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Program Goals & Requirements

We are pleased to launch the EWF LIFT program which includes a Mentor Program and a Peer Partner Program. The goal of the LIFT Program is to provide a way for EWF members to share their experience and advice with those who are newer in their career path and to encourage ongoing support and interaction between peers with more mature careers.

The hope is that EWF members will find encouragement and support to pursue their interests, to define and achieve their career goals, and to steer through the challenges of work/life balance. By participating in the LIFT program, EWF members also will be able to continue building their professional network. We believe Mentors will be rewarded by the interaction they will have with tomorrow's leaders as well as by gaining a unique view into what drives younger generations. Protégés will have an opportunity to learn from industry experts. Peer Partners will enjoy the encouragement and support of someone who can understand the ongoing challenges of a senior position coupled with a busy personal life.

All LIFT program participants are required to be a current or past attendee of the EWF Conference and to be a registered member of the EWF community. Participants are required to acknowledge the five basic tenets of the LIFT program as part of registration and will be asked to provide feedback during the program.

Every six months, an open season will be announced to allow participants the opportunity to be matched with a new Mentor, Protégé, or Peer Partner. Each program participant can also opt to continue their existing relationship and to bypass the open season.

Mentors and Protégés will communicate regularly to discuss career strategies, specific issues, training needs, or networking advice. Peers will communicate regularly to share goals and to encourage each other with professional or personal matters. The LIFT program is designed for flexibility since it is expected the relationship between participants will vary. Mentors and Peers are not expected to provide interviews or job opportunities, and such requests are discouraged.

Time Commitment

The time commitment may vary according to the type of relationship that is desired and the level of similarity in interests and career goals. It is expected that participants will meet once per month or at least twice each quarter. This would translate to approximately 1-3 hours per month communicating by phone and/or email.

Registration and Matching

Registration is open! Last day to register for the first wave of LIFT will be Tuesday, October 25, 2011.

Registration is Closed.

Registration and Privacy

The LIFT Committee will review the registration forms and connect Mentors, Protégés, and Peer Partners based on the information provided. All participants will need to register on the EWF website and to submit a registration form as either a Mentor, Protégé, or Peer Partner. EWF members can participate in any two of the roles. The information provided on the registration form will only be used for the purposes of selecting the best pairings and will only be used by the LIFT Committee and volunteers asked to help with the matching process. None of the information will be shared with anyone outside of the EWF. Only the name, email address, phone number, and personal statement from the registration form may be shared with a participant's match.

The Matching Process

Step 1 - Existing participants can choose at any time to remain with their existing Mentor, Protégé, and/or Peer Partner. Honoring these requests will be the first piece of the matching process. Any applicant may request a specific individual to serve as a Mentor, Protégé, or Peer Partner. The LIFT Committee will honor these requests to the extent possible. Finally, the LIFT Committee will use the information provided on the registration forms to make the best possible matches for the remaining applicants.

Step 2 - An email will be sent to each individual providing the employer name and possibly the personal statement for the potential match to provide an opportunity to identify any conflicts due to corporate affiliations. If a conflict is identified, the LIFT Committee will make every effort to identify a more suitable match. (Names will not be disclosed until a final match is selected.)

Step 3 - The LIFT Committee will make the final selections and send an email to each Mentor, Protégé, and Peer Partner disclosing the name and contact information of the final match. Mentors, Protégés, and Peer Partners must respond to the notification email to acknowledge receipt of the information and an understanding that initial contact should be completed by the target deadline.

Matching Changes & Open Season

The LIFT Committee recognizes that matches between Mentors and Protégés and between Peer Partners may not be the perfect fit for a variety of reasons. The LIFT Program will include an open season every six months to allow Mentors, Protégés, and Peer Partners the opportunity to re-enter the pool of participants for a new match. Each Mentor/Protégé and Peer pair also can opt to continue their existing relationship and to bypass the open season. Both individuals must agree to continue the relationship. Otherwise, both individuals will need to choose whether to re-enter the pool for matching or take a break from the program.

Mentoring Guidelines

Once the Mentor and Protégé have been matched, it is important they schedule an initial phone call or meeting to discuss expectations of how their mentoring relationship will work. Every effort should be made on both sides to be flexible to the desires of the other party in terms of the time commitment, the structure of meetings, etc. to make the experience as postive as possible for both participants.

The Initial Meeting
Mentors are expected to be the one to initiate contact for an initial call. The purpose of the initial meeting is to discuss expectations and what each person hopes to gain or to accomplish. Covering these details in the intial meeting can have a dramatic impact on the success of the pairing. You may particularly want to discuss whether the Mentor plans to assign homework, whether the Protégé should prepare specific questions for each meeting, the intended length of each meeting, etc.

Mentors and Protégés should discuss the desired level of communication, the frequency of future meetings, and the method of future contact. It is expected that most contact will be through email and phone calls, though personal meetings are encouraged whenever possible. Mentors and Protégés are encouraged to schedule a series of meetings on their calendars to ensure other demands do no hinder finding time to meet.

Participants are encouraged to consider the Suggested Questions below to assist with the initial meeting.

Suggested Goals for the Mentoring Program

Helping to identify or to verbalize career goals
Identifying relevant training, certification, or educational opportunities
Assisting with developing problem-solving skills
Assisting with identifying strengths and areas of improvement
Encouraging growth through setting and achieving career goals
Sharing work experience
Providing a "shadow" experience for the Protégé by taking them to work

Suggested Questions for the Initial Meeting

Why did you want to be part of the LIFT Program?
What would you like to gain from this mentoring relationship?
How often would you like to meet?
What form should the meetings take? Email, phone calls, text messages, Skype, or in-person meetings?
Who will initiate the contact?
Do you have any concerns about trying to make this mentor relationship work?
If one or both of us should become uncomfortable with some aspect of the relationship or program, how should we handle it?
Should we set a date to evaluate whether to continue with the LIFT program?
How have you enhanced your job performance, competencies, and skills over the past one to three years?
What characteristics would be of most importance to you in your Mentor or Protégé?
What positions have you held within the past three to five years?

Suggested Questions for the Mentor to Ask the Protégé (Career Goals):

What would you like the next step in your career to be?
What are your plans in the next year? In the next 1-3 years?
Do you want or need help in networking?
What kind of contacts do you feel you need in your network?
Are there specific contacts you would like me to initiate?
What do you think you need to do in the next year to move up in your career?
Are you considering additional certifications?
What would you like the outcome of this Mentoring arrangement to be? Or, what do you hope to accomplish by participating in the LIFT program?

Peer Partner Guidelines

Once two Peers have been matched, it is important they schedule an initial phone call or meeting to discuss the parameters of how they will interact. The LIFT Committee will be available to answer questions about how to structure the interaction.

The Initial Meeting
When Peer Partners are matched, the LIFT Committee will designate an individual to initiate contact. It is expected most contact will be through email and phone calls, though personal meetings are encouraged and may be even more important between Peers. The purpose of the initial meeting is to discuss expectations, what each person hopes to gain or to accomplish, and whether there are any particular topics that drove the interest. Peer Partners may desire less formal interaction, but still should discuss how often they plan to meet and whether that will be by phone, email, or otherwise. Peer Partners are encouraged to schedule a series of meetings on their calendars to ensure other demands do not hinder finding time to meet.

Participants are encouraged to consider the Suggested Questions below to assist with the initial meeting.

Exploring Expectations and Goals
After the initial meeting, Peer Partners should look for opportunities to encourage each other in their respective careers. In addition to regular contact and/or meetings, Peer Partners should consider sending emails or text messages or making phone calls when appropriate to offer positive support, to promote confidence, and to be a friend in the workplace.

Suggested Goals

Helping to identify, to verbalize, or to achieve career goals
Promoting a positive balance between work and personal life or work and family
Suggesting ways to deal with difficult colleagues or work matters
Providing positive feedback and encouraging support
Suggesting reading materials or other helpful resources

Suggested Questions for the Initial Meeting

What interested you about the LIFT Program for Peer Partners?
What would you like to gain from the Peer interaction?
How often would you like to meet?
Do you prefer contact by email, phone, text messages, Skype, or in-person meetings?
What do you think are the challenges of being a Peer Partner?
If one or both of us should become uncomfortable with some aspect of the relationship or program, how should we handle it?
Should we set a date to evaluate whether to continue with the LIFT program?

Program Feedback

All participants will be asked to provide regular feedback about the LIFT program. Feedback will be requested and provided online and will be used to continually improve the LIFT program. All feedback will be considered confidential, but may be summarized and discussed or presented to the participants to help improve the program. Participants are also encouraged to send feedback outside of the regular request times by sending an email to the LIFT Committee (LIFT-commitee@ewf-usa.com).

The LIFT Committee

Contact the LIFT Committee with any questions you may have at:

LIFT-committee@ewf-usa.com.