by Gini Dupasquier, Lee Smith and Karolina Wrobel

It’s a wrap! We just finished the last and sixth month of the PWA Mentoring Program. Accordingly, all Mentors and Mentees, should by now have revised their goal lists, ideally leaving a fat check-mark by each one of them.
Now we would like to test whether this is actually the case through the recently launched on-line Feedback Survey. The main outcomes of this survey will be shared with all PWA Members early in 2012.

Let us give you some insights into the current state of the project. There have been some significant changes in the organizational set-up of the program. As already mentioned in previous communications, Valerie Ryder is stepping down from the Program Leader role.
Her shoes will be filled by Gini Dupasquier, a mentee in the 2010 program and a mentor in this year’s edition, who, through her consulting business, is engaged professionally in helping companies achieve better gender balance. Gini will lead the 2012 PWA Mentoring Program supported by Lee Smith, whom you already know from this year’s Program, and Karolina Wrobel, another new entry in the team.

We would like to take the opportunity to thank Valerie for her commitment and the amazing job done so far. We will do our best to keep up with the high standards she set.

The 2012 Edition of the PWA Mentoring Program kick-off is scheduled for March 2012. We will keep you updated as the new application deadlines and all relevant details firm up.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us

by Lee Smith, PWA Milan Mentoring Program Coordinator

PWA Milan is pleased to announce that the second edition of its successful Mentoring Program is now underway.

We originally expected to match 12-15 mentoring pairs. However, we soon realized the amount of women interested in being mentors and mentees far exceeded those numbers. We received a total of 35 mentee applications and 22 for mentors. As some mentors were able to work with more than one mentee, we were able to match 26 pairs, nearly twice our original goal. Overall, there are 45 women taking part in this program – which amounts to about 25% of PWA membership.

It’s worth pointing out that of the 22 mentors:
• 6 are returning mentors, after participating last year as well: Rosanna Cella, Giovanna D’Alessio, Nicoletta Scannavini, Lee Smith, Monique Svazlian, and Valerie Ryder
• 5 are on the list of Ready-for-Board Women: Joyce Bigio, Donatella Ceccarelli, Grazia Francolini, Paola Mercante, and Patrizia Misciattelli

The program launched May 21 with the Mentoring Skills Workshop for all program participants which was full of energy and enthusiasm – especially considering it started at 9am on a Saturday morning! We would like to thank board member Maria Lassila for joining us and providing organizational and moral support before and during the workshop.

The Mentoring Program will last 6 months; mentoring pairs meet an hour a month, hopefully getting together twice before summer vacations start. It’s inspiring to see how much women can help each other, dedicating just an hour a month!

We look forward to sharing this year’s program results with you at the end of the year, and in the meantime, we wish all of our Mentoring pairs successful and productive sessions.

by Silvia Siliprandi and Valerie Ryder

PWA launches the second edition of the Mentoring Program

Valerie Ryder, Professional Development Director, and Lee K. Smith, Program Coordinator, opened the event “Moving Mountains through Mentoring” by reviewing details of the current program. This year PWA is going to select between 12 and 15 pairs. Aspiring mentors and mentees were able to submit their application through May 4th, 2011 (application period is now closed). A number of Mentors from the 2010 program have confirmed their willingness to serve again in this year’s edition (attesting to the satisfaction and other benefits they gained), as have several PWA members who have been named as Ready-for-Board Women. Criteria for matching are based on the correspondence between Mentee objectives and Mentor profiles. Once those criteria are met, priority will be given to applicants with a longer membership period with PWA. Results will be communicated within the first half of May and selected participants will be required to attend the free Mentoring Skills Workshop on Saturday morning, May 21st.

In order to illustrate the effectiveness of mentoring, PWA invited four of the 2010 Mentees to share their experience with the audience. Stella Hodkin, Communication Manager at Arancho Doc and Lee K. Smith’s Mentee, told the participants how helpful it was to count on her Mentors’ guidance while going through a time of major changes both on a personal and a professional level. She found it to be truly a privilege to be listened to very attentively and by an experienced professional willing to find time to talk only about her mentee and her goals.

The second testimonial was from Sonia Parise, Relationship Manager at Vontobel Asset Management and Nicoletta Zappatini’s Mentee, who started the Mentoring program wishing to grow as a senior sales manager. Coming from the (still) male-dominated finance world, Sonia felt the need to draw upon the know-how of a more experienced woman dealing with the same challenges she faced every day. Sonia had in mind clearly which areas she wanted to improve upon: sales, negotiation and networking – which she did indeed strengthen. There was more. Her mentor’s valuable feedback allowed her the confidence and ability to express her own management style.

Cristina del Rey, sales programs manager and Monica Giordani’s Mentee, also shared her positive mentoring experience. Cristina chose to take part to the Mentoring program during her maternity leave, when her life was changing in many ways and she wanted to invest time in focusing on her next steps. She treasured the insights she gained thanks to her Mentor, a major one being the discovery of her vocation, which she is actively pursuing.

The final Mentee account was heard from Gini Dupasquier, founder of DonnaLab, who took part in a special Mentoring group session with Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, CEO of 20-First and founder of the European Professional Women’s Network. Even if her Mentoring experience lasted a few hours, Gini was able to truly benefit from it. She sought advice on how to promote her own start-up consulting firm, a business inspired by Avivah’s work on gender balance within companies. Gini was surprised to see how carefully her Mentor listened to her, putting aside her own success story and giving excellent marketing suggestions to the Mentees who participated in that morning’s session. Start simple; become a voice for your area of specialty; use insightful and proven data to approach potential customers, rather than merely introducing yourself. These are only a few of the suggestions that Gini applied immediately and successfully in the following months within her own company.

This is just a small selection of the positive experiences of the 2010 edition. Many more have been collected in PWA’s publication “Women Leading Women”, named after the program. Download the publication here

One of the questions that then arose was on what it takes to be a good Mentor or Mentee. In order to be a good Mentor it is necessary to have strong professional experience and the willingness to share it for someone else’s benefit. She needs to be a good listener and confident in giving valuable feedback, keeping the exchange with her Mentee strictly confidential. Finally, a good Mentor must commit time and continuity to the program, minimum one hour every month for six months. In order to be a good Mentee, it is necessary to set clear and realistic goals to achieve through the program; be honest and proactive; be open to suggestions and constructive feedback; and not be afraid of asking the right questions to herself and her Mentor.

by Silvia Siliprandi and Valerie Ryder

Workshop “How to find your own Mentor”

PWA realizes that there is a significant gap between supply and demand of Mentoring programs in Italy, which is why the PWA Mentoring program was first conceived and is now continuing with its second edition. PWA is also aware that it will likely be difficult to fulfill all requests to take part in the 2011 program.

This is why Valerie Ryder, program leader, facilitated a Workshop on finding your own Mentor. In her presentation Valerie clarified that anybody can find a Mentor. No one’s professional and/or life situation is too “unusual” to start looking for one (or even several!). But where to look? It’s better to avoid close friends, family and significant others, who may not have the right experience and be too emotionally involved to be objective. Also avoid your direct boss and colleagues, as this could be tricky, possibly overexposing you, your uncertainties and your future intentions. Do not approach acquaintances with no significant ties with you and people with good intentions…but no time!

Do however consider approaching an industry leader of the sector you are interested in, a higher-up in the organization you work for, a mutual connection who has taken an interest in you, a peer at a professional association, or a community leader. Identify at least three potential Mentors and approach them by telling them why you would like to have them as your Mentors, being honest, informal and specific about your needs. Be flexible about time availability and basic logistics, but do set an appointment to get the relationship going once you are accepted as a Mentee.

Persevere if you can’t find one immediately. If you are unsure about a potential Mentor, ask a question and check if you’re satisfied with the answer. Look for a Mentor with the right experience and who is a role model for you, and also who has the right chemistry that can allow you to cultivate a strong and long-lasting professional connection or even a friendship. Do not postpone your search. If you think you need a Mentor, the time to get moving is NOW!

Valerie Ryder, Executive Coach & Consultant at Ryder & Associates, served as Mentor in the 2010 edition and invited her own Mentee, Chiara Cappelletti, Chemical Engineer and Development Technologist at BP Technology Centre near London, to share her experience on finding a Mentor after moving to the UK and subsequent to completing the PWA program. Chiara approached a successful young manager working in her company, several levels above her, asking candidly if she would become her Mentee. The much sought-after manager she selected agreed (!), stipulating that Chiara’s immediate manager be aware of the Mentoring relationship (standard practice). Chiara has effectively started her Mentorship within her own company, and is well-prepared to take on her ambitious professional challenges.

Please share with PWA your own success story on finding a Mentor by writing to professional@pwa-milan.org

View photos from the 27 April event here

Read La Carriera Rosa’s interview of Valerie Ryder on the PWA Mentoring Program here

Download the “Women Leading Women” 2010 mentoring publication here

PWA Professional Development Director Valerie Ryder was interviewed by La Carriera Rosa on the PWA Mentoring program.

PWA Milan ha lanciato la seconda edizione del programma di Mentoring, diretto da Valerie Ryder – Professional Development Director di PWA Milan e ideatrice dell’iniziativa, e coordinato da Lee K. Smith – Mentoring Program Coordinator, quest’anno denominato “Moving Mountains Through Mentoring”, letteralmente “Smuovere le montagne con il Mentoring”. Tra le Mentor già confermate per l’edizione 2011, anche nomi della lista di donne “Ready-for- Board”. La Carriera Rosa ha chiesto a Valerie Ryder di illustrare l’iniziativa.

Read the full article here

As announced, we are pleased to initiate the second edition of the PWA Milan Mentoring Program, with our annual Mentoring event on Wednesday, 27 April 2011 . As we prepare for the roll-out of this year’s program, we are already receiving requests from women interested in participating. In order to make applying as clear-cut as possible, we would like to use this document to clearly communicate how to apply, what the steps are, and what you should expect from the process.

Step 1) Consult the PWA website
We are striving to be diligent in providing informative and interesting articles on the Mentoring program, and on Mentoring in general. Visit the “PWA Mentoring Program” page on our site to download the 2011 Mentoring brochure, find about participation requirements, read about coaching vs. mentoring, and more.

Step 2) Attend the Networking Aperitivo “Self-Managing Your Career” – 6 April
This optional networking event is open to all PWA Milan members and guests. A mini-workshop will be held on the subject of self-managing your career, increasingly important in today’s world. Mentoring is clearly one of the ways in which you can proactively shape your professional progress. The program organizers will be available to answer any related questions you may have.

Step 3) Submit the PWA Mentoring Program Application Form – 13 April to 4 May
The 2011 application forms are now available on the PWA website. Submitting a completed form during the application period, open from Wed. 13 April through Wed. 4 May, is the only way for eligible members to apply for the program. Depending on the role you are applying for, you should fill out a Mentor or Mentee Profile (or both), which will help us endeavor to find you the right match.

Step 4) Attend the PWA Mentoring Event – “Moving Mountains through Mentoring” – 27 April
Our second annual Mentoring event is open to all women who are interested in furthering their careers through mentoring, whether PWA members or guests. The evening will have two parts: 1) testimony from Mentees of the 2010 program on how their lives were impacted, along with distribution of our “Women Leading Women” mentoring publication, and 2) a presentation on How to Find a Mentor. In this mini-course, we will learn proven tips and techniques for making mentoring happen outside the PWA Milan program as well. Attendance at this event is not a prerequisite for participating in the mentoring program, although it is highly recommended.

Step 5) Receive email notification on the success of being matched – 14 May
After the close of the application period (4 May), we will evaluate all applications received. Pairs will be matched based on the level of relevance between objectives stated by the Mentee and available Mentor experience and skills. All applicants will be notified via email by 14 May of our level of success in identifying an appropriate match.

Note about Participation: Based on last year’s program and in order to ensure a high-quality experience to participants, we are limiting the Mentor/Mentee pairs to 12-15 in total. Given the level of interest expressed in the program so far, we may receive more applications than we can fulfill. Applicants who are not successfully matched will receive priority during the matching process of next year’s edition of the Mentoring program, after re-application.

Step 6) Attend the Mentoring Skills Workshop – Saturday, 21 May
At this half-day workshop, you officially meet your Mentor/Mentee partner. In addition to getting your relationship started, it is designed to impart some of the skills needed to ensure the success of your mentoring partnership. These include: do’s and don’ts of good mentoring, active listening and other communication skills, topics to bring to mentoring sessions, and how to get the most out of being a Mentor or a Mentee. Participation in this event is mandatory for all first-time participants in the Mentoring program.

Step 6) Have Your Mentoring Sessions – May to November
The actual Mentoring sessions will begin anytime after the Mentoring workshop and last for six months. Mentoring pairs will meet for one hour or more per month, in person or via phone/video-conference. In order to ensure a good start to your Mentoring relationship, we strongly encourage you meet twice before leaving for your summer vacations.

Step 7) Check-ins and feedback requests – June to December
We will be checking-in with each Mentoring pair at the end of June and at various times during the program as needed to make sure the Mentoring relationships are running smoothly. Coaching and guidance on the mentoring process is available to those interested. We will be asking for participant feedback at the end of the program to hear about your takeaways, experiences, and benefits as well as recommendations for improvement.

If you have further questions about the application process or about the program itself, please don’t hesitate to contact us at professional@pwa-milan.org

• Valerie Ryder, 2010-11 Mentoring Program Leader and Professional Development Director
• Lee K. Smith, 2011 Mentoring Program Coordinator

Wednesday, 27 April 2011 Speaker Event: Moving Mountains through Mentoring

Do you need to decide your next step in your current job and wish you could consult with somebody with experience to give you unbiased advice? Are running your own business and wishing you had some guidance from someone who’s done it before? Would it help you to have someone to turn to for advice on a regular basis to keep you on track?

“Building your career without mentors is like climbing Mt. Everest without a guide and a Sherpa. Sure, you can attempt it, but why would you?” – Patty Azzarello

Having a mentor is vital to your career success, no matter what point you are at: junior or more seasoned, a small-business owner or in the corporate world, on maternity leave or in transition. Mentoring is valuable for women at every stage of their careers, from university students all the way up to the board room.

In this interactive evening led by Valerie Ryder and Lee K. Smith, you will:

• learn firsthand from mentees in the 2010 edition of the PWA Mentoring Program how their professional and personal lives were impacted by their mentoring relationships
• hear about the details of the 2011 edition that is beginning now if you’re considering applying
• participate in a workshop explaining how anyone can find a mentor and learn proven tips and techniques on identifying and approaching a mentor on your own

PWA recognizes the acute need for mentoring and its proven ability to ‘move mountains’. That is why our second annual mentoring event is aimed at all women who are interested in professional advancement – whether they choose to participate in our program, pursue a mentoring relationship by themselves, or both.

Mentees and mentors alike benefited from last year’s program, sometimes in surprising ways. Their experiences and our initial conclusions have been documented in a PWA Mentoring publication which will be distributed for the first time to all event attendees (both PWA members and guests).

Read more about the mentoring program here, or contact professional@pwa-milan.org

About Valerie Ryder, PWA Milan Professional development Director and 2010-11 Mentoring Program Leader: Mentor, executive coach, facilitator, and leadership development expert, Valerie’s focus is on leading women toward professional fulfillment. Read more about her at www.ryderassociates.com.

About Lee K. Smith, 2011 Mentoring Program Coordinator: Global Director of Retail & Shopper at the market research firm TNS, Lee transitioned from being a small business owner to life in the multi-national corporate world last year. Having a PWA mentor from a large corporation was invaluable for many stages of the change. At the same time, Lee was able to share some of her own experience with her PWA mentee, who was then starting her own business.

NH Hotel President, Largo Augusto 10 (MM San Babila, Duomo)
Networking Cocktail: 7 – 8 pm
Presentation 8 – 9:30 pm

Entrance free for members, 25 euro for guests, payable in cash at the event.

Members, please register in the calendar section of EPWN

Guests please register here.

For more information, email speakers@pwa-milan.org

All professional women welcome whether members or guests

by Valerie Ryder, PWA Professional Development Director

The Mentor and Mentee application forms for the 2011 PWA Milan Mentoring Program are now available. To apply, download the appropriate form(s) here and follow the instructions therein.

Please note that applicants must be current members of PWA, and that attendance at the Mentoring Skills Workshop to be held on Saturday, 21 May 2011 is mandatory for all first-time program participants.

The application period for this first edition of the Mentoring Program runs from 13 April to 4 May 2011.

Questions? Visit the Mentoring Program page of the PWA Milan web site or contact the Mentoring Team members – Valerie Ryder and Lee K. Smith – at professional@pwa-milan.org

PWA Mentoring Event: Moving Mountains through Mentoring

This year, our annual mentoring event is aimed at all women who are interested in furthering their careers through mentoring – PWA members or not, PWA Mentoring Program participants or not. Mentoring is valuable for women at every level of our careers, and finding a mentoring partner can be approached in a variety of ways.

In the first part of this evening, we will be hearing testimony from several mentees in the 2010 edition of the Mentoring Program, and learn firsthand how their professional and personal lives were impacted. Both mentees and mentors alike benefited from the program, sometimes in surprising ways. Their experiences and our initial conclusions have been documented in a PWA Mentoring publication which will be discussed and distributed at the event.

The second half of the evening will feature a presentation on How to Find a Mentor. Here we will learn proven tips and techniques on identifying and approaching a mentor on your own. This is useful for all professional women, and as Cherie Blair points out in a recent interview, the world needs women not only at the boardroom level, but at all echelons of the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds in order for more women to reach the top.

We look forward to seeing you Wednesday, 27 April. For more information, contact us at professional@pwa-milan.org.

• Valerie Ryder, 2010-11 Mentoring Program Leader and Professional Development Director
• Lee K. Smith, 2011 Mentoring Program Coordinator

Networking Aperitivo 7-8 p.m. / Presentation 8-9.30 p.m.
Hotel NH President. Largo Augusto 10, (MM San Babila, Duomo)

Free for members, €25 for guests, payable by cash at the event.

Members, please register in the calendar section of EPWN (www.EuropeanPWN.net)

Guests, please register here.

Announcing the 2011 PWA Mentoring Program

Building on the success of last year, we are delighted to announce the 2011 PWA Mentoring Program.

In the 2010 inaugural edition, more than 35 women benefited from the Mentoring Program that was led by Valerie Ryder and Monique Svazlian. The number of participants exceeded our goal and the vast majority of the women found the process gratifying and successful. As such, the Mentoring Program will now become a regular benefit of membership in PWA.

This year, about 30 more members will have the opportunity to participate as Mentors or Mentees. The kick-off will take place in April and the program will last through December of this year. For more details, download the Mentoring Brochure here, available on the mentoring page of the PWA web site.

We are thrilled that member Lee K. Smith has taken on the role of Mentoring Program Coordinator. She has willingly accepted to assist Valerie in running this year’s edition, after participating in the first year program as both a mentor and a mentee. For her, the experience was not only professionally beneficial, but also personally rewarding, and Lee is pleased to help other women enjoy the same benefits.

Why Is Mentoring Important?
Mentoring plays a critical role in the progression of women professionals in all sectors. Lack of mentoring, exclusion from networks, and absence of women role models are continually cited as the key barriers to career advancement for women. A mentoring relationship can provide structure for the development of individual skills and leadership abilities.

How Does Mentoring Work?
A mentoring relationship is based around the Mentor sharing her professional experience and knowledge with a Mentee. It may address specific career development plans, business projects or general conditions in the mentee’s profession.

The success of mentoring depends directly on the engagement of both parties and responsibility of both for their own progress, and is translated into concrete actions. An effective mentoring relationship is measured by the achievement of the initial goals and the satisfaction of the Mentee and Mentor with the mentoring relationship.

Mentor as Role Model
Mentoring is easier than it sounds. Many of us are potential mentors and don’t even know it! By accomplishing goals, overcoming barriers and reaching career milestones, we all gain valuable life and professional experience. As women we tend to downplay our successes without realizing how much we have to offer others. Perhaps someone could greatly benefit from your wisdom and knowledge. Think of a role model or mentor in your life who inspired you in some way: what opportunities did this person help you see or act upon? Imagine how it would feel to be a role model for a mentee!

Having a role model and a trusted advisor is not only inspiring, but can build confidence and lead to seeing new ways of achieving goals. Mentoring offers women the professional role models they need to ignite their professional success.

How to Apply
Stay tuned for more information on how to apply as a Mentor or Mentee in the Program. The application period is scheduled to run from mid-April to early May – the exact dates, along with the 2011 application forms, will be published soon. In the meantime, save these dates in your agenda:

6 April 2011 PWA Networking Aperitivo, themed on Self-Managing Your Career
27 April 2011 PWA Speaker Event, kicking off the 2nd edition of the Mentoring Program

Contact us at professional@pwa-milan.org with any questions you may have.

Valerie Ryder, PWA Professional Development Director & Mentoring Program Leader
Lee K. Smith, PWA Mentoring Program Coordinator

Related articles:
What Is Mentoring All About
Coaching vs. Mentoring: A Practical Example
Would You Be a Good Mentor
What My Mentors Have Taught Me
2011 PWA Mentoring Brochure