MENTORING: POWER OF 2

Mentoring: Power of 2 is available to all current members of the Minnesota Chapter of MPI. This program matches volunteer mentors from the local chapter with mentees for a three-month commitment. Mentoring is available to members at any stage in their career who are seeking to develop new skills or make progress toward professional goals. The program is intended for career development, and strictly prohibits participants from marketing or soliciting for business reasons.

Mentoring pairs meet or connect approximately two to four times per month to establish the mentee’s goals and a process for achieving them. Volunteer mentors are listed on the MPI MN website, and interested mentees can seek pairings up to three times per year, during the mentor program’s enrollment period (usually September, January, April).

“The program provided a valuable way to connect with another event planner in a friendly atmosphere. I enjoyed exchanging experiences and sharing ideas of ways to accomplish similar tasks. It really is a win-win for both parties.” – Joette Zembal

“Participating in the Power of 2 program gave me a broader perspective on the meetings industry, created a valuable friendship and illustrated the importance of a mentor/mentee relationship.” – Mary Thao

Mentoring: Power of 2 is the recipient of the 2010 RISE (Recognizing Industry Success and Excellence) Award for Community Achievement and Knowledge and Ideas.

MENTOR GUIDELINES

• All individuals interested in becoming a mentor must complete a Volunteer Mentor Application Form.
• It is the mentor’s responsibility to inform the leadership committee when he/she pairs with a mentee. Please contact office@mpimn.org to report a mentor-mentee pairing.
• The mentor and mentee agree how often to meet per month for three months. It is the responsibility of the mentee to initiate contact with a mentor. Each meeting should last approximately one hour and can be an in-person or a telephone meeting. The three-month commitment starts from the first mentor/mentee meeting.
  » Download mentee worksheet
  » Download evaluation form
• Mentors and mentees are expected to keep all commitments to each other while participating in the program.
• If the mentor and mentee meet for a meal or coffee, each person is expected to pay for his/her own meal.
• At the end of three months, the mentor and mentee should submit a short report to the leadership development committee recapping the results. Please submit the recap report to office@mpimn.org.
• A mentor can remove his/her profile from the MPI MN website at any time by contacting office@mpimn.org.

MENTEE GUIDELINES

• Mentees can review mentor profiles on the MPI MN website prior to making their selection.
• Mentees should think about what they wish to accomplish during the program before they contact a mentor (see point 3). This should include what the mentee hopes to learn, his or her goals, idea of meeting frequency, etc.
• A mentee initiates contact by calling the mentor he/she is interested in. If you need any help, please feel free to contact office@mpimn.org for matching. Please download an initial meeting worksheet to help facilitate this first conversation with your potential mentor.
• The mentor and mentee agree how often to meet per month for three months. Each meeting should last approximately one hour and can be an in-person or a telephone meeting. The three-month commitment starts from the first mentor/mentee meeting.
• Mentors and mentees are expected to keep all commitments.
• If the mentor and mentee meet for a meal or coffee, each person is expected to pay for his/her own meal.
• At the end of the three months, the mentor and mentee should submit a short report outlining the results achieved. Please submit the recap report to office@mpimn.org.

RESOURCES

• Mentor/mentee roles and responsibilities
• Mentor/mentee guidelines
• Partnership ground rules worksheet
• Mentoring partnership agreement form
• Session journal worksheet
• Progress evaluation form
• The Mentor Influence (an article by Amanda Fretheim Gates from MN-MEETINGS.COM, Fall 2009)
• The New Style of Mentoring (an article by Kathleen Haase, CMP, May 2010)
• Tips on How to Be a Good Mentor (an article by Kathleen Haase, CMP, November 2009)
• Mentoring Ensures the Success of Your New Leaders (an article by the editors of Briefings Media Group)
• The Value of a Mentor (an article by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.)
• Why Be a Mentee?
• How to Be a Good Mentee

AVAILABLE MENTORS

The following mentors are available to take on a mentee. Click on each name to read that mentor’s application. When you find a mentor that you’d like to work with, give him/her a call to set up an initial mentoring interview. See the mentor’s guidelines to learn more.

Please contact Lisa Anne Venne if you have any questions or to request additional information on the MPI MN Mentoring Power of 2 program.

• Michael Bergman, HelmsBriscoe
• Tera Fox, CHSP, The Saint Paul Hotel
• Dianna Fuller, CMP, CMM, HelmsBriscoe
• Gretchen Harrington, MotivAction, LLC
• Daphne J. Meyers, CMM, Red Barn Group
• Cindy Olson, CMP, MotivAction, LLC
• Julie Ann Schmidt, CMP, Lithium Logistics Group
• Sean R. Schuette, CMP, IntrinXec Management, Inc.
• Tracey B. Smith, CMP, CMM, Garrett Speakers International, Inc.
• Lorie Speltz, CMP, Lifetouch, Inc