Mentoring at PWN Paris: a key program for its members

14 November 2017

On November 8th, the Career & Leadership Mentoring Program holds its second meeting, giving the chance to more than 60 women of all ages and coming from distinct sectors and industries to meet. This year, three other mentoring programs are offered by PWN Paris: Reverse Digital Mentoring, Diversity Mentoring and International Mentoring programs.

7.00 pm at the Hôtel de l’Industrie - The participants slowly take a seat when Sarah Haddane and Béatrice Castaing de Longueville, our co-VP in charge of the program, announce that the first task is not to sit but to put the chairs aside. Members seem surprised but, full of motivation, they immediately follow the suggestion and make a big space in the centre of the room. Rapidly, the session begins. Walking slowly in the created space, they get together with two other women as soon as the signal is given. Repeating the action several times, they share their thoughts on three questions: “why did you join PWN Paris?”, “why did you choose the mentoring program?” and lastly, “what are your professional hopes for the year to come?”. Be open to others is essential to build trustworthy relations and this is the first step in mentoring. 

Once the activity ends and participants finally grab a chair, our co-VP introduce the mentoring team and the presentation start. The aim is to give advice to the mentors and mentees to help them get the most out of the program. Mentoring provides a different point of view on their professional ambitions and wishes. Béatrice and Sarah explain that 2 axes should be taken into account: framework – using the SMART objectives process – and relationship – addressing empathy, active listening and open questioning. “Confusion and blurred view are good things” they highlight, “be patient, the way to get where you want to go will be long but you will be accompanied”. Other elements, such as feedback and non-violent communication (observation, feelings, needs, requests) are crucial and cannot be forgotten to ensure a viable development. 

Before associating mentors with mentees, Sarah and Béatrice invite Sandy Beky, former PWN Paris president and sponsor of the mentoring program this year, to share her experience and insight with the community.  The mentoring program is then officially launched. Members discover who their partner is and unite with enthusiasm while the referents check if everything is clear. 34 pairs are created. When the session comes to its end, duos have exchanged their contact and set their next meeting. By leaving, they thank the mentoring team for the night and some of them express their satisfaction and gratitude: they are excited to start their journey with their pair. They are not the only one to have on smile on their face: our co-VP are clearly delighted to contribute to these women’s leadership and professional development through this program which is undoubtedly a fundamental one at PWN Paris. 

Pictures Gallery here 

 

 

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Find out more here.

I accept cookies from this site