Overview of the Mentorship program of the Toronto Product Management Association.

1. TMPA Mentorship
Orientation
Dec 4th, 2012
Charles Dimov
@cdimov

2. Agenda
6:30pm Registration / Network
7:00pm Orientation
7:25pm Mentor Panel
7:45pm F2F Objectives
8:00pm F2F Breakout
8:20pm Q&A & Final Words
8:35pm Adjourn

3. Timeline
Gauge Interest F2F Orientation Active Mentoring Wrap-up
Jun Oct Dec June
Recruit & Match
November: Based on survey responses, mentors & mentees - matched
Program: Active Mentoring to run December to June 2013

4. What is Mentorship?
 Mentorship is the process of harnessing experience
and knowledge and sharing it with others.
 It is about people learning from each other and
applying the learning.
 Opportunity to share their professional knowledge,
expertise and career perspective with others

5. Guidelines
 NOT A JOB SEARCH FORUM
 We are all mature adults  It’s up to you
 Program establishes structure
 Program makes the connections
 You need to drive it, stick with it, and make it work!
 Mentor & Mentee MUST give time and energy to
the mentoring partnership to make it work
 Must: be open to new ideas, and trust each other

6. Objective
 Connect individuals in the profession and provide the
opportunity to learn from each other’s experience
 Provide experienced Sounding Board
-technical experience
-marketing experience
-career guidance
 Opportunity to share
-leadership talent
-strengthen your network
-2 way street

7. Mentoring Process

8. Commitment
 6 months (Dec - May)
 F2F Orientation & Meet Mentee
 Regular mentor/mentee meetings
 Min: 1 hour / month
 Default: 1st Wed of each Month – 1 hr (7:00-8:00pm)
 Mentor Support & Best Practice Group – 30 mins
 Mentees: Mid Point Check – follow up call
 Feedback Survey: June
 Follow-through on commitments

9. Step 1: Build Relationship
Establish trust
 Get to know each other
 Establish mutual trust and respect confidentially
Explore mentor / mentee history
 Share both good AND bad experiences
 Allow for open and honest communication
 Understand how the mentee prefers to learn;
appreciate differences in learning styles and pace

10. Step 2: Goals
Set Mentor Goals
What does the Mentor want to accomplish?
ie: Groom a mentee / Develop leadership / Guide skills-career
Set Mentee Goals
a) Mentee wants to attain …
b) Objective milestones …
c) Guidance/Right Q’s - based on Mentor’s experience

11. Step 3: Coach & FollowUp
 Mentors: Keep it Positive!
 Help mentee outline Goals & Plan of Action (POA)
 Review Actions taken & Progress
 Provide clear feedback on their progress
 Key: Open / Honest communication
 Celebrate accomplishments!

12. Mentoring Panel

13. Mentoring Panel
 Mentors: Lee Garrison
Charles Dimov
 Mentees: Samantha Sharkov
Elizabeth Hosein

14. Topics for 1:1’s
 Your career journey and how you managed it
 Building Working Relationships / an organization
 Working across regions and geographies
 Increasing Visibility within an Organization
 Building networks
 Functional Expertise
 Qualities of a Star Performer
 Leadership
 Influencing Others
 Diversity Issues

15. Not Expected!
 NO: Provide personal intro’s
 NO: Spend more time than agreed
 NO: Take lead in the relationship
 setting up all meetings / drive career development
 NO: Continue beyond June 2012

16. Confidentiality
 TPMA Execs will not reveal any of your personal
information to other members participating in the pilot
program or any of the TPMA exec team
 Your personal information will never be posted on our
TPMA website
 Your email address will be provided to only your
Mentor/Mentee group
 CRUCIAL: maintain confidentiality and absolutely avoid
disclosure of any personal information outside the 1:1

17. Extra Reading…
 The Mentor Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships
 Managers as Mentors: Building Partnerships for Learning
 Secrets of a CEO Coach (coaching techniques you can use both for yourself and
for others)
 The Heart of Mentoring: 10 Proven Principles for Developing People to their
Fullest Potential
 The Elements of Mentoring
 The Manager’s Pocket Guide to Effective Mentoring
 Coaching and Mentoring for Dummies
 The Protégé ’s Guide: How to Have a Successful Relationship with a Mentor
 The Protégé ’s Guide to Mentoring

18. Recommendation…
 Solid Overview for Mentors
 Many many examples and
stories
 Ethical guidance

19. First Contact…
 Call out Numbers
 Mentor & Mentee please stand
 Get together F2F
 15min F2F exercise
 Back in room for Wrap-Up

20. 15min F2F Exercise
 Introduce each other
 Background, work, experience, hobbies, family/children…
 Exchanged contact info (email / phone #)
 Set time / date / place / length for next 1:1
 phone / skype / in-person [Starbucks, Tim Hortons…]
 First Wed. of month – from 7:00-8:00pm (1hr)
 Mentee to call Mentor on home telephone number
 Discuss Goals:
 How do you hope to give back as a Mentor?
 As a Mentee what learnings will help you most?

21. WELCOME BACK

23. Contacts / Resources
 Contact: mentorship@tpma.ca
 Charles Dimov
 Office: 416-207-7806
 Email: cdimov@hotmail.com
 Mentorship Blog & Forum
 http://www.tpma.ca/mentorshipblog
 For the Mentorship Program - these pages and resources are only
visible and accessible to members of the Mentorship Program
Participants Group

24. Volunteers & Executives

25. Final Words…
 Thanks to all of you who chose to partake.
 Deepest thanks to all the Mentors
 Keep your commitments to each other
Stick with it!
Make it happen!
Learn Something!
Have Fun!