TAS Division
Mentoring
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What is mentoring?
Mentoring is “a mutually beneficial relationship which involves a more experienced person helping a less experienced person to identify and achieve their goals”.
A mentor should have a genuine interest in the growth of the mentee’s abilities and talents and provides support, a sounding board, knowledge, encouragement, guidance, and constructive feedback.
A mentee actively seeks support and guidance in their career and professional development from an experienced planner. A mentee always has ultimate responsibility for their career and professional development
The PIA Mentor Program intends to assist young planners to successfully adjust to the workforce and develop their professional skills.
Am I eligible to be a mentor or mentee?
Mentors will have at least 5 years postgraduate experience in a variety of planning fields. Mentors will have excellent communication skills, a desire to contribute to the future of the planning profession and ability to commit to at least a 1 hour meeting per month for the 1 year program. Mentors must be Corporate Members of the PIA.
Mentees can be final year undergraduate planning students, postgraduate planning students or graduates of planning with less than 5 years post graduate experience. PIA members will be given preference.
What am I committing to?
Each mentor and mentee agrees to meet at a mutually suitable time at least once a month for approximately 1 hour over a 1 year period. There will also be several mentor program training and networking events throughout the year that mentors and mentees will be expected to attend.
What do mentors do?
Specific responsibilities include:
- Contribute to the development of a schedule of meetings;
- Conduct and lead meetings with mentee;
- Attend information sessions for mentors to be held by PIA;
- Contribute to discussion and resolution of issues raised in meetings; and
- Participate in program evaluation and review.
What do mentees do?
Specific responsibilities include:
- Develop a schedule of meetings agreed by the mentee;
- Attend and contribute to each meeting with mentor;
- Contribute to discussion and resolution of issues raised in meetings;
- Attend information sessions for mentees to be held by PIA; and
- Participate in program evaluation and review.
What are the benefits of mentoring?
Benefits for the mentor include:
- Satisfaction in contributing to the development of the future of the planning profession;
- Acquire PD points;
- Improve communication skills;
- Expand professional networks;
- Transfer of skills and knowledge;
- Increased self-esteem; and
- Recognition of skills, knowledge and commitment to profession.
Benefits for the mentee include:
- Development of skills and knowledge;
- Build professional networks;
- Increase confidence and self-esteem;
- Increase likelihood of success and avoid failure or mistakes; and
- Acquire skills and knowledge.
What makes a good mentor or mentee?
Successful mentors have specific planning related skills, excellent interpersonal skills and the enthusiasm, willingness and time to teach, counsel and provide support to the mentee.
Effective mentees are committed to and responsible for their own professional development and are prepared to take risks in their learning, challenge themselves and try new approaches in problem solving.
Matching mentors and mentees
Mentors and mentees will be matched as closely as possible by PIA using the criteria in the survey including professional interests, experience and preferences indicated. The pairs will meet at least once a month for about an hour over a one year period.
If either the mentor or mentee is uncomfortable with the pairing or decides the mentorship is not successful there is a ‘no fault’ process for ending a mentorship between a mentee and mentor.
For further information, please contact:
Claire Armstrong
Mentoring Program Coordinator
carmstrong@lesterfranks.com.au
The Mentoring Program is brought to you by the Tasmanian Young Planner Group (TYPG) with assistance from the National Young Planners Group (NYPG).
Further Information regarding the 2012 Mentoring Program coming soon.
The PIA Tasmanian Division Mentoring Program is proudly sponsored by the Tasmanian Planning Commission.
