In December of that year a survey was sent to all current members asking for guidance on developing the program. Following that 18 one-on-one interviews were conducted with members who volunteered their ideas to further define the marketing mentor program.
A core team of four people took on the task of launching the marketing mentor program. They developed a handbook for program participants with career planning tools, goal setting questionnaires, general ideas on how to get the most from the program and guidance on meeting format. They also built-in check-ins with mentoring volunteer staff several times during the program cycle to ensure participants felt supported.
In March of 2015 the AMA New York Mentoring Program debuted with 7 mentor-mentee pairs who were matched for 6 months. What the program did for those members was remarkable. It brought people together, allowing members to share their expertise and knowledge. It supported members through job loss and job change. It helped some define a vision for their careers. It created new networks and new friendships.
When all was said and done the first cycle of the marketing mentor program was a success.
What I learned about the AMA New York membership from this effort is that it is filled with brilliant, passionate and inspiring people who have great stuff to contribute to each other. We are a professional organization made up of people longing to make a difference to the marketing community in the NYC area and to each other.
I am grateful for all the members who gave their ideas, time and energy to make this program a success. I am especially thankful for the remarkable core mentoring team, with whom I have the privilege to work.
The second cycle of the marketing mentor program began in February of 2016 with 28 mentor-mentee pairs. This program is making a huge difference for our membership. It started with an idea and one person taking action (in this case me, a individual member volunteering her time). While we are currently closed to applications for this mentoring cycle, you can find out more about the AMA New York Mentoring program at www.amanewyork.org/get-involved/mentoring/ or drop me a line at [email protected]
