Expectations:

This is a mentor-led and community-driven program. The activities below provide an overview of active involvement and will require initiative from mentors and mentees.

• RING's are mentorship circles involving two-four mentees and one mentor. The mentor is expected to lead discussions within their mentee group.
• Mentees and mentors will commit to meeting and communicating openly with each other throughout the four-month long program. We recommend meeting twice a month and adjusting the cadence if needed.
• Mentees will likely need to perform pre-meeting work as determined by the mentor. We expect that this program will take no more than five hours per month for mentees and mentors, including the two one-hour meetings.
• Mentors are expected to review program materials, choose topics based on their RING's interest, and lead discussions on the topics.
• All RING participants are expected to be accountable for their actions, providing necessary communication if they cannot make a meeting or need to reschedule. For additional information please review the Online Community Guidelines.
  
• All RING participants are expected to complete feedback and reflection surveys provided by the Learning & Organziational Development Team. At most, this includes completing a short survey each month.

Communication (Initial Meeting)

There are a few integral pieces to forming a trusting team. One of which is communication. Having good communication practices ensures understanding and can make or break teams, products, and organizations.

In this program guide you’ll create your very own communication plan for your team. Utilizing this in the first meeting will help you and your RING stay on track throughout the program.

The goal of this guide is  to provide a foundation for success.

Managing Up

Managing Up gives you the opportunity to practice navigating and influencing people who approach work differently than you. It isn't about changing your boss or yourself but changing the way you interact. Through managing up, you can develop a productive and positive relationship with your boss to get the best result for you, them, and the organization.

In this program guide, you will reflect on how you currently manage up and be provided actionable steps to do so more effectively.

Working with Difficult People

It can be frustrating when you are trying to do your job and feel someone is getting in your way or making your life hard. Research suggests that it is all about the preparation that enables you to manage your reactions when Working with Difficult People.

This program guide will help you identify difficult personality types and create targeted strategies to work more effectively with these individuals.

Goal Setting

Goals are the level of competence that we wish to achieve and create a useful lens through which we assess our current performance. Goal setting is the proccess by which we achieve these goals. 

The formulation of a goal is an important first step in the process of its achievement.

This program guide, and the included activities, can be helpful for those who are unsure of what goals to set or for those who have set goals, but would like to take action or to see more results.

Imposter Syndrome

We can define impostor syndrome as a psychological phenomenon in which you feel like you don’t deserve your accomplishments.

You might feel like you don’t belong, don’t deserve your success, or are “out of place.” You might even be constantly worried others will expose you as a fraud.

In this program guide, you'll be given an opportunity to lightly assess if you have imposter syndrome, review some types of imposter syndrome and work with your RING to manage your perception.

Networking at Stanford

Why is networking so important? Building connections with the right people at the right time could be the key to taking your career to the next level. 

Networking usually involves meeting new people, who share a profession, industry, or interests. Networking involves exchanging ideas and information between these individuals. 

In this program guide, you'll learn why networking is important and how to start networking online with those in your chosen field or career path.

Personal Branding

Managing your personal brand is vital to excelling in your career. So, what is a personal brand anyway? A brand is a result – an individual's gut feeling about a product, service or company. A personal brand is your reputation.

When a colleague receives an email from you, when a hiring manager reads your resume, when someone engages with your social media- they are perceiving your brand. If you don't curate your personal brand, others will.

In this program guide, you'll review how to create a personal brand (if you don't have one) and manage your current personal brand to align with your goals.

Self-Advocacy & Self-Promotion

Self-Advocacy is the ability to communicate your needs in a way that supports your goals. Self-Promotion includes any action taken to publicize your accomplishments or career activities. Self-advocacy and self-promotion go hand in hand.

This guide is intended to further your understanding and application of self-advocacy and self-promotion. In doing so, you can promote both yourself and your work in a way that facilitates career growth.

Career Development 

Career Development is a broad term used to define strategic professional development. From an individual perspective, career development is typically setting long-term advancement goals that involves learning new skills or enhancing specific skills that will support the career you are working toward. 

This guide will support discovery and lead to an understanding of next steps you can take to begin your strategic professional development journey. 

Mentors

Applying as a mentor means, you agree to:

• Lead a small group of colleagues for a minimum four months. 
• Learn about the organization and cross-functional teams.
• Commit to hosting RING meetings.
• Network and engage with a curiosity mindset.

Mentees

Applying as a mentee means, you agree to:

• Network with a small group of colleagues for a minimum four months. 
• Learn about the organization and cross-functional teams.
• Commit to participating in RING meetings.
• Engage with a growth and curiosity mindset.