Submitted by Traci Ruth

“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey

It has been five years since the Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) launched its first pilot Mentorship Program.  In those five years, the program has undergone many changes but the one thing that has remained the same is the program’s goal…to empower its employees with the knowledge, skills and guidance to become the organization’s future leaders.

The program delivers knowledge and skills at a monthly group session and at one-on-one meetings with each mentee and mentor.  During the program, mentees learn and have an opportunity to practice:

• Goal setting
• Resume writing
• Public speaking
• Mock interviews with feedback sessions
• Networking
• And “Soft Skills” (verbal and non-verbal communication, professionalism, decision making, team building, personality assessment and emotional intelligence)

However, the key to the success of MCDOT’s Mentorship program is the relationships that develop not only between the mentee and the mentor, but among the entire mentorship cohort.  This shared experience, built upon trust and vulnerability, provides all participants with the ability to grow in a supportive environment and to develop long-lasting ties with other participants which leads to continuous growth.

“There is no greater joy than seeing MCDOT’s employees take ownership of not only their career and professional growth, but their personal growth as well,” said MCDOT Director, County Engineer and WTS Member Jennifer Toth.  “We have seen amazing results from complete career transformations to the trickle-down effect of a mentee inspiring their children to set and reach their goals. You simply cannot place expectations on what a truly motivated employee can accomplish.”

Other successes MCDOT’s employees have attributed to the Mentorship Program include:

• Receiving promotions
• Participating on interview panels
• Being recruited for special work assignments
• Gaining confidence in public speaking
• Learning how to network

MCDOT has successfully created a program to empower its employees to become Maricopa County’s future leaders. With progressive and innovative programs such as this, MCDOT is moving closer to developing a new generation of transportation industry employees to serve the residents and businesses of Maricopa County.