Flash Mentoring - Side By Side Evaluation Feedback Summary - Redacted 1 28 08

1/28/08
Evaluation Feedback for Flash Mentoring Project
Sponsored by 13L and NAPA
(August 2007 – January 2008)

***REDACTED TO REMOVE PERSONAL INFORMATION***

Mentee Mentor
Thank you for the match of Mentor XX. We met today. 1. Yes. Very. I really liked Ms. XX – her gumption,
She made some good suggestions about agencies and her practical approach, her good sense of people.
individuals I may speak with to enhance my career.
2. Yes. Very prepared. (We had exchanged resumes in
1. Was it a positive experience for you? advance so we knew a little about each other.)
Yes, it was a very positive experience. I found my
mentor well matched with my high energy and positive 3. No plans to meet however I gave her two or three
attitude. people that I thought she should reach out to for possible
future work (She would like to stay in the federal
2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? government but have a more demanding and rewarding
Yes, she was prepared to discuss her career track and my line of work than she is currently engaged in. I will also
possibility of options. send her name to a couple people. Maybe you would be
a good advisor for her, too. (Parenthetically, I find the
3. Did the mentor offer to meet again at some point? federal government hiring process to be so crappy at this
(Reminder: Another meeting is not required, and only point, that I almost hate to encourage anyone to work for
the mentor should initiate another meeting.) the feds. That is such a shame as I loved my career.)
My mentor has given me her contact information and is
willing to continue to provide guidance along the way. 4. Yes – would be interested in knowing which
She is providing me with a list of names of individuals agencies are supplying your mentorees.
that I can arrange to have meetings with.
5. Yes – You are so good to do this and I hope that we
4. Would you be interested in serving as a mentee with can be helpful.
another mentor at some point?
Absolutely. I believe in mentoring others as I continue
my career. I am actually mentoring someone at the
Department of XX in a formal mentoring program.

5. Any other thoughts?
I think this a great program and more individuals should
serve as mentors and more individuals who are in dead
end career paths should know about it. Thank you.

1. Was it a positive experience for you? Yes. I thought I had a very good meeting with Ms. XX. We met for an
the mentor was friendly and open. We had a very hour. She is a promising young professional who is
candid discussion about my skills and experience, my facing some choices about whether to stay or leave her
current career track, and other career opportunities. I agency when she gets her MPP this Spring. I like to
thought the mentor was very knowledgeable about the think the conversation helped her by reflecting on my
ups and downs of a federal career, intimately familiar own experience and others in career planning and
with government agencies and the kinds of opportunities choices. As a GS13, she faces greater obstacles in
they offer, and highly interested in giving me advice that changing agencies than she would if she were in the
would help me further my career. entry level phase, so we talked about potential
advantages of dropping back to a GS12 to get in to XX
2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? Yes. or XX.

3. Did the mentor offer to meet again at some point? I enjoyed the discussion and would be glad to do this
(Reminder: Another meeting is not required, and only again.

1

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor
the mentor should initiate another meeting.) No. But,
the mentor has offered to keep in touch via email.

4. Would you be interested in serving as a mentee with
another mentor at some point? Yes.

5. Any other thoughts? Not at the moment. Thank you
for the opportunity to participate!

I met with XX last night and I thoroughly enjoyed the It was a very positive experience. Both XX and I
experience. expressed our feelings the next day about how
comfortable we seemed together right from the start. I
1. Was it a positive experience for you? found her to be a very articulate and intelligent young
This was definitely a positively insightful meeting. woman, she said she was surprised how much she could
relate to some of my experiences. I would hire someone
2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? like her in an instance. Then the challenge becomes how
The wealth of knowledge and experience XX has is to keep her growing intellectually and experience-wise
awesome to say the least. Her genuine enthusiasm for in a typical government job.
life is contagious and it was great to talk to someone
who (without knowing me) could identify with me and We have been in touch already. We are trying to focus
my life experiences so well. I also liked how she her on what she wants her master to stress. She
periodically checked in with me to make sure I was originally though XX, but it sounds like she is interested
getting something from our conversation. in O and D which points to an MPA or MBA. I
suggested she schedule an appointment with the MPA
3. Did the mentor offer to meet again at some point? person at XX -- they have an excellent mid-career
(Reminder: Another meeting is not expected; however, masters program as I'm sure you are aware.
if mutually agreed upon, future meetings can take place.)
XX graciously offered to meet with me again and I look Yes, I would be willing to mentor another individual at
forward to being her mentee for as long as she'll have some point, but for now I want to concentrate on XX.
me.
Well my thoughts are that it is wonderful that people
4. Would you be interested in serving as a mentee with like you show the initiative to get something like this
another mentor at some point? (Please note that this underway. I also think it is great that there is no
current flash mentoring program is not guaranteeing that preconceived notion that a 62 yr old cannot relate to a 27
mentees would be assigned to another mentor.) yr old.
Sure. If I am able to offer anything to anyone else, I am
more than happy to participate in this program as a
mentor.

This program is a wonderful idea and just talking to XX
one time was a great experience.

1) I had a very positive experience. Ms. XX touched I thought you would like to know that XX and I had a
upon all of the topic areas I mentioned in my initial nice lunch on Friday (at the XX!) and had a great time
email. She offered me a lot of advice that will aide in talking. He is a very personable young man with lots of
my career development. interesting questions. (I cheated a little and spent two
hours!) I suspect we will get together again (we at least
2) The mentor was very prepared for our session. As I agreed we were willing to.)
mentioned, Ms. XX talked about each area of interest
from my email. It was also apparent that she reviewed 1. Was it a positive experience for you? It was a very
my resume before our session. positive experience. XX had some really good questions

2

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor
and I feel I was able to give him some perspective based
3) Yes, the mentor offered to meet again. The feeling on experience in multiple agencies.
was mutual and we plan on meeting again in the future.
2. Was XX quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? XX was very
4) Yes, I would be interested in serving as a mentee with prepared. In particular, he sent me a number of questions
another mentor. in advance, which was helpful. I tried to be sure I at least
touched on all of his questions. If we meet again, it will
5) I think flash mentoring is a great idea. Your group be interesting to see if he has new questions. (I expect to
should definitely continue the program! meet with him again.)

Thank you for allowing me to participate in the Flash 3. Do you plan to meet with XX again at some point (if
Mentoring program. mutually agreed upon, no requirement to do so). Yes. I
asked if he was interested in doing so and he said he
definitely was. We left it that he would get in touch
when he was quot;readyquot; to meet again. (If I don't hear from
him by early December, I will probably check in with
him.)

4. Would you be interested in mentoring another
individual at some point I'm always interested in
meeting people at the beginning of their careers. That's
also why I teach in the XX Program at XX. That said, I
have three individual mentoring assignments in XX's
new mentoring program and am a quot;Learning Leaderquot; in
a group mentoring experience. So it may be a matter of
timing...

5. Any other thoughts? I don't think so. At some point, I
would be interesting in hearing how the program as a
whole is going and whether there are quot;lessons learnedquot;
that would be helpful.

1. Was it a positive experience for you? Yes 1. Was it a positive experience for you? Yes

2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? Yes 2. Was XX quot;preparedquot; for the discussion? Yes

3. Did the mentor offer to meet again at some point? 3. Do you plan to talk with XX again at some point? (if
(Reminder: Another meeting is not expected; however, mutually agreed upon, no requirement to do so). Yes
No, but he said I could email him in the future if I had 4. Would you be interested in mentoring another
questions. individual at some point? Yes

4. Would you be interested in serving as a mentee with 5. Any other thoughts? A good program
another mentor at some point? (Please note that this
current flash mentoring program is not guaranteeing that
mentees would be assigned to another mentor.) Yes

5. Any other thoughts? no

I had my mentoring session with XX today. It was 1. Was it a positive experience for you? Yes. I was
great! He and I will keep the lines of communication able to introduce her to the Secretary of XX, which I

3

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor
open and we discussed government structure and think XX appreciated.
housing issues.
2. Was XX “prepared” for a discussion? Yes. She
The experience was a very positive one. While meeting talked mostly about her experiences / interests. She
at the XX, I was introduced to the XX Secretary (who asked about my career path.
was eating lunch there), which was cool since I work at
XX. He was a very high ranking person and was 3. Do you plan to meet with XX again at some point. (if
recognized by practically everyone, which was mutually agreed upon, no requirement to do so). No
interesting to watch in and of itself. He was very laid agreed upon time; but we agreed to stay in touch; be
back and conversational and inquired about my interests available.
and aspirations. He asked what he could do to help me.
I did not want to be too aggressive and responded that 4. Would you be interested in mentoring another
we keep the lines of communication open. So, he is individual at some point. Sure.
open to further contact. I think it’s very beneficial to
meet people and find mentors, so I would be interested 5. Any other thoughts? It's tough to connect in such a
in doing this again at some point. short period of time, but I believe it was a net positive.

Below, I have responded to each of the questions (in Below are my responses to you. I think overall it was a
blue text). In short, I want to convey to you that the flash useful process for XX and I enjoyed it. I think I was
mentoring program exceeded my expectations. It is clear helpful to him.
that you and your colleagues carefully matched the
mentors and mentees. There is also an unquantifiable 1. Was it a positive experience for you?
nature to matching strangers, yet at the same time, It was a positive experience for me. Enjoyed assisting
people who can relate to each other through a particular someone I did not know but worked in one of my old
career path. I feel free in terms of sharing my perceived agencies.
strengths and weaknesses with a mentor of such high
caliber. This is quite different from my past experiences 2. Was XX “prepared” for the discussion?
obtaining career advice from other colleagues, friends, He was prepared for the discussion and appreciated the
and managers. Thank you again. I hope to continue to advice. He was also in a position in his career where he
participate and benefit from the program. needs to get serious about what his career really is: a
series of “details” or “lended staff” positions, albeit
1. Was it a positive experience for you? interesting and challenging OR something much more
Yes. I feel that I benefited from the meeting and heard substantive. Some of the things he talked about he just
some new ideas about how I can expand my career informed me aren’t going to happen within XX, so I
network. believe he is going to look elsewhere.

2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? 3. Do you plan to talk with XX again at some point? (if
Yes. Mr. XX had reviewed my resume in advance and mutually agreed upon, no requirement to do so).
offered good advice about potential career steps. We have agreed that it would be useful to do so and had
set something up for this month but other things
3. Did the mentor offer to meet again at some point? happened. It will likely happen next month.
(Reminder: Another meeting is not expected; however,
if mutually agreed upon, future meetings can take place.) 4. Would you be interested in mentoring another
Yes. He suggested that we meet again in about 1 month individual at some point?
and consider meeting periodically. Not sure. Depends on who and when.

4. Would you be interested in serving as a mentee with 5. Any other thoughts?
another mentor at some point? (Please note that this The XX should think about someway to link these folks
current flash mentoring program is not guaranteeing that that are mentored into a broader engaged role with the
mentees would be assigned to another mentor.) XX: perhaps a meeting four times a year of “alumni” of
Yes. From my initial experience, I found it to be the program and built around a short talk and Q&A
extremely valuable. It appears that the high caliber of session with a leader around some common theme that
mentors in your program have a wealth of experience came out of all the mentoring sessions and then a nice

4

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor
and knowledge to share. I would never have expected little wine and cheese reception. Doing this several
the insights provided by Mr. XX and can only imagine times a year not only links the individual XX’s (whether
what others in the program could offer in terms of or not the mentoring continues) but gets them into the
advice. XX’s broader world. It wouldn’t cost much.

On an informal basis, I have received career advice from
senior managers at my agency (XX) but nobody seemed
to be able to critically analyze my career history. Most
of the agency managers seemed to have cultivated a
long-term career solely in the government. Mr. XX, on
the other hand, has significant experience both in the
public and private sectors. As I explore career options,
his advice is helping me develop a plan that extends
beyond my comfort zone, but at the same time, increases
my optimism about the wide range of possibilities that
exist. I look forward to my future discussions with Mr.
XX and hope that the flash mentoring program will
continue to grow. It is a unique opportunity to be able to
meet with such an accomplished person who shares
some of my aspirations.

1. Was it a positive experience for you? Yes, this was a We spent an hour together last week in my office in a
positive experience for me. Being able to sit down with good discussion. Mr. XX is an upbeat, energetic fellow.
someone in an informal setting and talk about different He came prepared with some questions and he had
things was great! checked my background out in advance which helped
move things along. I spent some time with him at the
2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? Yes, beginning offering suggestions on ways to improve his
XX was prepared to meet with me and gave me some resume (he had listed his work experiences out of
good advice. sequential order which made his history hard to follow,
for example). I asked him a series of questions about
3. Did the mentor offer to meet again at some point? where he wanted to take his career and offered reactions
(Reminder: Another meeting is not required, and only to his response. He hasn’t taken the bar exam yet even
the mentor should initiate another meeting.) Yes, XX though he’s been out of law school for a year. He needs
said that I could contact him at any time. to get that done soon; it will be hard to get this done
successfully further down the road. He has in mind
4. Would you be interested in serving as a mentee with moving around to several different departments,
another mentor at some point? Yes. including perhaps back to XX. We discussed the pros
and cons of such a peripatetic course if a federal civil
5. Any other thoughts? No. service career is his objective. When we concluded, I
told him to send me his updated resume with the
changes we discussed, and to let me know if I could be
of any further help. We did not discuss any future
meeting. I’d be glad to do this again with another
individual.

I had my flash mentoring the afternoon of November X, 1. Was it a positive experience for you?
2007. The session was a positive one, and it seemed to Yes. At this stage of my career, I am interested in
be a good match. We had similar interests and our helping to insure that the next generation of leaders is in
conversation covered a number of areas. Mr. XX and I the pipeline or ready to take over. Having a discussion
talked longer than the agreed upon hour, and he offered with someone who is or is interesting in being part of
to act as a sounding board for ideas or give his advice on that pipeline is satisfying. Of course, that satisfaction is

5

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor
different opportunities. Yes, I would be interested in short lived if it was not a positive experience for the
being a mentee with another flash mentor. “mentee.”

2. Was XX “prepared” for a discussion?
I think so. She had several broad questions that she
appeared to have thought about it in advance (e.g., what
specific work experiences, in retrospect, were
particularly useful to me in shaping my career?) which
helped to guide our conversation. We easily went
beyond the one hour we had schedule and ended after
about 90 minutes since we each had other appointments
at that time.

3. Do you plan to meet with XX again at some point.
(if mutually agreed upon, no requirement to do so).
I offered to meet again or to be available via e-mail or
phone if she wanted to touch base again down the road.
Therefore, whether we meet again will depend upon XX.

individual at some point.
Since my days are so very full, I am not seeking
additional mentoring opportunities. As I did with your
request regarding XX, however, I can be available on an
as-needed basis for a few additional individuals.

This “flash” mentoring concept is interesting. I’m not
sure that a one-time meeting really rises to the status of
“mentoring” but I can see the possibility of their being
some value in the conversation regardless. I think the
conversation would have the most value if it is
something being sought by the mentee because he or she
is actively seeking some insight or perspectives on
career related issues. I could also see it being
particularly useful (but not mandatory) if the mentor is
someone in a career field of particular interest to the
mentee. While it’s probably a good idea not to give too
much structure to this program, given the short amount
of time involved, I would think there could still be value
in developing some basic SOP’s (if they don’t already
exist). For example, insuring that the mentor has the
mentee’s resume in advance and asking the mentee to
outline a few questions in advance (or having some
generic questions for all mentor/mentee conversations
could be useful.

Also, while it was quite natural to volunteer to meet
again, consideration might be given to developing an
expectation that there will be two or more meetings
spaced some months apart (or at least encouraged if not
mandatory)

Mr. XX and I met last week on Friday at lunch. The 1. Was it a positive experience for you? Yes, I enjoyed
experience was good. I am considering going back to it.

6

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor
get my PhD, and we mainly discussed that. Mr. XX was
well prepared, and we had an excellent conversation. He 2. Was XX “prepared” for a discussion? Difficult
did offer to meet with me again, although we did not set question, he was not specific and appeared to not know
a specific date. At the moment, I am not interested in much about me or my agency, we discussed what his
another flash mentoring session, although this one was a goals/objectives might be, I gave him my personal
very positive experience. The idea is outstanding and I advice….
hope that XX and XX continue to pursue it.
3. Do you plan to meet with XX again at some point. (if
mutually agreed upon, no requirement to do so. I would
be happy to meet w/him again if he chooses.

individual at some point? I’d be happy to.

5. Any other thoughts? Great idea for both networking
and some career advice.

1. Was it a positive experience for you? Yes, the
experience was very positive.

2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? Yes, he
offered a lot of information and was very interesting to
talk with.

3. Did the mentor offer to meet again at some point?
Yes, he said he would be willing to meet with me again
in the future if I would like.

mentees would be assigned to another mentor.) Yes, I
would be interested in having another mentor
experience.

5. Any other thoughts? I know it may be difficult, but
perhaps offering the mentee some options as to who they
can meet with. For example, as a woman I would have
liked to meet with a high-ranking woman in government
since the experience can be a little different. (Not that I
didn't enjoy meeting with my mentor. I thought he was
great.)

1. Was it a positive experience for you? 1. Yes.
Yes 2. Yes.
3. If she calls.
2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? 4. Yes.
Yes 5. No.


7

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor
Yes. We made tentative plans for Dec/Jan, when budget
season wanes.

mentees would be assigned to another mentor.)
Yes—but I prefer to keep Mr. XX as a mentor, for as
long as he agrees to continue meeting.

I learned a great deal from my mentor in one hour. It
helped that I sent questions ahead of time, but we
remained flexible and allowed the conversation to
evolve organically. My mentor is a great match for my
career and personal interests and I very much appreciate
the opportunity to learn as much as I can from him.

My meeting with XX went very well. I thought that I was able to provide some strategic
advice to XX. She was looking at her career in terms of
1. Was it a positive experience for you? the next promotion and had not though through where
Yes, very positive. she wanted to be in five or ten years. She had not
considered non government employment and was not
2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? drawing on her unusual sets of experience.
Yes, XX came prepared with advice and was also open
to my questions. We agreed to talk at a later point after she had done
some homework on what she wanted her future to be
3. Did the mentor offer to meet again at some point? and to that end I suggested a few exercises. I also
(Reminder: Another meeting is not expected; however, suggested that she try to determine with some of her
if mutually agreed upon, future meetings can take place.) colleagues how she was viewed in the organization - did
Yes. She suggested in one-two months we meet in they see her moving into management ranks in the new
person again and for us to email in the meantime about future, etc.
the career development assignments she has given me.
XX did not come with any specific objective other than
4. Would you be interested in serving as a mentee with to learn as much as she could from me. A more
another mentor at some point? (Please note that this productive interview would have been possible had she
current flash mentoring program is not guaranteeing that some specific objectives for the meeting.
mentees would be assigned to another mentor.)
Yes. I would appreciate meeting more people. I have some reservation about one meeting one hour
being truly useful unless the person is sophisticated and
5. Any other thoughts? has some very specific issues to address. On the other
Thank you so much for a wonderful and inspiring had I think it a good idea for us to be helpful in this
experience and for the chance to meet XX. I gained a manner to mid level civil service staff who want to make
new perspective in how to think about career a difference and to experience professional growth.
development.
I do not know if I can be more helpful to you so if you
need addition information just let me know.

I met several weeks ago with XX on …October X. We I am happy to provide my thoughts on the Flash
had a great networking lunch conversation and agreed to Mentoring Program. XX called me to introduce himself
keep in touch going forward. We clearly have some and tell me that we had been matched together. [I did not

8

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor
career experiences in common, particularly with receive any notice about the matching so his call caught
workforce development and apprenticeship training. me a little by surprise] However, we agreed to meet and
he came to my office and we had lunch. I found the
With regard to other questions you have: experience enjoyable and he seemed to have appreciated
- XX did not have full knowledge of the Flash our conversation and my response to his questions. He
Mentoring program before we met. I helped fill him in was well prepared and faxed or e-mailed me brief
on some logistical details. background information. He brought a resume and the
- XX and I did talk about meeting again – he said he e-mail he had received with my information with him.
enjoyed our lunch conversation. Our time was used efficiently and we agreed to talk
- I am certainly open to speaking to another mentor as further at his request. He followed up with a nice thank
well, particularly someone who has done work with the you e-mail.
Department of XX and/or Department of XX. I am
interested in international related work down the road. It was a good experience and I would be willing to do it
again. Only suggestion would be that if would have
Also, thanks again for helping set up this program. It been helpful to have gotten notice before he called.
has already been beneficial to me, if for no other reason Thanks for the opportunity to participate.
than to at least meet senior level managers outside of my
department.

1. Was it a positive experience for you? Yes It went very well. XX was prepared and I believe I was
able to help her think about ways to advance and
2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? Yes succeed in a fulfilling career in a very practical and
specific way. I told her she should feel free to call me
3. Did the mentor offer to meet again at some point? Yes again, but we did not set another time to talk. And, I
(Reminder: Another meeting is not expected; however, gave her several leads at XX.
I am awaiting material from her which she has not yet
4. Would you be interested in serving as a mentee with sent me, so if you talk to her, please remind her.
another mentor at some point? Yes
(Please note that this current flash mentoring program is Happy to mentor another person.
not guaranteeing that mentees would be assigned to And no thoughts. I think this flash mentoring is a great
another mentor.) idea. Congrats on another good one. Perhaps, after a
year, you can have selected mentee observations e-
5. How was it to do the flash mentoring session over the mailed to mentors to make us all feel appreciated and
phone? Did that work okay? Yes build/strengthen the network for the future.

6. Any other thoughts? This was a valuable experience.

Hi XX -- It happened! My session with XX was held last
week. I enjoyed it very much.

I think it would be beneficial to have a method for
follow-up if things go well during the Flash Mentoring
session to set something up 4-6 months later as a follow-
up. In my case, I think we had a good connection and so
a follow-up in the future would be welcome.

My mentoring session with XX was a positive 1. Was it a positive experience for you? Yes. Very
experience. She had a lot of good insights into how the positive experience from my perspective.
government works and strategies to succeed. She was

9

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor
very friendly as well, and was open to staying in touch 2. Was XX quot;preparedquot; for the discussion? Absolutely.
and potentially meeting again down the road if I wanted. She is very bright and thought about her questions
This was a great opportunity to meet established and before we met.
successful professionals and learn about their
experiences in government. I would be very interested in 3. Do you plan to talk with XX again at some point? (if
serving as a mentee with another mentor at some point. mutually agreed upon, no requirement to do so).
Yes. I received a nice thank you note from XX and
Thanks for your help to make this program happen! responded with an open invitation to stay in touch.

individual at some point? Yes.

5. Any other thoughts? I hope it was helpful for XX. It's
a wonderful concept and I am rooting for its success.

XX and I met for our flash mentoring session today. I I enjoyed mentoring XX. She was well-prepared--her
want to thank you for this opportunity. I found it to be responses to my questions were thoughtful and candid.
very helpful. XX was very encouraging and provided She knows what she wants, but is facing the usual
insight on some issues that I have been pondering. We bureaucratic restraints--no training resources, little time
discussed my career goals, short and long term. After to do anything but the basics of her job, etc. I will be on
discussing ideas that he had after reviewing my resume, business travel the next three weeks, but we agreed to
we conversed and brainstormed a few more ideas for me meet again when I return. Meanwhile, I gave her some
to focus on to help me reach a few of my short term ideas to investigate, and I promised to locate some
goals. I found XX to be very prepared for the meeting individuals in the procurement world who would be able
and willing to help. He offered to meet with my again to proffer some additional insights about that field and
(although I realize that was not the intent of the perhaps consider her for employment (she's not inclined
program). I asked him to review my IDP and provide to look to XX as a place to stay). I hope to do that before
feedback, he agreed. We do plan to meet again when he leaving on Tuesday.
returns to the country.
Count on me to mentor another person or two.
Thank you again for the opportunity.

1. Was it a positive experience for you? 1. Was it a positive experience for you? We had a good
Yes, it was a very positive and helpful experience. session in terms of her career and where she wants to go.
I always enjoy mentoring sessions for people that have
2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? at least some positive vision for where they want to go
Yes, XX was very knowledgeable and also asked me a and the energy to pursue it.
lot of good, thought-provoking questions.
2. Was Ms. XX “prepared” for a discussion? She
3. Did the mentor offer to meet again at some point? indicated that she wasn’t sure what to expect and hadn’t
(Reminder: Another meeting is not required, and only done much prep. As we walked through the process that
the mentor should initiate another meeting.) I tend to use, she began to see what a good mentoring
Yes, XX said I could feel free to contact him in the should be and how it can help her.
future. Especially, if there were any unanswered
questions I had about what we discussed. 3. Do you plan to meet with Ms. XX again at some
point. (if mutually agreed upon, no requirement to do
4. Would you be interested in serving as a mentee with so). I’ve left that to her. She has my email and phone
another mentor at some point? number. I have made the offer to talk further.
Sure!
5. Any other thoughts? individual at some point. Sure. As I said it can be a
I thought this was really helpful. It would be nice if good experience for everyone.
mentees were offered 3 one-time sessions with different

10

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor
people (like speed-dating) in the same topical area (ex: 5. Any other thoughts? A one time mentoring session
XX), so that we could gain a larger perspective and does have some value, but it is best when there is an
compare experiences. opportunity to follow through just a bit more. The
Federal government needs to encourage more mentoring
as well within the government between aspiring Federal
employees and talented people within or outside their
management chain.

1. Was it a positive experience for you? 1. Was it a positive experience for you? Yes, I enjoyed
Yes, I enjoyed our conversation. He gave some very the conversation.
practical advice that was helpful to hear from an
objective person. 2. Was XX “prepared” for the discussion? I’d say that
she was prepared.
2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion?
I would say the mentor was “present.” He listened 3. Do you plan to talk with XX again at some point? (if
attentively, responded to my questions, and gave mutually agreed upon, no requirement to do so). We left
thoughtful advice. it open. I said that I’d be happy to talk again if she
found a reason to do so.
(Reminder: Another meeting is not required, and only 4. Would you be interested in mentoring another
the mentor should initiate another meeting.) individual at some point? Sure.
Yes, he did offer that we could talk by phone again if I
was interested. 5. How was it to do the mentoring over the phone? Did
that work okay? Having the conversation on the phone
4. Would you be interested in serving as a mentee with was fine. I do a lot of work by phone and find it useful.
another mentor at some point?
Perhaps, but not right now. The mentor I spoke with 6. Any other thoughts? I’m not sure that an hour can
provided some insights that I needed at that moment. have any impact, but I do hope that I had some useful
advice for XX about her career and educational plans,
5. How was it to do the flash mentoring session over the based on what I’ve found since retiring. I think XX was
phone? Did that work okay? wise to have a specific purpose for talking and
The phone session worked really well. I don’t think the recommend that in doing this the mentee be encouraged
conversation would have been much different if we met to formulate a “problem” so that the discussion can have
in person. some focus.

Thanks for the opportunity. I think it was worthwhile.

1. Was it a positive experience for you? Yes. 1. Was it a positive experience for you?
Somewhat. XX is very reserved so drawing him out in a
2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? Yes, he one hour conversation was a challenge. When I asked
had read my resume/CV and had arrived to the meeting him at the end of the session whether he had gotten
prepared with a framework for the discussion. (He had anything out of our conversation, he said that it had
also emailed me a MS Word document listing several reinforced some of the things he felt he needed to do to
areas of discussion to think about before the meeting.) advance his career. If that was the case, I am pleased.

3. Did the mentor offer to meet again at some point? 2. Was XX quot;preparedquot; for the discussion?
(Reminder: Another meeting is not expected; however, Again, somewhat. XX had been encouraged to sign up
if mutually agreed upon, future meetings can take place.) for the program by a colleague but did not have a clear
No. idea of what he wanted. I had sent him a list of questions
to encourage him to think about what we might discuss.
another mentor at some point? (Please note that this 3. Do you plan to talk with XX again at some point? (if

11

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor
current flash mentoring program is not guaranteeing that mutually agreed upon, no requirement to do so).
mentees would be assigned to another mentor.) Yes. Not at this time although your questions prompt me to
send him a note.
5. Any other thoughts? Thank you for including me in
this initiative. I found it to be an interesting, 4. Would you be interested in mentoring another
challenging, and thought-provoking experience. As the individual at some point?
flash mentor pointed out, mentees do not tend to learn Yes. Absolutely. The concept is wonderful and I would
anything brand-new from mentors, nor is this the enjoy doing more as schedules permit.
primary role of the mentor. However, the process does
fulfill a role in reviewing, summarizing and refreshing 5. Any other thoughts?
the collective guidance which has been learned in the I will revise my pre-session questions and encourage, if
past but has potentially been neglected or de-prioritized possible, a brief phone conversation beforehand. I
over the years. would also be interested in getting any feedback that it is
appropriate to share.

1. Yes it was definitely a positive experience She seemed focused on advancing her career from a
2. Yes, my mentor was prepared for a discussion position in which she feels underutilized. I gave her
3. Yes, he offered to meet sometime in the future some pointers both process and ideas she might use in
4. Yes, I would be interested in serving as a mentee the relationship between quality in healthcare and
with another mentor when feasible medical records/IT-her field. Agreed to meet again in a
5. It was a little one-sided in that most of the time it month or so-but no firm date.
was about him. Only occasionally was I able to get in
some information about my path, etc. But, in fairness, Willing to speak to another if she does not get back to
these are mature mentors and they have a lot to share me. Maybe after the first if the year it will be clear as to
and it is, indeed, interesting. If he had a better whether she wants to continue the discussions or
understanding where I’m coming from and where I want whether once was enough.
to go, however, then it may have been more fruitful to
me. Fortunately, I am pretty good at picking out nibbits.
Overall, though, he is very interesting and I enjoyed the
hour with him. I appreciate any opportunity like this.

Mr. XX and I met on ….November X. It was a great XX, I was very pleased with my session with XX. She
session and Mr. XX was well prepared. He was familiar sent questions to me in advance that gave me a good
with my resume and the type of work I had done. He indication as to where she was coming from, and that
offered “food for thought” and provided practical tips. was very helpful. XXXXXXXXXXXX. I also stressed
Mr. XX offered to keep in touch and gave me his contact the importance of networking and calling upon a present
information. I will keep in touch with Mr. XX. SESer who knew of her abilities and who both was in a
position to be of help to her and who might be happy to
do so. I know she listened because I ran into a former
XX supervisor of XX's at a party recently who told me
she had been contacted by XX following the meeting
XX had with me.

We did not set up another meeting, but I gave her my
card and encouraged her to contact me at any time if she
had a question or thought I could be of help in any way.

If I can be helpful to you by being a mentor again, I
would be happy to do so.

12

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor

XX and I had a good meeting together. He has such a 1. It was a positive experience for me.
variety of experience in the government, not for profit,
entrepreneurship, and public sectors, I found it very 2. XX was prepared. He had read my bio and came with
interesting and informative to speak with him. He let me questions about my career, along with some questions on
know that I can contact him again, and he would be his mind. The conversation went smoothly and moved
more than willing to meet, which is great. I am sure I along. I spent about an hour and 15 minutes with him.
will.
3. I told XX that I would be glad to meet with him again
Anyways, I will answer your questions right down the at some point since he lives in XX and very close to my
line: house.

1. It was definitely a positive experience for me. 4. I would mentor other people in the future when my
background seemed appropriate (or they live in XX)
2. He was prepared; he wanted to know all about me to after we get more XX with mentoring sessions booked
try to figure out how he could lead me in the right who have volunteered.
direction. It was in an informal setting, which worked
very well. 5. The mentoring sessions seem to be going well based
on the five sessions that have been completed. It
3. Yeah, we will meet again. It is even easier for us since appears to be a very reasonable and worthwhile activity
we live within a few blocks of each other. to ask XX to undertake as part of their “paying back the
community.”
4. I would be interested in serving as a mentee with
another mentor at some point. I think the program is
great, and would be happy to be a part of it.

5. Overall, it was positive. I am new to the area, and
fairly new to the government. At this stage in my career,
it is very important to learn from others that were in a
similar position at one time.

XX and I had the opportunity to sit down and talk 1. the opportunity to meet with XX was terrific, for me.
yesterday at her office. I thought it was a fantastic I look forward to continued conversations and
experience, and XX and my own background, interests, interactions with him, if that is his interest, which it
and experiences to this point were very similar. This appeared to be.
enabled the mentoring to be much more relevant and
helpful. 2. XX was indeed prepared for the discussion with a
number of interesting questions and observations, while
1. I would say it was an extremely positive experience at the same time he was in listening mode – which I
for me, and XX expressed a number of ways in which hope I did not abuse.
she would be able to be a help and resource in the future.
In addition, our experiences and background matched so 3. indeed, XX and I made plans for getting together in
well that she offered opportunities for me to be engaged the future, and he expressed an eagerness to be involved
in projects she knew of both in her field and industry and in a couple of XX projects as an informal adviser (e.g. a
beyond. proposal we are putting together about the engagement
of XX in the issue of fiscal sustainability); I also invited
2. I would say she was very well prepared for our him to our plenary session of the XX fall conference.
discussion. She requested a copy of my resume in
advance so she had at least educational and professional 4. absolutely open to mentoring another individual.
background info on me before I arrived. While my
preconception was that the session would mainly be 5. it would be great to get informal/confidential
driven by my efforts, XX was very well prepared to feedback from “mentees”, collectively, to understand
discuss topics that she knew would be of interest to me how we as mentors can be more relevant/helpful to

13

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor
and was very insightful and helpful. them.

3. Yes, XX said that our meetings could be a regular
event if I wished them to be. In addition, as I alluded to
above, she invited me to an upcoming XX sponsored
conference and to participate in future projects based
upon our common experiences and training in the social
sciences. I told her i'd be thrilled to continue.

4. My meeting with XX was great and I believe
mutually beneficial, and I would love to be engaged with
another mentor at some point. I don't know if a better
'match' exists than what XX and I ended up being, but
past success shouldn't preclude future efforts!

Thanks for your efforts with this. Having individuals
who are actively seeking to be a help and resource
makes all the difference in these types of endeavors I
think. That was one of the reasons that the mentor
session appealed to me in the first place, and it turned
out to be a great experience.

1. Was it a positive experience for you? I did have a very good meeting with XX. It gave me
It was a wonderful experience! Going into it I was a great faith in our nation’s future to know there are smart,
little reluctant because I wasn't quite sure who I would young people like her preparing to take on leadership
have as a mentor and also that it would only be one hour. positions. My specific answers are in the body of your
But I am so happy I participated. XX is very e-mail below.
experienced and knowledgeable and I received some
very useful and great advice during this initial meeting. 1. Was it a positive experience for you?
Yes. Definitely. XX is bright, informed and engaged.
2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? Plus, I do have a bias: I love smart, young women and
Yes, she had a copy of my resume with her and we XX certainly fills that bill.
reviewed what I've done in the past and where I'd like to
be headed. 2. Was XX “prepared” for a discussion?
Yes she was. She had both big picture, long-term career
3. Did the mentor offer to meet again at some point? questions as well as specific queries about her current
(Reminder: Another meeting is not expected; however, professional development opportunities.
Yes, we do plan to meet again and I am honored to 3. Do you plan to meet with XX again at some point. (if
continue my mentoring with her. mutually agreed upon, no requirement to do so).
Yes. We talked about it and agreed we would spend
4. Would you be interested in serving as a mentee with more time together. In the meantime, I am working with
another mentor at some point? (Please note that this XX to attempt to XXXXXX.
mentees would be assigned to another mentor.) 4. Would you be interested in mentoring another
In the future, I would definitely consider it. individual at some point.
I would be happy to.

I hope we got a good response from the XX for this
effort. When I was in government, XX seemed to be a
think tank made up of highly-accomplished people who
I could only admire, not get to know. This project breaks
down that barrier and brings XX’s most important assets
in direct contact with gifted rank-and-file employees. In

14

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor
my view, XX will gain as much as the mentees. And, I
know I will learn much from the effort and from XX.

1. Was it a positive experience for you? Yes, speaking 1. Was it a positive experience for you? It was a very
with XX was a great experience. positive experience. We have a lot in common. I am
very impressed with her background, commitment to
2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? Yes. public service, and her obvious intelligence, sense of
humor, and social skills.
(Reminder: Another meeting is not required, and only 2. Was XX “prepared” for the discussion? Very
the mentor should initiate another meeting.) Yes, she prepared. She sent me some questions ahead of the call.
said that she would like to meet me the next time she She had reviewed my bio. She was clear about what she
was in town. wanted out of the discussion.

4. Would you be interested in serving as a mentee with 3. Do you plan to talk with XX again at some point? (if
another mentor at some point? Yes. mutually agreed upon, no requirement to do so). Yes,
per comments above. I want to know what she does
5. Any other thoughts? I think that this was a great over her career and help in any way I can. Also, we
experience and I hope that XX and I develop a discovered that she is to be on a panel at the XX
relationship over time. I think that it is highly valuable meetings, so we can meet in person there.
for people early in their career to have access and insight
to senior officials. 4. Would you be interested in mentoring another
individual at some point? Yes, especially if the match is
as good as this one.

5. How was it to do the mentoring over the phone? Did
that work okay? It worked just fine. I do some peer
coaching over the phone and find it’s easier to focus and
concentrate than it sometimes is in person.

6. Any other thoughts? It was a good experience and a
great idea. Thanks for the opportunity!

1. Was it a positive experience for you? 1. Was it a positive experience for you? YES, BUT I
The Flash mentoring session was a positive experience. AM NOT SURE I HELPED HER.

2. Was the mentor quot;preparedquot; for a discussion? 2. Was XX quot;preparedquot; for the discussion? A LITTLE
The mentor was prepared, but was uncertain as to what BIT. MY SENSE IS THAT OUR CAREER PATHS
was expected. The mentor had a wealth of knowledge ARE SO DIFFERENT THAT THERE WAS NOT A
and experience in my areas of interest. LOT OF COMMONGROUND.

3. Did the mentor offer to meet again at some point? 3. Do you plan to talk with XX again at some point? (if
(Reminder: Another meeting is not expected; however, mutually agreed upon, no requirement to do so). WE
if mutually agreed upon, future meetings can take place.) DID NOT DISCUSS. I WILL IF SHE ASKS.
The mentor did not offer to meet again.
4. Would you be interested in serving as a mentee with individual at some point? YES
current flash mentoring program is not guaranteeing that 5. Any other thoughts? I WONDER HOW THE
mentees would be assigned to another mentor.) PROGRAM HAS BEEN DESIGNED--PURPOSE OF

15

1/28/08
Mentee Mentor
Yes THE MENTORING, HOW FOLKS APPLY AND
MANAGE EXPECTATIONS, HOW A quot;MENTEEquot; IS
5. Any other thoughts? PAIRED WITH A MENTOR.
The Flash Mentoring is a good concept and practice. It
is quite different from traditional mentoring in terms of
time. The evaluation process used to match me with my
mentor was very good. The experience helped to
motivate me intrinsically. The questionnaire used to
evaluate a mentee's perception of the experience could
be improved by incorporating Likert scaling and
semantical differentials. This is a very good study and
practice and I hope it continues. Have you considered
testing a virtual mentoring session?

16

Flash Mentoring - Side By Side Evaluation Feedback Summary - Redacted 1 28 08

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Flash Mentoring - Side By Side Evaluation Feedback Summary - Redacted 1 28 08

Similar to Flash Mentoring - Side By Side Evaluation Feedback Summary - Redacted 1 28 08 (14)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Flash Mentoring - Side By Side Evaluation Feedback Summary - Redacted 1 28 08