"Transforming Ice (Breaker) into Heat"

All photographs copyrighted by Ralph M. Ferraro, 2011

I presented a workshop at Toastmasters District 46 Spring Conference on Saturday, April 30th, 2011. The workshop is a guide for those who want to seek a mentor and those who want to be a mentor.

How many people would see the 1st photo, perhaps notice it, perhaps pass it by?


What would help a person look closer and see the 2nd photo, or even closer and see the 3rd photo?
A mentor or guide can facilitate the journey to the 3rd photo.
Two contemporary films illustrate what makes a good mentoring experience and a poor mentoring experience.


Poor Mentoring Experience:

• "Young Frankenstein," Chapter 18 is a classic example of a disconnected attempt at mentoring.

Positive Mentoring Experience:

• "The King's Speech," Chapter 17 is a great example of a strong mentoring experience

I helped the audience look at what is necessary to be a Mentee. A strong curiosity, a willingness to grow and a willingnes to take risks are required if you want to undertake the journey of a Mentee.

I then guided the audience to what is necessary to be a Mentor.

1. Humility - not the self-negating variety. The affirming sense of knowing who you are and what special talents you have. Making no apologies to anyone for who you are.
2. Experience - Having lived in the moment, embraced life, taken risks, learned from your mistakes, and loved life.
3. Willingness to listen, and to share what you've learned.
4. Challenging the Mentee to explore new adventures yet accepting them if they are not ready to go to the outer limit of their potential
5. We touched on the issues of privacy
6. We touched on the role of ethics
7. We discussed other important factors in both public communication and team building, such as
1. passion
2. knowledge of your subject
3. Telling a story

A mini-version of this presentation will take place tonight at my Knickerbocker Toastmasters meeting.