Mentoring 101

Recently the Fargo Moorhead Area Foundation's Women's Fund hosted a conversation with 110 of the area's leaders to talk about women, leadership and the surprising gaps found at the region's executive tables and in public sector leadership positions.

The face-paced conversation drew to the surface ideas and thoughts for further discussion and action: 

• Encourage women to respond to leadership opportunities
• Actively identity women for leadership roles
• Institute best practices training to increase the overall quality of life in the workplace
• Include the balance of equality in the mission, vision, and values of organizations
• Enforce existing policies that call for gender balance
• Activate men and women to act as intentional mentors to encourage and engage women

Mentoring 101 from Connect: Professional Women's Network

All of the ideas in the world won't change the balance of leadership without action. But sometimes action seems daunting without guidance. As suggested within the Woman's Fund conversations, a mentor is a powerful relationship that can be a place to explore, learn, and foster a budding leader.

Jenni Luke, CEO of Step Up Women’s Network provides a broad definition of what a mentor is and does. Each of us at Reach Partners certainly have the traditional archetype of a mentor in our lives but also have people who come and go who have helped process career choices and decisions.  Having a mentor and being a mentor are invaluable experiences.

Become a mentor or find a mentor. As Ms. Luke states, don’t go in with, “will you be my mentor?” start by asking someone you admire for a coffee date or if you see potential in a person reach out to them to grow the relationship.

Rachel, Reach Partners

The focus of the Women’s Fund April 2014 grant is Women in Leadership and has over $40,000 to award in this area. Groups and organizations without a 501 (c)(3) may use a fiscal sponsorship for a short-term project. More info...