PSVillage Mentoring Concept and Background

I have become increasingly convinced that to be an effective leader, within any context, one must first have a passion for helping others develop their skills. Demanding more and better performance without showing how it can be done is seldom effective and never sustainable.

When first introduced to the concept of a Professional Services focused mentoring program I was impressed with the vision and delighted to have the opportunity to participate. The vision and strategy Terry set out for this program perfectly aligns with my conviction that mentoring is not only an outstanding opportunity to raise the platform so that those who follow can achieve even greater heights, it is also crucial to the long-term vitality and sustainability of any organization or profession.

The program coalesced in an amazingly short time because we kept ourselves focused on the simple objective of bringing professional services people together in such a way as to enable those with years of successful endeavors to share their knowledge with those looking to further their capabilities and who understood the wisdom of learning from those that had traveled the path before them. In other words, we kept it simple. What is important is not the program but rather the people who will engage to share within its context.

I fully expect that those designated as mentees will realize a vast source of insight and knowledge that will prove invaluable to them but I also anticipate the mentors will gain much both professionally and personally. As a result, although the program itself has been specified as a six month engagement, we suspect the relationships forged during this time will endure long past the official time-frame.

The PSVillage Mentoring program is a start. We have provided enough structure to ensure core topics are discussed and that an initial set of tools is in place. We are particularly excited about the panel of experts who will address the group over the coming months to discuss topics such as: Marketing/Branding, Recruiting, Knowledge Management, Performance Management and Career Path. We have also started a reading list that we hope will be useful to all participants. Again, we have simply primed the pump with an initial selection of materials but fully expect that too will expand as participants add to it.

The program is not, however, complete. It is our hope and expectation that it never will be complete. We envision the program evolving and changing as those that participate share their experiences and provide input and feedback. We endeavored to designed a program that will guide without being restrictive, that will encourage innovation and ensure perpetual relevance. We hope you agree and look forward to hearing from each of you regarding your experience in the PSVillage Professional Services Mentoring program.