To Our NABFEME Mentor:
By agreeing to be a NABFEME mentor, you
are making a positive step towards making a difference in
someone's life. We are excited about your interest and willingness
to commit to the support of the development of young professionals
who are pursuing music and entertainment industry careers.
It is people like you, who will change the industry's landscape
and raise the standard for careers in entertainment.
NABFEME Mentoring … or "Virtual Wo-Mentoring"
NABFEME defines a Mentor as someone who has found ways to
succeed in life and cares enough to pass those lessons along.
NABFEME takes this concept a step further by introducing what
we call, "Virtual Wo-Mentoring." Realizing we cannot
rely on men to pick female protégés and can't
depend on being able to socialize in the old style - i.e.
boy's club, on the basketball court, or over a cigar - we
had to change the rules. We discovered a new world of mentoring
- a world where the old rules, written and practiced by men
mentoring men, have been restructured by women mentoring women…
a world we call "Wo-Mentoring." Women's mentoring
is more about commitment than chemistry. It's more about personal
growth and development, rather than promotions and perks.
It's more about learning than power. It's not about who you
know… but who knows you and what you can do!
NABFEME combines this new style of mentoring
with the technology of the Internet to create "Virtual
Wo-Mentoring." With our email based Mentor Partnership
Program, NABFEME helps to develop an interactive relationship
between the Mentor and Mentee through the use of the Internet.
Experienced entertainment professionals offer their talent
and advice to those they council, based on matching data compiled
from the Mentor and Mentee's professional profile. Once a
workable profile is identified, a mentoring partnership is
formed and our "Virtual Wo-Mentoring" process begins.
Initiated and carried out through email correspondence, the
email mentoring partnership can last from several months to
several years, based on the mutual parties needs and aspirations.
What Does a NABFEME Mentor Do?
It is difficult to define exactly what a Mentor does. Every
situation is unique because every person's needs and expectations
vary. However, our Mentors are expected to:
· Set high expectations
· Lead and teach by example
· Provide challenging concepts
· Provide growth experience
· Build self-confidence
· Speak words of wisdom
· Promote professional behavior
· Explain how things are structured
· Deal with negative attitudes & behaviors
· Offer support during difficult situations
· Listen to problems
· Assist with career development
NABFEME Presents The Etiquette of Mentoring
Since all Mentors and Mentees come to relationships with different
styles and expectations, one of the first things a Mentor
and Mentee should discuss with each other are the rules they
would like to use in their relationship. The basic rule is
to make the other person feel at ease and comfortable with
the relationship. This means showing kindness, flexibility,
and appreciation, and using social manners. We have outlined
several do's and don'ts that we believe will be helpful in
developing a successful mentoring partnership.
Suggestions for Mentors
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Respect your mentee's
time as much as your own.
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Assume that your schedule
always has top priority.
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Be explicit about your
limits (time constraints and style of interacting)
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Make your mentee have
to guess.
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Always ask if you can
make a suggestion or offer criticism.
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Automatically give advice
or criticism.
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Recognize and work through
conflicts in caring ways.
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Avoid discussion of touchy
subjects or force your solutions in conflicts.
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Keep confidences between
mentor and mentee.
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Share mentee personal
information given in confidence to others outside the
relationship.
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Make only positive or
neutral comments about your mentee to others. If you
disagree with your mentee's behavior or values, share
your perceptions with him or her. If the situation does
not change, take steps to end the relationship.
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Talk negatively about
your mentee behind his or her back.
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Final Suggestions
Being involved in a mentoring relationship is a privilege
for both members of the pair, so you should go out of your
way to be gracious and thoughtful of each other. When you
are unclear about what to do and how to act, ASK. The gesture
of asking conveys respect for what the two of you are working
to accomplish.
Is Mentoring Really For You?
Before you decide to mentor someone, make sure that you are
ready for the commitment. Your mentoring skills will have
a profound impact on another person's life, and the process
will change yours. Ask yourself these questions:
Think about it and if you can't make the
commitment, maybe you shouldn't be a mentor. It's that simple.
NABFEME has set the mentor/mentee partnership
time frame at 35 hours total, during a period of three (3)
months. You can begin as soon as the NABFEME Mentor Partnership
Program Administrator initiates the pairing and makes the
assignment. We ask that your sessions be at least 10 to 15
minutes long. As the relationship progresses, session time
should increase to about 30 minutes long or higher. If for
some reason the pairing becomes problematic, please consult
us immediately.
Again, we thank you for serving in this
extremely valuable position. Please contact us if you need
more information or if you would express your ideas. Our direct
line is (201) 724-9836 or you may call us toll free at (877)
622-3362. We are also available at
and .
As a NABFEME Mentor, you will arrange one-on-one
meetings, telephone or virtual coaching sessions with your
Mentee. These sessions are essential for setting goals, correcting
problems and enabling the continuous growth and development
of your Mentee. We are confident you will find, serving as
a NABFEME Mentor a rewarding experience.
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