The CI Division Mentoring Program
Mission
The goal of the CI Division mentoring program is to provide guidance and insight to members of the Division who are either interested in or currently pursuing careers as CI professionals. The program aims to utilize the on-the-job experience that many members have to help those less experienced members anticipate, understand and solve the challenges of transitioning from a library-based information professional to CI practitioner. In addition it aims to provide a resource to enable members to share CI best practices. The program is strictly focused on addressing CI professional topics.
Program Outline
The program will reach out to its membership to identify both mentors and mentees. Both groups will need to complete an application form. The prospective mentors will be asked to document their experience, qualifications and special areas of knowledge. The prospective mentees will be asked to provide information about their education and professional experience, as well as to provide specific detail around his or her need(s) and goals, if known. The mentors will be approved by the Division and join a roster that will enable the program administrator(s) to match the mentees with an appropriate mentor. The mentor and mentee will then mutually develop a “contract” that will outline goals and objectives, a plan, anticipated time requirements and a timeline. The Division will approve the agreement. Upon completion of the formal relationship, both the mentor and mentee will be asked to complete an evaluation form that will be used to maintain an ongoing standard of quality. The evaluation will be also serve to enable the Division to improve the program.
In addition, a series of group mentoring sessions will be presented as webinars.
News
For the lastest news on the Mentoring Program, view the Mentoring Program News section of The Intel blog.
Mentoring Defined
Mentoring is generally defined as a trust-based relationship that is both structured and flexible. The program strives to match less experienced professionals with more experienced colleagues in the goal of guiding, supporting and encouraging a path leading to some form of development of the mentee. The role of the mentor will be to work in concert with the mentee to:
- Evaluate the needs of the mentee
- Develop a roadmap that will indicate the goals, expectations and timeline for the service
- Provide ongoing guidance, encouragement and suggestions based on the needs of the mentee
- Serve as an expert listener, sensitive to the needs of the mentee
- Serve as a professional role model
- Provide constructive feedback to the mentee within the scope of the work plan
- Devote an agreed upon amount of time to the relationship
The Mentee Defined
The mentee is defined as a Division member who would like to develop a better understanding of CI career path issues or to solve specific CI related career/job challenges. The mentee will need to understand that the mentor is not providing individualized instruction as an alternative to standard Division training or other commercial training programs. Rather, the mentee is a member in need of guidance and suggestions about a specific need. The requirements of the mentee include:
- Willingness to devote an agreed upon amount of time to the program.
- Willingness to follow-through on suggestions that would help resolve a learning need, problem or challenge.
- Identifying or assigning priorities for needs and mentor program expectations
- Clarifying and defining goals and expectations.
- Combining mentoring with other training opportunities.
- Recognizing that the program is not designed to offer job leads or serve in any way as an employment or outplacement service.
What The Mentoring Program is NOT
- It is not a job placement, referral service, outplacement service or any employment related service.
- It is not personal or psychological counseling.
- It is not professional or management coaching.
- It must not be used by the mentor to assign work or other tasks that pertain to their own role or responsibility.
- It must not be used by mentors, mentees, or any CI Division member as a primary CI collection opportunity to learn first hand information about a competitor or prospective competitor, CI practice within a competing organization, or any form of unethical activity.
- It is not a service that is guaranteed to achieve specific professional or investment gains.
- It is not a requirement associated with membership within the Division.
Program Requirements
- Mentors and mentees must be members in good standing within SLA and the SLA CI Division.
- Mentors and mentees must engage in and promote ethical and legal professional practices as defined by SLA, SCIP, and other guiding professional entities.
- Participation is voluntary and participants may withdraw from participation at any time.
- The role of the mentor is purely voluntary and involves no professional fees, expense reimbursement, or other financial or material remuneration or perks.
- Mentors must be approved by the Division to provide guidance within a specific set of core competencies validated by a review of an application form.
- Any mentor/mentee relationship must be clearly defined and approved by the Division.
- Each mentor/mentee relationship will require that both parties complete an evaluation form at the conclusion of the relationship.
Benefits of the Program
- The program will provide members with an important opportunity to gain additional CI awareness associated with their membership within the Division, as well as to build CI professional relationships.
- Experienced mentors will have the opportunity to help others pursue their career objectives .
- Mentees will have the opportunity to gain from the experience and professional knowledge of Division members.
Mentees will be encouraged to transition to the mentor side as they advance within their careers. This will help extend the professional development of former mentees, enrich the mentor pool, and offer a chance for them to contribute to the professional development of other emerging professionals
Participation in the Mentoring Program is voluntary. SLA, the Competitive Intelligence Division, its representatives, mentors, and mentees do not promote or guarantee outcomes for any mentor-mentee relationship. SLA, the Competitive Intelligence Division, and its representatives do not assume any liability for professional or personal outcomes.
Forms
Key Contact
Victor Camlek
VP Market Intelligence
The Scientific Business of Thomson Reuters
