61: How to Start a Mentoring Program, with Stella Cowan

Stella Cowan

A great mentoring program can help both the organization and its people achieve incredible results. In this episode, I welcome mentoring expert Stella Cowan to discuss what leaders should consider when designing and implementing a formal mentoring program in their organizations.

Here are the resources Stella mentioned, along with some additional tools:

• Dr. Lois Zachary (Center for Mentoring Excellence)
• Ida Abbott (home page)
  • Stella recommends her articles “Beyond Mentors, the Need for Champions” and “Mentoring Groups and Mentoring Circles”)
  • Stella recommends two to us during training/orientation and to provide continued support to mentors and mentees are: “Being an Effective Mentor: 101 Practical Strategies for Success,” and “Working with a Mentor:  50 Practical Strategies for Success.”
• So You Want to Be Mentored by Stella Cowan*
• International Mentoring Association (some parts of this site require membership for access)
• Slideshow: “Implementing a Mentoring Program” Stella uses this slideshow when presenting to groups interesting in implementing a program. The slideshow provides a high-level view of what’s required to create a successful design and launch.
• Sample Mentoring Agreement – This is a sample Stella found online and has referenced as a model.

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