/mentee before deciding whether to progress.

Can I have more than one mentor?

Yes, as long as the mentor’s status on the platform is available, you will be able to complete a request for mentoring.

What is the privacy between mentor and mentee?

All interactions between a mentor and mentee are confidential, unless agreed otherwise between both parties.

What is the best structure to follow for mentoring?

1. MONTH 1 OBJECTIVES:
2. Get acquainted with each other;
3. Decide on preferred communication;
4. Agree on SMART goals;
5. Agree on Code of Behavior.
6. MONTHLY MEETINGS
7. Include a centering exercise;
8. Confidentiality reminder;
9. 5 minutes update to identify challenges;
10. Exploration of key issues;
11. Reflection of exercise;
12. Agree on next steps.
13. WRAP UP
14. Reflect on your goals and objectives.

What are some best practices to maintaining momentum during a mentoring program?

• Meet on a regular basis in-person, use email or phone to communicate in between.
• Notice and take time to give them genuine compliments on skills, knowledge and attitudes.
• MENTEE: monitor development, meet with mentors to network, ask specific questions.
• MENTOR: Help mentee assess their goal progress, introduce mentee to your network, evaluate the effectiveness of the relationship.

How do I prepare to end the mentor partnership?

1. Avoid letting your partnership fade away from lack of attention. Prepare for it!
2. Complete the Mentor Program Evaluation Survey. Discuss your successes with your mentor.
3. Consider giving your mentor an appreciation gift or letter. Let him/her know she/he as impacted your life.
4. Pay attention your reactions. You’ll probably have mixed feelings about this relationship.
5. Like other effective mentors, you’ll find the satisfaction you experience will be worth our hard efforts.

Please let us know here if you have not had your question answered.