Would you be interested in mentorship this year?
If so, I invite you to join Mentor Connect beginning on April 1st.
Mentor Connect is a 3-month commitment. Based on your personal growth and professional development focus, you will meet virtually 1-1, Mentor and mentee. In addition, we will provide 3-monthly 1-hour sessions to help you make the most of your mentorship sessions. Mentor Connect is a 6-hour commitment from April to June. There is no cost other than your time. Mentorship is my passion and a way to say thanks to mentors and pay it forward.
Mentor Connect will focus on two broad categories of life and work.
Personal Growth - faith, family, friendship, fun, and fulfillment.
Professional Development - talent development and career advancement.
We plan to host Mentor Connect twice this year, spring and fall, depending on what works best for your interest and availability.
So, who are you? Mentor or mentee?
You could answer both depending on background, experience, knowledge, etc.
Simply defined, a mentor mindset represents an awareness that you've logged some miles in life, learned some stuff, experienced some setbacks, and are interested in encouraging someone a few years behind you either in life or at work. If that's you, then I invite you to consider being a mentor.
As a mentee, you may describe yourself in a season of transition, setbacks, facing obstacles, navigating a successful promotion, or asking some significant questions about your life or work.
Mentor Connect will help you connect below on the waterline of surface chatter for deeper conversations and mutual encouragement. The program provides a framework for mentor conversation, active listening, seeking understanding, and story-telling, hoping for laughter and enjoyment. It's also designed with a 3-session commitment to focus your time with an end in mind. If you want to continue beyond the program, you're welcome to keep it going.
Mentor Connect will start in April. By design, we're starting slow and small. Any first-time effort requires room for learning, challenges, and iterations. If you're interested in joining Mentor Connect beginning April 1st, I welcome you to take the next step.
So, why Mentor Connect?
2024 Statistical Significance for Mentorship
Mentoring plays a crucial role in personal and professional development, and the statistics underscore its significance:
1. Workforce Development: According to a study by Sun Microsystems, employees who received mentoring were promoted five times more often than those who didn't have mentors.
2. Employee Retention: Research by the American Society for Training and Development found that 75% of executives point to mentoring as a key factor in their career success, while 71% of Fortune 500 companies offer mentoring programs to their employees.
3. Youth Development: The Big Brothers Big Sisters organization reports that children with mentors are 55% more likely to enroll in college, 78% more likely to volunteer regularly, and 130% more likely to hold leadership positions.
4. Entrepreneurship: A survey by MicroMentor revealed that businesses that receive mentoring experience 3.5 times more growth and generate 7x more revenue than those without mentors.
5. Diversity and Inclusion: In a study published in the Harvard Business Review, employees with diverse mentors were promoted five times more often than those without mentors. Additionally, 82% of employees consider having a diverse workforce essential to driving innovation in the workplace.
The Impact of Mentorship on Confidence
Studies show that mentorship plays a significant role in boosting individuals' confidence. According to a recent survey, 85% of mentees reported increased self-confidence after being mentored. This positive effect stems from mentors' guidance, support, and knowledge transfer, empowering mentees to take on challenges with assurance and self-belief.
These statistics affirm the critical need for mentoring across various domains, emphasizing its profound impact on individual and organizational success.
So, Why now? It's my season of mentorship.
As a workplace psychologist doctoral student, I have a mentor to help me complete my dissertation work in 2024.
As a coach, I have a mentor helping me reach my ICF MCC accreditation as a master coach so I can be a mentor coach to train and develop future coaches.
At church, my wife and I hang out with 150-200 young adults, connecting with a few 1-1 weekly.
As an organizational development consultant, I've led a Mentor Connect program for the last two years with 100+ executives, directors, and managers meeting monthly for career planning and leader development.
Turning 50 this year, my platinum highlights show a few years behind the windshield of my life, and I'm committed to investing in and encouraging the next generation for the 2nd-half of my life.
If you want to listen to more of my story and passion for mentorship, you're welcome to listen to the podcast recording at Denver Seminary.
I'm asking more questions today than I can answer. Yet, every day is dynamic; I engage in mentorship conversations as a mentee and mentor. As you consider your season, would you find value in mentorship conversations? If so, join me as we begin in April.
Mentor Connect will provide a model for meaningful conversation and connection. You never know if those connections may result in lifetime relationships.
Again, we are starting slow and invites are limited to my direct network of relationships. I want to build Mentor Connect on a solid foundation for the years to come.
Thanks for your interest!