• Show Up: Commit to at least one meaningful conversation each month over the 9-month program, ending at the Annual Convention. Meetings can be virtual or in person. If life gets in the way, reschedule – consistency matters more than perfection.
• Set Expectations: Use your first conversation to talk through goals, communication preferences, availability, and what each of you hopes to gain. Clear expectations build stronger partnerships.
• Be Curious: Come ready to ask thoughtful questions, listen with intention, and learn from one another. The best conversations are often the ones you didn’t plan.
• Keep It Confidential: What’s shared between a mentor and mentee stays between them, unless both agree otherwise. Avoid sharing confidential company, employee, or customer information. Trust is the foundation of every strong mentoring relationship.
• Be Honest: Celebrate successes. Share mistakes. Ask difficult questions. Offer respectful feedback. The most valuable conversations aren’t always the easiest ones.
• Respect Each Other: Respect each other’s time, experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. You don’t have to agree on everything to learn from one another.
• Follow Through: When you agree to make an introduction, share a resource, complete an activity, or take a next step – do it. Small actions build trust. If you need to reschedule, pause, or step away, say so. Don’t ghost your partner.
• Focus on Mutual Growth: This isn’t recruiting or selling. It’s two professionals learning from one another, investing in each other’s development, and strengthening the future of our industry.
• Have Fun: Some of the best professional relationships begin with a single conversation. Enjoy the experience, celebrate progress, and let the relationship develop naturally.
• Participate in GAWDA Events: All pairs attend at least two GAWDA Young Professional Peer Mentorship virtual meetings, plus any in-person GAWDA events they’re able to join together.

A note for mentees: If your mentor recommends something to read, try, or reflect on, come back with what you learned or how it went. Mentors stay engaged with mentees who show up prepared.

• Relationship Building: Share your career story, invite your partner to a Peer Mentorship meeting, make a meaningful industry introduction.
• Personal Effectiveness: Identify your strengths, talk through confidence and imposter syndrome, build a plan for managing time and priorities.
• Communication & Influence: Practice giving and receiving feedback, discuss how to gain support for an idea without formal authority.
• Leadership Development: Talk through leading without authority, work through a personal leadership development plan.
• Business & Industry Understanding: Review an org chart, tour a facility, discuss an industry trend shaping the future.
• Career Growth: Review your career goals and build a 12-month career action plan.

This is a sample only – the full Topics & Activities list (60+ items) is available as a downloadable PDF.