Final Assignment 1

How to Choose a Mentor and Mentee Manuel Rivera BAM441 10/6/2012

Final Assignment 2 Assignment #2 A mentor is a wise and trusted counselor, teacher, colleague, or friend who gives influential support to you. To choose a proper mentor, you must understand why it is you are seeking a mentor in the first place. You many ask, How do people find mentors anyway? Is it as simple as just asking? Well, pretty much. You choose someone you think would be a good mentor and then ask, "Would you consider a mentoring relationship with me?" According to Karen Burns, 2010, here are some helpful hints to choosing a mentor: 1. Be clear on why you want a mentor. Are you looking for someone to offer specific advice? Do you want a conduit to your industrys movers and shakers? Or do you just need a sounding board? 2. Define your personality and communication style. What kind of mentor would best complement you? You may choose someone whos your opposite (an extrovert to your introvert, for example), or someone in whom you see yourself (and vice versa). 3. When asking someone to be your mentor, explain why youre asking and what youd expect out of the relationship. Name your reasons for approaching this particular person. Dont be afraid to be flattering (e.g. Im asking you because you are the most successful person I know). 4. A mentor is a powerful role model. Look for someone who has the kind of life and work youd like to have. Also, choose a mentor you truly respect. Dont just go for the biggest name you can find.

Final Assignment 3 Some thing to consider before asking someone to be your mentor is first simply asking for input on a single specific topic. Then ask yourself, How did that go? Was it good advice? Was it delivered in a way that made sense to you, and filled you with confidence and energy? If the answers the person gave you are sound and are aligned with your own values and ethics, you may have found yourself a mentor. Rigorous self-assessment should precede your search for a mentor. You should understand your values, passions and motivation before asking someone to invest in you. You need to consider your strengths, weaknesses and management style to know what types of mentors will be useful. Are you looking for someone with functional or industry expertise to help with an immediate business issue? Or would you benefit from an outsiders perspective? Short- or long-term relationships? Group mentoring or one-on-one interaction? Answering these questions will help narrow your search. (Ryckman, 2010) To get the most out of a good mentor, you must be a good mentee. You should look for ways you can reciprocate the help your mentor offers. At the very least, you can occasionally spring for lunch or, say, send a fruit basket. You dont want to be all taketake-take. Show gratitude. Never let your mentor feel taken for granted! Also, supply feedback. If your mentor suggested something that really worked out for you, report back. People love hearing about their part in a success story. When looking for a mentor, think beyond former bosses and professors. Look to older family members or friends, neighbors, spiritual leaders, community leaders, the networks of your friends

Final Assignment 4 and colleagues, or officials of professional or trade associations you belong to. Avoid asking your direct supervisor at work. You want to be free to discuss workplace issues as well as your plans for future advancement (Ficke, Krueger, Steiner, 2010). Keep in mind that mentoring can take many forms. It can be lunch once a week/month, a weekly phone call if you and your mentor are very busy or do not live within the same city/state, or it could be a steady email correspondence. There are some cautions you must be aware of when building a relationship with your mentor. There are many mentors who enjoy molding someone in their own image. This may be great for you if you want to be molded. But beware of mentors who are too controlling, judgmental, do not listen to you, or give validation to your point of views. Remember, this is your path, not theirs; continue to think for yourself. Finally, remember that people do not mentor just to be nice. Mentoring can take considerable time and effort. Though they may enjoy the intrinsic rewards of mentoring and be willing to help you out, they will be more inclined to continue the relationship if they are also gaining something from it (Price, 2012). Ask them what you can do to help them out. What is really important is showing initiative to give back to the mentor rather than simply looking to take from the relationship. Moving up in an organization is increasingly challenging in todays companies. Having the right mentors can ease your transition.

Final Assignment 5 References Burns, K. (2010, Jan 13). 13 tips on finding a mentor. US News, Retrieved from http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/01/13/13tips-on-finding-a-mentor Ficke, J. R., Krueger, C. A., & Stinner, D. J. (2012). Mentoring in resident education: how to make it work. AAOS Now, 9. Retrieved from http://envoy.lcc.edu:2259/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA298615151&v=2.1&u=lom_lansi ngcc&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w Price, B. (2012). Key principles in assessing students' practice-based learning. Nursing Standard, 26(49), 49+. Retrieved from http://envoy.lcc.edu:2259/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA301282286&v=2.1&u=lom_lansi ngcc&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w Ryckman, P. (2010, Sept 1). How to choose and work with a mentor. The New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/business/smallbusiness/02sbiz.html?_r=0

Final Assignment 6 Assignment #1 This class has been a great experience for me. As this is my first Siena Heights University class, I couldnt have started off better. The class culture created from day one by Tod is one of comfort, security, and respect for everyones backgrounds and point of views. Purposeful, Ethical, and Competent This course has helped me rediscover what it is like to brainstorm with professionals who are not as cynical as ones that I have dealt with in the past several years. The burst of energy and excitement that I have felt discussing communication issues with the other students has made me realign my goals and standards of what I would like to accomplish. I have had an overwhelming need to be purposeful in my professional life and education in the past; however, that need has diminished significantly in the last year before this course. This course, the students, and Tod have made such an impact on my need to purposeful that I will forever be grateful. To be an ethical person is to truly understand and accept that your values and beliefs make up a significant part of yourself. Communicating ethically in this course has brought many great discussions and debates to the surface. I have become better aware that people with opposing points of views can share similar ethical beliefs. The class session interactions have fostered an almost shared ethical stance on communication; wonderful results of respect.