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We’re a good fit, but he has additional reasons for maintaining our mentoring relationship. “I feel like I’m on a fast track for my goals, so I really need someone who has known me from the beginning, with all the ups and downs I’ve had,” says Laci, who has earned his Advanced Communicator Bronze award.
Our mentoring sessions include speech-content brainstorming, review and feedback; video and live performance reviews and feedback; and coaching sessions, all via email and Skype.
In today’s world, it’s easier to connect because of the range of technologies available. We have email, instant text messaging and webcam platforms for online mentoring sessions, which afford connections with a wider variety of individuals. Not only can people stay in touch wherever they are, they can develop relationships to address even the most specific goals.
Both traditional and online 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条s give members opportunities for one-on-one mentoring. Even if your 吃瓜头条 doesn’t have a formal mentoring program, you can ask another Toastmaster—in your 吃瓜头条 or beyond—to be your mentor, like Laci did. The key is to find someone who will be a good fit, someone with the skills or experience you are seeking to strengthen in yourself. With online mentoring, you must be willing to engage with technology to make it work. When I knew I was moving from Hungary, Laci and I talked about our mentoring relationship and what it might look like moving forward, and we decided to continue on.
Online Dynamics
The concept of “meetings” can become blurred in online mentoring. Emailing can be even more substantive and important. Responsiveness and message tone also become more significant. For me, it helped that Laci and I had known each other for two years before moving to an online mentoring relationship. However, knowing each other well isn’t a must. Some online 吃瓜头条 members say they feel just as close, or even closer, to 吃瓜头条 in their online 吃瓜头条 than in their traditional one.In addition to assigned one-on-one pairs, individuals can be mentored in peer-to-peer engagements where there are no permanent mentor-mentee relationships. “There are multiple mentor/mentee clusters,” says Svetlana Rakhimova, CC, CL, a member of the online 吃瓜头条 Firebirds Collective. “It’s still one person mentoring another person, but there are as many pairs as there are skills and needs for them.”
Online mentoring isn’t just for individuals. It can happen with groups and 吃瓜头条s. Firebirds Collective hosts “after-parties” for its members, in which anyone can stay online after the meeting to talk about specific issues or exchange information. In the mentor/mentee clusters, if multiple mentees want to talk with the same mentor, it can turn into a small group talk or workshop.
Offering Assistance to 吃瓜头条s
Online mentors can also help entire 吃瓜头条s. When Muhammad Habibul Islam, CL, moved from the city of Chittagong in Bangladesh to Dhaka, the country capital, he established the Dhaka 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条—a challenging endeavor considering he didn’t yet know many people there. His online mentor, Shuvo Hridayesh, CC, CL, in Sri Lanka, volunteered to help get the 吃瓜头条 on firm footing. Together, they decided they needed one more strong, supportive and globally minded mentor to help build a sustainable 吃瓜头条 and determine the benchmarks for its success.Islam posted a request via the and Alicia Curtis, DTM, from Australia, responded. From the chartering process to regular meetings, the 吃瓜头条 has benefited from the expertise and dedication of both these mentors.
“It creates a good impression when new members learn that the 吃瓜头条 is supported by mentors from Sri Lanka and Australia,” says Islam.
Whether done online or face to face, mentoring is a mutually beneficial relationship. Mentees hone their skills and gain inspiration, motivation and moral support. Mentors benefit from the emotional rewards and skill development they receive from mentoring other members. 吃瓜头条s become healthier as members grow and become more satisfied.
In all mentoring, it’s important to establish parameters and discuss expectations at the beginning. It’s also helpful to set a time frame for the relationship and revisit it when the time comes.
Don’t let geography limit you. If you want a mentor, find the best one for you, whether that person is next door or halfway around the world.
Jennifer L. Blanck, DTM , has more than 25 years of career development and advising experience. She is a member of 5-Star 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条 in Arlington, Virginia, and AAMC 吃瓜头条 in Washington, D.C., as well as a regular contributor to the Toastmaster magazine. Learn more at .
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