What is a mentor?

A mentor is a person who has a positive, memorable effect on another person as a result of offering that individual knowledge, insight, wisdom and perspective in a relationship that fosters growth. A mentor provides a caring, sharing and helping relationship while focusing on meeting the protégé’s needs.

What is a protégé?

A protégé is a person who, trusting in the process of interpersonal growth, wishes to develop certain professional goals and the personal characteristics need in to order to achieve those goals.
The WIM Peer-to-Peer Member Advisory program is open to members only. To participate, send an E-Mail to: Choosewim@wimweb.org
with “Advisory Committee” in the Subject line, or call Eileen Ascher at (203) 327-1542 or Joan Caruso at (203) 840-9091.

 

Peer-to-Peer Member Advisory

WIM has long recognized the enormous amount of wisdom, experience, knowledge, insight and perspectives gained within our WIM membership. Since the inception of the Peer-to-Peer member Advisory Program in 1996, WIM has been able to tap the resources right at its fingertips, namely, ourselves. Each of us has the ability to mentor, and be mentored, no matter where we are in our careers as entrepreneurs, professionals, corporate executives, or even if we are “in transition.”

The Peer-to-Peer member Advisory program is the deliberate pairing of a skilled experienced person with a person who wants to acquire skills or experience in some particular areas. For the past several years, the Advisory program has paired WIM members as mentors and protégés to explore a new field, polish a business plan, gain confidence, clarify goals, and achieve career aspirations. A mentor and a protégé enter into an agreement to interact with the goal of having the protégé grow and develop specific competencies. The leadership, counseling and interpersonal skills of the mentor are also positively impacted as a result of this relationship.

Each year, mentors and protégés are scheduled to meet twice within a 6-week period of time for dinner. Each pair, dining by themselves, has the opportunity to spend two evenings of uninterrupted time together. They may communicate between the regularly scheduled sessions if they like.