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Both had served as members of the Committee under the leadership of the immediate past Co-Chairs, Sherre Jennings Cullen and Melanie Dykstra. Sherre and Melanie made a tremendous impact on the Peer Mentoring program and the committee and left large shoes to fill.
Christopher and Jennifer had a few new ideas when they began their own leadership journey. Like all program leaders, their journey quickly evolved into leading an entirely virtual program. Below, they share some thoughts about their first year.
Tell us about your involvement in the Peer Mentoring program.
CC: In 2017, I moved to a job where – at the time – I didn’t have any direct supervisees, and I came to realize that I missed mentoring and coaching team members, which was a big part of my prior role. I signed up to be a mentor through the AFP Chicago program, and am now working with my fourth protégé.
JD: I’m not certain about when I started participating in the program—it was a long time ago! I was looking for a way to give back to our profession and to get more involved in AFP. I enjoy connecting with those who are new to our profession and are early in their career and the Peer Mentoring program appealed to me.
What do you find most enjoyable about your participation in the program?
CC: As a mentor, I’m grateful for the opportunity to support development professionals who are newer to the field. I think an important function of being a good mentor is to meet your protégé “where they are,” so our conversations have ranged from technical skills and inter-personal relationships, to career trajectory planning and problem solving. I’m fortunate to have forged strong partnerships with my protégés, and have continued to remain in touch with them, even beyond the formal 12-month program.
JD: The Peer Mentoring program provides a wonderful opportunity to connect with colleagues in a meaningful way and for an extended period of time. I enjoy having the opportunity to get to know the individual I am mentoring (my protégé) over the course of our year together. This is a different type of opportunity than can be had when you meet someone at a networking program and I often find the relationship is different than you have with co-workers simply because you do not work together. You have the ability to have discussions that may not be possible with co-workers.
How did you become involved in the Peer Mentoring Committee?
CC: I was invited to join the committee in 2018, and am grateful to have been asked to co-chair the program starting in 2020. My involvement with the committee has led to so many new and wonderful connections with development colleagues across the city.
JD: After serving as a mentor for several years, Sherre Jennings Cullen, the previous co-chair of the program, approached me about joining the committee. I was thrilled to be asked and have enjoyed this continued level of involvement in the program.
What were your goals for the Peer Mentoring Committee in early 2020?
CC: I wanted to spend time getting to know the Committee members and program participants more deeply, and determine how best to leverage their skills, experience and networks. I also wanted to elevate the role of Committee members, particularly in supporting them as liaisons to protégé-mentor pairs. Lastly, I hoped to find ways to provide more engagement opportunities for program participants who wanted to get to know individuals other than their assigned protégé, mentor or liaison. Looking back at the past 12 months, I believe we’ve made great strides in all of these areas.
JD: This seems like such a long time ago now that 2020 has unfolded. In addition to what Christopher shared, I would say that we were also very focused on the basics—managing a successful leadership transition and leading our first match in spring 2020.
How has the Peer Mentoring program adapted to the virtual environment?
CC: Building relationships is at the heart of peer mentoring, writ large, so—like everyone else—going virtual was not without its bumps. We were about to launch our spring 2020 class when the initial stay-at-home order went into effect, so we quickly pivoted to virtual programming, including our kick-off meeting, one-on-one meetings between mentors and protégés, and our discussion groups.
JD: All of our protégés and mentors meet over Zoom now and I think this is a great option for participants to consider in the future, when we return to normal. Of course, an in-person meeting is best and is recommended, but for meetings when scheduling is difficult, Zoom will continue to be a great option. During this time, we have also enhanced the role of our committee liaison. Each member of our committee is assigned to liaise with at least one protégé/mentor pair per season. In the past, the relationship of the committee liaison was somewhat informal and many of the communications to the protégé/mentor pair were sent by AFP staff. Today, the committee liaison initiates communications to the pair and plays a more intentional role from the outset of the relationship, thereby setting up everyone for success.Zoom was a new tool for most participants in the program when we kicked off our spring 2020 class. Their participation in the program coincided with our transition to working from home and our nation’s coming to terms with the pandemic. I congratulate this group of protégés and mentors for rising to the occasion.
CC: Moving to virtual platforms has made it easier for participants to join our programs, so we’ve seen record attendance and engagement. Furthermore, while we had previously factored in geographic proximity for each mentor and protégé pairing, that has not been as crucial since their discussions are happening virtually or by phone.
More opportunities for program participants to connect with one another were added this year. Can you tell us about the Quarterly Discussion programs?
JD: The Quarterly Discussion programs were added based on feedback program participants provided, protégés in particular, that they would like more opportunities to network with and connect to other program participants during their year of participation. Article discussion groups have been held in the past and the Discussion programs are a similar concept with some revisions. Our goal is to host a quarterly program for the current participants. Members of the Peer Mentoring committee serve as program leaders and select a timely topic for discussion at the program. Topics discussed this year have included Innovation, Working in our New Environment, and Staying Connected to Donors during the Pandemic. An article is selected to provide “food for thought” for each program but the focus of the program is the small breakout room discussions. These small group discussions provide an opportunity for program participants to meet other participants and have intimate conversations about the selected topic. While these programs are taking place in a virtual environment at this time, we look forward to convening in person when it is safe to do so.
The orientation to the Peer Mentoring program was enhanced this fall. What was added to the orientation program for the new class?
CC: So many exciting enhancements! For our incoming fall 2020 class, we asked our committee members—in their roles as liaisons—to initiate contact with their assigned protégé/mentor pairings and to participate in an introductory conversation to welcome them to the program, and articulate mutual responsibilities and expectations. This has been tremendously helpful in ensuring that each protégé/mentor pair gets to know their liaison, and is aware of additional networking and resource opportunities. We also added new resources to the onboarding packet, including a “Roadmap to Success” that articulates expected 30-60-90-day milestones. And, as part of our fall 2020 virtual kick-off meeting, we invited current and former protégés to participate in a moderated panel discussion, and share their experiences, tips, and best practices with the incoming class.
How would you describe the Peer Mentoring Committee?
CC: We have an extraordinary committee of dedicated development professionals who have been wonderful in rolling up their sleeves with us. Our committee members take active roles as liaisons to ensure the success of each mentor/protégé pair; they help lead our quarterly discussion groups, communications efforts, and much more; and they are terrific thought leaders and problem solvers.
JD: Dedicated! This committee is a wonderful group of volunteers who are committed to the individuals they personally mentor and to the pairs with whom they liaise. During this past year, the committee has taken on several responsibilities to help support the marketing of the committee during this challenging year including managing new communications, assisting with marketing efforts, and helping to lead new programs for Peer Mentoring participants. The committee is comprised of a dedicated group of volunteers who have the best interests of our program participants and AFP in mind.
CC and JD: We are grateful for their enthusiastic support!
What are your goals for the program in 2021?
CC: While the Peer Mentoring Program (and our AFP Chapter) has made good strides in inclusion, diversity, equity and access (IDEA), we would welcome more mentors and committee members of diverse backgrounds to join us. We’ll also collect and use feedback from program participants to help us determine any additional enhancements that would be helpful in their peer mentoring journey.
The Peer Mentoring Program will be accepting applications for the Spring 2021 program soon. Learn more about the program, including qualifications and program expectations, click here. Contact Christopher Chantson ([email protected]) or Jennifer Dettloff ([email protected]) directly if you are interested in learning more about the Peer Mentoring Committee.
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