February 2015
Concord-Carlisle Community Connections Program
Possible Discussion Topics
For Mentors, Students and Facilitators
Spring 2015
Topic 1 – Introductions/Getting to Know One Another/Discussion of Topical Interests for the Program
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Sharing between mentors and students of personal histories and career aspirations
For the mentor, what were the key turning points in the mentor’s career? Why were certain career
choices made? How did the mentor prepare for these choices? In retrospect, what might the mentor
have done differently? How did the mentor’s goals change from when they graduated high
school/college and why? If the mentor were coming out of high school today, what might be done
differently?
For the student, what has influenced your perceptions about potential career paths? What does the
student want from a career? What would the perfect job look like as a first step into a career? Is
there a field that is of high interest at this time? What are the biggest worries about starting a
career?
What are the specific goals and expectations that lead to enrolling in the program, for both mentor
and student?
o Why did the students ask to participate in and why did the mentors volunteer for this
opportunity?
o What do students and mentors hope to gain from this experience?
o Are there special areas of inquiry that are of interest to students or mentors?
If students are interested in a particular mentor’s business or professional area, what type of
preparation is appropriate to better position oneself for a career in the field (especially in terms of
personal qualities and academic preparation, among others)? More generally, what are the types of
personal qualities and academic performance sought by prospective employers? What are the
potential entry-level career opportunities available in the fields represented by the mentors?
Discussion of topical interests from list below or those from other sources identified by student or
mentor, that may be of further interest for additional inquiry over the remaining sessions.
Topic 2 – Leadership and Management
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What is leadership? Can anyone be a leader?
Are leaders born or made?
Encouraging students to imagine that one does not need to be in a designated leadership role to have
a satisfying and gratifying professional career……not everyone will be a CEO, or even want to be. The
importance of pursuing one’s passion.
Differences between leadership and management.
Do leaders necessarily come from the “top of the class?”
Some of the attributes that successful leaders exhibit and skills that are important in the professional
arena permitting success in the workplace.
Are there different forms that leadership can take? Executive leadership? Knowledge-based
leadership? Thought leadership? Other? Can a single organization have more than one leader? If so,
how is leadership effectively shared in an organization?
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February 2015
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What are the characteristics of a good leader? Among them, an appreciation for human differences?
Strong interpersonal skills? The ability to face, address and recover from adversity?
How do leaders create successful collaborations with business associates and other businesspeople,
through teamwork, collaboration and personal networks, to address shared business challenges?
What inspiring leader role models do the mentors have, and what about these role models
distinguished or set them apart, in the view of the mentors?
Encourage the students to talk about a particular role model in his or her life. How has this person
positively influenced the student, and are there traits of the role model the student might seek to
emulate?
Topic 3 – Professional and Business Communications
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How important is effective communication in being successful in business and professional fields?
Are interpersonal skills important in effective communication?
What are the key success factors in being effective in the workplace? Are there ways to improve
communication effectiveness?
How has social media changed the way communication in the workplace is conducted?
o What are the benefits, and the potential drawbacks, of a reliance on social media as a means
of communication?
o Can social media effectively replace face-to-face communication?
How is business and professional networking important in the mentor’s business and professional
environment in particular, and in the business arena more generally?
Topic 4 – Business and Professional Adversity and its Impact Personally and in the Workplace
/Recovery from Adversity
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Economic adversity - the 1987 stock market crash, 9/11, the 2008 recession. How did these economic
and financial events influence the mentor’s organization, and what actions were taken to prevent or
lessen their negative impact?
How do such events affect consumer confidence, and what impact do they have on businesses
generally, and on your business more specifically?
How can the unexpected loss of a valued, key employee, through death or resignation of that
employee, affect the business, and what type of planning is needed to lessen its impact?
What are some of the significant business and personal adversities the mentor has experienced
during his/ her career, and how did you deal with and attempt to recover from this adversity? How
did it shape your life or change your approach to dealing with future business and personal
challenges?
Encourage the student to talk about some of his/her own personal adversities, and talk about how
you may have had a similar situation. Can the mentor offer observations about how he/she may have
dealt with the situation faced by the student?
Can business adversity shape business and personal character? Do business and personal “mistakes”
provide for opportunities to learn?
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February 2015
Topic 5 – How Professional and Business Organizations Operate
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How does the business or professional organization provide a service or product that helps other
organizations or individuals with solutions to business or personal needs? How does an organization
develop and convey a competitive advantage over its competition? What is a value proposition and
what is its importance?
The basics of the business planning process – what considerations do businesses make in planning for
the coming year? For the intermediate to longer term? Developing strategies for customer growth
and retention. How businesses anticipate and plan for adversity. The potential risks of customer
concentration, if applicable.
Topic 6 – Business and Professional Ethics
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How are ethical dilemmas recognized, and what is the process one goes through in addressing ethical
situations?
Why identifying ethical standards is difficult
From where do ethical standards originate?
Evaluating potential solutions to ethical issues.
Examples and discussion of corporate/institutional ethical misconduct.
What are some examples the mentor can share of ethical dilemmas in his/her experience? How were
such dilemmas resolved?
What ethical conflicts does the student see or have concerns about in today’s business world?
Topic 7 – How organizations in the community contribute to strengthening communities and families,
through philanthropy and civic and community involvement.
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What businesses do to further strengthen and contribute to the fabric of the community, and how
local social service organizations interact with the business and professional community to achieve
improved philanthropic impact.
The nature of business philanthropy, and what different forms it takes. Financial philanthropy vs.
community service. Is philanthropy in the business and professional community important?
Is there a connection between the good works and philanthropic efforts by businesspeople and the
business community with healthier communities and families?
THANK YOU TO OUR MENTORS FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE CONCORD-CARLISLE COMMUNITY
CONNECTIONS PROGRAM, AND BEING A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL TO A CCHS STUDENT!
WE EXTEND OUR BEST WISHES TO OUR STUDENT PARTICIPANTS
FOR AN EDUCATIONAL AND REWARDING EXPERIENCE.
W:Possible Discussion Topics 2015
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