Mentoring/Formal/USA

Overview

Informal Mentoring	Formal Mentoring
Editors asking and answering questions in the forums and live chat.	A controlled one-on-one interaction geared to educate a mentee on particular Waze editing skills.
Can take place anytime, without any special process to set up the interaction.	Must come to a formal agreement to start the mentorship, after careful selection of partners.
There is no approval process to be an informal mentor.	Only Waze can approve formal mentors.
Advice can range from exceptionally good to highly questionable depending upon the provider	Provided education is more predictable and controlled with high certainty for a positive outcome
Task oriented: solve a current problem in editing and nothing more (e.g., how to fix a particular junction that is giving bad directions or bad map appearance).	Goal oriented: intended to improve a particular mentee skill, not a particular feature on the map.
Generally lasts a few minutes or a few hours, with little to no recurring communication expected.	Repeated interaction, in a defined range of time on a specific range of topics, to improve a particular skill.
Provides instant answers to questions, but cannot track the quality of the information provided.	Helps ensure quality map edits over time as editors advance in rank.
Not expected to significantly change the abilities of the Mentee and no expectation for change in rank during or after the mentorship.	Expectation is to upgrade the mentee skills, allowing the mentee to rise in rank or at least close the gap toward a rise in rank. At mentor discretion, mentee may receive a (temporary) rank change to facilitate the mentorship.

Formal mentoring

Formal Mentoring is a one-on-one interaction between a Mentee and Mentor with specific objectives of increasing skill, editor level, and Waze Community participation. With a specific Mentee-Mentor pair, agreed upon objective, start, and end, this process needs a bit more coordination. It also requires commitment from both the Mentee and Mentor to complete the objective. Mentoring could last a week to months - the Mentee and Mentor decide.

Formal Mentoring is conducted by a Waze-approved group of Mentors. If you wish to become a Mentor or Mentee, look on the Waze Forum about mentoring (below).

Formal mentoring summary

• Decide if Formal Mentoring is right for you.
  • Look at the Formal mentoring guidelines to see if you want to be a Mentee or Mentor in Formal Mentoring.
  • Please fill in this form Mentoring Form

• If you want to be a Mentee:
  • Make a request on the Forum.
  • Do you want to pick your own mentor?  If you don't know one, look here:
    • Mentors
    • Local Champ Mentors
    • Global Champ Mentors
  • If you're not sure, you will be matched with a potential Mentor.
  • Work with that Mentor to reach an agreement.
    • If the Mentor is a match - Begin and complete mentoring.
    • If the Mentor is not a match - Request assistance in terminating the mentorship as peacefully as possible; you may try again with a different Mentor.

• If you want to be a Mentor:
  • Read and agree to the Formal mentor training
  • Request to be granted the Mentor role (form under development)
  • Suggest those to whom you'd like to Mentor.
  • Survey the pool of Mentee requests and volunteer to help.

The last two suggestions are more appropriate after you receive sponsorship by a Waze Champ to be granted Mentor status.