On this page you will find sample agendas, sample questions, and more resources to help guide the conversations you will be having as part of the Inclusv mentoring program.
Mentors, want to prepare for a topic beforehand? Check out our Resources Page which features various articles, guides, and tools!Check out the Example Agenda. Feel free to adjust it accordingly.
February 2019
Key Goal for this Month: Discuss Realities of Being a Person of Color in Leadership and/or Trying to Move Into a Leadership Role
The mentor and mentee should go over the goal that they’d identified in the previous month and continue to work on the goal, if it is still in progress. For pairs who have identified and completed addressing the goal (i.e. resume review), we encourage the pairs to identify another possible goal that the mentor and mentee can work on.
For this month, we encourage pairs to have conversations around the realities of being a person of color in a leadership role or trying to move into a leadership role: what approaches have worked and the challenges that exist within the current system and structure, how it has changed over the years, and share and bounce ideas of how to create new spaces for leadership of color. We strongly encourage folks to look at the Data and Research on Diversity in Politics, particularly research conducted from our friends at Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Pay Our Interns, and Campaign Workers Guild.tarted.
Ice Breaker
- What type of leader do you aspire to be?
- How do I move into a leadership role, while remaining true and authentic to myself?”
- How do you define leadership?
- What are some wellness practices that you can practice every day to ground yourself?
- What do you do (or how do you approach) when you encounter a situation at work (i.e. project assignment, support/opposition to a bill) that runs counter to your personal beliefs and values?
Sample Discussion Topics
- Fighting for Equal and Fair Pay
- How to be Promoted for a Position That You Deserve
- How Workplaces Impact Our Well Being
- When You Are The Only Person of Color in Leadership
- Well-Being Strategies
- Termination and Unemployment
- Balancing Responsibilities of a Leadership Role and Your Personal Life
Sample Question for Mentors to Ask Mentees
- What areas do you struggle with in terms of leadership?
- What are your strengths? What are areas can I support you with?
- Should we go through a mock exercise (i.e. networking) to help you strengthen your leadership skills?
Sample Questions for Mentees to Ask Mentors
- How do you operate in rooms when the leadership is predominantly white men and you are the only person of color in the room?
- What advice do you have for someone who is trying to break through to a leadership role?
- How do you balance your professional and personal life?
- How have you advocated for yourself in terms of equal and fair pay? What strategies have worked for you?
- How do initiate a conversation with your boss around a promotion/pay raise?
Sample Articles
- Boasting about how many hours you work is a sign of failure (Quartz, Olivia Goldhill, December 8, 2018)
- Diversity as a Second Job (Columbia Journalism Review, Vann R. Newkirk II, Fall 2018)
- How Unconscious Bias Keeps Underrepresented Groups Out Of Leadership — And What To Do (Forbes, Shahid Wazed, August 23, 2018)
- Last Week She Worked For A Democratic Campaign. Now She’s Applying At Costco. (Huffington Post, Molly Redden, November 13, 2018)
- New lawmakers pressure Congress to treat staff, interns better to bring more diversity to Capitol Hill (The Washington Post, Elise Viebeck, December 8, 2018)
- One type of diversity we don’t talk about at work: Body size (CNN, Julia Carpenter, January 3, 2019)
- Overcoming Barriers to People of Color in Union Leadership (Cornell University IRL School and AFL-CIO, 2015)
- The Exceptions to the Rulers (The Atlantic, Adam Sewer, January 9, 2019)
- The Hardest Glass Ceiling in Politics (Politico, Abby Livingston, December 7, 2018)
- The Importance of Working For A Boss Who Supports You (Forbes, Sarah Landrum, December 8, 2017)
- When Dismantling Power Dismantles You Instead (Maria Solis, Broadly, December 7, 2018)
- You Are Problematic. Try Anyway. (Medium, Namira Islam, January 15, 2019)
- You Owe Me an Apology (Elle, Brittney Packnett, September 12, 2018
Before Your Next Meeting
Achieving Your Mentorship Goals
Please note that mentors are human too. We do not expect mentors to have answers to every question from a mentee. We encourage mentors and mentees to connect with one another and of course reach out to Moonyoung@Inclusv.com if there is a specific request for materials and support.
Review Your Goals: As you and your mentor/mentees enter the last month of the mentorship program, look at which goals that you still would like to address or if you would like to continue to work on current goals. Mentors, feel free to check out our Resources Page for a broader list of available resources.
Be Prepared: We highly recommend that mentees and mentors review which topics have been covered and identify what has yet to be discussed or addressed. Mentees, as you prepare for the last month, we strongly recommend that you notify your mentor of what you’d like to discuss. You can always send your mentor an email in advance with the topic. This provides your mentor some context and time to prepare for the next call.
This is also a good time to let your mentor/mentee know if you need to reschedule the call.