Current Members ONLY

Interested in becoming a Mentor for The Business Forum’s Mentorship Program? Please fill out this short survey to be considered! The information you share will be included in our Mentorship Program Directory, helping potential Mentees find the right match. We appreciate your time and willingness to support and inspire others. 

To fill out the submission form click here

To download Mentorship Program Information click here.

Program Overview

The Professional Mentorship Program aims to:

• Facilitate the transfer of knowledge and skills.
• Provide guidance and support for career development.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Support other female professionals in our community.

Expectations for Mentors

As a mentor, you are expected to:

1. Commitment:
   • Dedicate a minimum of 1 hour per month to mentoring activities.
   • Maintain regular communication with your mentee.
2. Guidance:
   • Provide constructive feedback and share your expertise.
   • Help mentees set realistic and achievable goals.
   • Encourage and motivate mentees to reach their full potential.
3. Professionalism:
   • Uphold confidentiality and respect the mentee’s privacy.
   • Act as a role model and demonstrate professional behavior.
   • The mentorship program is not meant to provide pro bono services or be a substitute for paying for professional services. Be mindful of this when navigating questions from the mentee.
   • Clearly separate opinion from fact.
   • Know what you don’t know.  Say I don’t know when you don’t know.  “I don’t know” is preferable to bravado.
4. Support:
   • Assist mentees in identifying opportunities for growth.
   • Offer insights into industry trends and professional development.
   • Be optimistic.
   • Provide specific actionable advice, don’t be vague.
   • Be challenging/robust but never destructive.
   • Be authentic/practice what you preach.
   • Be direct/Tell the truth, however hard.
   • Listen.
   • Understand that the best mentor relationships eventually become two-way.
   • Be responsive.

Expectations for Mentees

As a mentee, you are expected to:

1. Commitment:
   • Come prepared to the mentor meetings with an agenda of items you would like your mentor to assist you in. See the topics page for further assistance.
   • Dedicate a minimum of 1 hour per month to mentoring activities which includes meeting with your mentor and preparing the agenda.
   • Maintain regular communication with your mentor.
2. Engagement:
   • Actively participate in meetings and discussions.
   • Be open to feedback and willing to learn.
3. Professionalism:
   • Respect the mentor’s time and experience.
   • Maintain confidentiality and professionalism in all interactions.
4. Goal Setting:
   • Set clear and achievable goals with your mentor’s assistance.
   • Take initiative in your learning and development journey.

Meeting Guidelines

1. Frequency:
   • Mentors and mentees should meet at least once a month for six months. The meetings should be at least one hour but may exceed this as the need arises.
   • The first meeting should be in person, if possible. Meetings 2-6 are encouraged to be in person if possible, but can be virtual if this is agreeable between the mentor and mentee.
2. Preparation:
   • The mentee should prepare an agenda for each meeting to ensure productive discussions.
   • Review progress on goals and identify any challenges.
3. Communication:
   • Choose a preferred method of communication (e.g., email, phone, video calls) and establish a routine.

Important Dates

• 6 Month Program Kickoff Dates: May 1st and November 1st
• Mid-Program Check-In: February 15th and August 15th