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About Facilitated Mentoring
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With your Mentor and Mentee Qualifications Description in hand, it is time to think about recruitment strategies. There are several possible approaches to identifying and selecting mentors. You do not have to recruit your mentors before you recruit your mentees. The IAA recruited them all at the same time.
Selecting good mentors is a key element of the program's success. Because of this, one specific approach for recruiting mentors is to pre-identify people in the community who are considered seasoned or elder administrators and who fit with the Mentor Qualifications Description and ask them directly for their participation. This might include an advance letter with a copy of the description and a promise to follow up with a personal phone call in the days or weeks ahead. While this same approach can be used for identifying potential mentees, IAA found that recruiting mentors was more difficult than recruiting mentees. There are often many more young people interested in finding a mentor than seasoned leaders who see themselves as mentors. Sometimes they may need a little nudge from someone who has confidence in and an objective view of what they have to offer.
Another approach, and the one the IAA used, starts with a community "launch" event. The event invites members of the arts community to a gathering that may include a keynote speaker, a panel of people who had been mentors and mentees at some time in their career and a discussion of the benefits of participating in a program such as this. The program's goals and desired outcomes can be announced and the Mentor and Mentee Qualifications Descriptions can be passed around along with application forms and an invitation for all to participate. This approach may include a follow up with email to those who attended. It can remind them of the deadline for applications and offer to answer any questions that might have arisen after the program. Getting the word out about your program through email invitations or brief articles in relevant e-newsletters can be a great way to start word of mouth and viral marketing efforts. These are fast becoming more effective than fliers and standard mailers. Use your planning committee, professional listservs and any other community gatherings or resources to help you spread the word.
If you still feel that you have not received a sufficient number of applications, or there are people in the community that you feel would be strong candidates for mentors or mentees that have not applied, do not hesitate to make personal calls to these people and encourage them to apply. Just be sure that you are clear about the program goals and expectations for participation. People who are not naturally drawn to a mentoring program may need additional information to ensure that they are aware of the commitment and responsibility that comes with mentorship.
Illinois Arts Alliance/Foundation |
