Mentoring: Turn Aspirations into Results


Mentoring can have extraordinary effects on both mentors and mentees. To paraphrase Larry Bossidy, former Chairman of Honeywell International, mentoring is often the difference between mere aspirations and real results.

Our AIChE Fellows/Young Professionals Mentoring Pilot Program was a great success last year, thanks to the Fellows and Young Professionals who participated, and we hope to change aspirations into results for a whole new group of participants this year. We will begin a second round of the Fellows/Young Professionals Mentoring Program in February 2012 and hope that you will take part.

New in this year's program

This year's program will involve 25 to 50 participants and will be similar to the pilot program, with one Fellow being paired with one YP, but we're introduction a few improvements:

  • The mentoring program will be of indefinite length, hopefully for 9-12 months, or as long as the participants agree it is useful
  • Matching of mentors and mentees will be aided by software that is being developed at a university under an NSF grant and will be tailored to meet our mentoring program needs
  • Two webinars will be available to help in the mentoring process
  • Participation in the program will require only 1 to 3 hours per month, depending on the frequency of mentor/mentee contact

How can you volunteer/participate?

  1. Respond by e-mail to Al Wechsler (aewechsler@earthlink.net) and to David Wishnick (david.wishnick@gmail.com) indicating your interest in participating in the mentoring program. PLEASE RESPOND BY FEBERUARY 3, 2012
  2. We will send you information on the program and ask you to summarize your background information (in a short form) and return it by e-mail or directly enter the information through a link to the mentoring program software.

Nick Tsiakals, BS ChE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign '97 and Compliance/Programs Specialist at Archer Daniels Midland had this to say about last year's mentor program:

"I count my experience with the YP/Fellow mentor program a great success. My objectives coming in were to establish a better connection with the chemical engineering profession at large, improve my career path decision-making skills, and gain a better sense of what resources and opportunities are available - both in AIChE and in the job market. It was an honor to meet and talk through these questions with a solid, experienced professional. The interaction was not always comfortable - I was challenged more in those conversations than I had been in a long time. In particular, there were moments of hard, honest feedback spurring me to think through what I really want in my worklife, and how to communicate that effectively. As difficult as that can be, I could see at the time that the information my Fellow mentor gave me was golden. Within a few short months, I had acquired a position firmly focused on my principal interests of process safety and management systems."

Comments

Cory Jensen's picture

Dave and Al, awesome job! I am glad that this has taken off! We are trying to launch a new YP initiative with an international component. Stay in touch!