Mentor Program Guidelines
ULI New York’s Mentor Program is committed to supporting our ULI New York District Council’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiative. As such, we would like to remind you of ULI New York’s DEI Statement:
One of ULI New York’s key objectives is to increase diversity in our organization and in the real estate and land use industries. Our leadership is actively working to develop a diversity and inclusion initiative to increase the involvement of historically underrepresented diverse populations. We believe diversifying our membership, raising the profile of our diverse members, and welcoming their different perspectives allows us to better fulfill ULI’s mission of creating and sustaining thriving, resilient, and equitable communities.
The Mentor Program:
Building a professional relationship between Mentor and Mentee is accomplished by meeting together on your own time. Committing time each month for one-on-one interaction, either in person, over the phone or virtually, allows the Mentor and Mentee to build their relationship with each interaction. The following guidelines have been established to provide all participants the most satisfactory experience.
- Participants will maintain a professional relationship and will treat each other and all program participants with respect, abiding by ULI New York’s DEI policy.
- Meet with your Mentor/Mentee once per month.
- Establish guidelines for telephone calls and means of contact. Return each other’s calls and emails promptly.
- Register for Mentor Program events in a timely manner.
- Relationships are built on trust. Information shared confidentially must be respected and kept confidential. Breach of confidentiality will result in dismissal from the Mentor Program.
Roles and Responsibilities in Mentoring Relationships
Mentor: As a Mentor, you will serve as advisors and sounding boards for young professionals or graduate students. You will have the opportunity to invest in the future leaders of the New York real estate community by personally guiding young professionals. We hope you will discover the personal and professional benefits of making a difference in a young professional’s career development. Specifically, a Mentor should:
- Work with your Mentee to understand the goals and objectives your Mentee has for the term of the program.
- Provide guidance based on your business experiences. Share stories of your career trajectory, including mistakes and lessons learned.
- Describe your area(s) of expertise.
- Create a positive counseling relationship and a climate of open communication.
- Help Mentees identify obstacles, build on their core strengths, and support problem solving for challenging situations.
- Assist Mentees to build their network in the industry and refer Mentees to other business associates, as appropriate.
Mentee: As a Mentee, you will benefit from personal interaction with an experienced real estate professional. You will be given an opportunity to create and foster a relationship that can last for many years beyond the program year. Specifically, a Mentee should:
- Initiate contact with your Mentor. Try to use email as a mode of communication for scheduling one-to-one contact either in person or over the phone.
- Help shape the nature of the relationship—come prepared with what you would like to talk about and communicate your goals to your Mentor. Come prepared with several topics of discussion at each meeting.
- Have realistic and attainable expectations for your time with your Mentor.
- Be respectful of your Mentor’s time and be flexible with scheduling.
- Solicit feedback from your Mentor.
- Do not expect to find employment through your Mentor. While your Mentor can be helpful in many ways, this is not their responsibility.
Mentor/Mentee Together:
- Schedule regular, formal meetings.
- Determine the level of structure in the relationship.
- Identify objectives for your time together.
Meeting Ideas:
- Share a meal or meet for coffee
- Discuss your career plans and steps to take to achieve them
- Attend a Program – attend a ULI program together and discuss the topic after the event
- Site Tours – visit a recent real estate project together and discuss
- Professional and Personal Growth – five and ten year plans, life map, etc.
- Share news stories – email each other thought-provoking news stories on your mutual areas of interest
- Discuss areas of interest within the real estate industry