More Information

 

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

Respect your mentee's time as much as your own.

Assume that your schedule always has top priority.

Be explicit about your limits (time constraints and style of interacting)

Make your mentee have to guess.

Always ask if you can make a suggestion or offer criticism.

Automatically give advice or criticism.

Recognize and work through conflicts in caring ways.

Avoid discussion of touchy subjects or force your solutions in conflicts.

Keep confidences between mentor and mentee.

Share mentee personal information given in confidence to others outside the relationship.

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.

Talk negatively about your mentee behind his or her back.


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 info@NABFEME.org and SheliaJenkins@nabfeme.org.

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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