Finding the Right Mentor

Lack of a formal mentor is often mentioned as a reason that women are less successful than men. This session will discuss what to look for in a potential mentor and how to approach that mentor. We’ll start with the benefits of a mentor and how a mentor differs from a manager, sponsor or coach. We will also cover ideas on how to ensure that your mentoring partnership is successful for both you and your mentor. We will discuss the importance of setting goals early in the relationship and structuring your partnership to ensure your goals are achieved. We’ll also cover reverse mentoring (where your mentor is someone less senior than you are) and its benefits, virtual mentoring and group mentoring.

Michelle R. Ferguson is SVP of Global Business Services for McGraw Hill Financial. She is the founder and President of WINS, MHFI’s women’s initiative, co-founder of their Mentoring Programs (which include 1-1 mentoring, mentoring circles, reverse mentoring and business mentoring groups) and co-author of “The Power of Mentoring.” She also worked at Peat, Marwick and Mitchell. Michelle holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BBA in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame, where she remains active in the alumni association and serves on the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center Advisory Council.