Mentoring Program

What is Mentoring?

Mentoring is a developmental partnership through which one person shares knowledge, skills, information, and perspective to foster the personal and professional growth of another. The power of mentoring is that it creates a one-of-a-kind opportunity for collaboration, goal achievement, and problem solving. It is a safe place to discuss problems and issues

Mentoring News

Our 2011 Pilot program has been underway since April is receiving great reviews:

“I believe the program has provided me with the career growth, advice and a friendship that I have been searching for over the years. In addition to finding and having a mentor over the past year, I have also found a colleague and someone I consider a friend for years to come! “ -- Gary R. Wilhelm, Sr.

“As a Mentor, I find the SIM NJ Mentoring Program to be exceptionally well organized and personally very rewarding. I know I’m making a difference in my Mentee’s work life – and making a difference is what I wanted to achieve with my commitment to the pilot program. “ -- Ruth Harenchar

“It’s been a pleasure being part of the program and I have enjoyed it thoroughly. … the dynamics of mentoring and the thought processes we are forced to go through as part of being a mentor, have actually made me stop and think about my own situations. In this self reflection, making sure you are walking your own talk, etc., I have found the process to be of great benefit to me as well.” – Rick Carney

Enrollment is now open for the 2012 Program ! We have an impressive slate of returning Mentors that will be complemented by some new top-talent participants.

To take advantage of this valuable benefit of membership, contact Joe Fisher, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , for more information and an Application Kit.

Click Here for Press Release.

Why is SIM NJ Doing Mentoring?

The mentoring program targets the individual skill development needs of our members. Long a supporter of helping CIOs/IT leaders improve their leadership and management skills, SIM NJ's Mentorship Program gives our members (CIOs/IT leaders and their direct reports) the ability to solve real world problems while enhancing their soft skills and professional skills.

What's in It for Me?

It provides one-to-one counseling, guidance and teaching
It provides the opportunity to further develop the mentee’s soft skills and professional skills
It is customized to the needs of the mentee
It provides skilled & experienced mentors to help navigate through a mentee’s new business challenges and to promote the mentee’s new skills development
It provides additional value for the member’s yearly investment

The Vision

The SIM NJ Chapter envisions having a highly regarded, thriving, annual Mentoring program that provides members with opportunities for growth in soft skills and professional development thus helping participants further develop toward their full potential. This adds to the membership’s value proposition and strengthens the chapter’s ability to engage and retain members, as well as attract new members.

The Mission

The mission of the SIM NJ Chapter Mentoring program is to help our members overcome professional challenges by providing them with the knowledge and thought processes that will enable them to maximize their personal potential.

How Does the Mentoring Program Work?

The program is designed to be a year in length. We will start a new group of mentees near to the beginning of the new year. This is a one-to-one program with the mentee and mentoring meeting at least once per month. This is a mentee driven experience. Specific personal and professional goals are created at the outset and progress toward achieving these goals is measured monthly. The program ends at year end and includes an ending assessment.

This is a structured program. A Mentoring Program Handbook details the process and explains the guidelines, principles and rules. Each prospective mentee will receive a Handbook when they request to join the program.

The program is managed by the SIM NJ Mentoring Program Committee and oversight is provided by the Mentoring Advisory Board.

The Mentoring Program Schedule

For 2012:

Description	Due Date
Announce Program	09-08-11
Open Up Enrollment	10-01-11
Close Enrollment	11-15-11
Evaluate Applications, Interview Applicants and Evaluate Potential Mentor-Mentee Matches	01-14-12
Announce Mentor-Mentee Matches	01-16-12
Mentors and Mentees Begin the Program	02-01-12
Mentors and Mentees End the Program	12-31-12

For Information Contact

To discuss the program and to see if it is right for you, contact Rich Cigna at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . (This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it) or call 212-403-6111; or Joe Fisher at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it) or call 973-895-5777.