Success By Association

by Tony Smith April 1, 2015

Approved and adopted by ASHI CoR at the 2015 Annual Council Meeting

ASHI’S Mentorship Initiative, a Member Benefit
is brought to you through the collaboration of The CoR, ASHI’S Chapters and the Special Task Force on
Mentorship.

Here’s an overview of the Mentorship Initiative, as well as the Special Task Force that has worked on
“Success By Association.”

The sole goal of ASHI’S Mentorship Initiative, “Success by Association,”
is:
“To inspire new and existing members to reach the level of ACI and to participate in ASHI
at the local and national levels.”

ASHI’S Council of Representatives (The CoR), at their 2015 Annual Council Meeting, officially voted to approve
and adopt into their Policy and Procedure Manual one of ASHI’S newest member benefits.

The initiative establishes the structure for experienced ASHI inspectors to assist less experienced ASHI inspectors
successfully achieve key professional development goals.

  • For example, mentors will assist protégés through the process of passing two examinations.
  • Mentors will also assist protégés though the ACI requirements for completing 250 fee-paying
    inspections and having their reports verified by an approved ASHI verifier.
  • Assisting protégés in understanding how to best meet the ASHI Standard of Practice will be a key
    role of mentors.
  • The mentor also assists with guidance about the marketing practices, professional skills and personal demeanor
    needed to complete the requirements of The Standard.

Mentors shall have at least five years of good standing in ASHI and are dedicated to improving their Chapters, ASHI,
and the profession through shared knowledge and experience.

Protégés are new or existing ASHI members who desire increased professional capabilities derived from a
structured one-on-one relationship with highly experienced individuals. Chapter involvement by the
protégé is STRONGLY encouraged.

“Success by Association” will be fully incorporated into a revision of the Council’s
Policy and Procedures Manual (P & P Manual) at the Council’s April 2015 online meeting when the Council votes
to make changes and additions to their P & P Manual.

  • We know who the potential protégés are: ASHI inspectors who have not yet attained the ‘Gold Standard’ of ACI. There are a lot of protégés out there waiting and needing your help.
  • We need mentors. If you are willing to give back to your Society as a mentor, please submit your name to your Council Rep or to any member of the Special Task Force on Mentorship (the names of these members can be found in the accompanying
    information on the Special Task Force).

Mentors, you will be partnered with protégés based upon your and the protégés’ geographical preferences.

Let’s get started. It is time for us to see our fellow ASHI inspectors as colleagues rather than competitors.

Special Task Force: “Success By Association”

It is the aim of the Special Task Force to keep the Mentorship Initiative as simple as possible in order to ‘meet the needs of the members’ and assure the success of the initiative.

The CoR and its Special Task Force on Mentorship shall administer the initiative, set and measure the goals and once per year
shall update the CoR at its annual meeting, the ASHI BoD at its January meeting and the membership at the annual business meeting at IW on the status of the initiative.

“The Special Task Force on Mentorship” was formulated out
of an approved motion at the October 17, 2013, ASHI BoD
Meeting, shall consist of:

  • The Council Speaker – Chairperson of the Special Task Force
  • All Council Group Leaders, including the Council Secretary
  • A first-year ASHI BoD Member – Tony Smith, selected by the Council Speaker
  • A third-year ASHI BoD Member – Scott Patterson, selected
    by the Council Speaker
  • A protégé who is a first-year graduate of the ASHI School and belongs to ASHI and a Chapter – Jacqui Ahn, selected by the Council Speaker
  • A Past-President of ASHI – Marvin Goldstein, selected by the Council Speaker – Marvin Goldstein – May serve multiple years at the discretion of the Council Speaker,

The Special Task Force on Mentorship shall meet in conjunction with the monthly CoR Group Leaders meeting and shall do all that it can to encourage the success of the association between the mentor and the protégé. The Special Task Force shall also keep track of the number of parties currently existing within the initiative, and, working together with the ASHI staff, shall keep track of, and report on a yearly basis, of the number of protégés who have reached the level of ACI and/or their participation within ASHI at the national and/or local levels.

There shall be NO required agreement/contract between the mentor and the protégée. However, an agreement/contract shall not be prohibited. Legal Counsel was asked and agreed to develop an agreement/contract for the initiative should one be needed.

Mentors shall be ASHI Certified Inspectors (ACI) of at least five years and in good standing with ASHI. Mentors may serve multiple protégés at the same time, providing it is working in the best interest of all parties. The geographical distance between the mentor and the protégé shall be agreed upon between the parties. Any non-compete clauses shall be solely between the parties. Any monetary compensation shall be solely between the mentor and the protégé.

Mentors shall be recognized at the annual CoR meeting, at IW via name badge and/or ribbon, at the annual business meeting at IW, in the ASHI Reporter and with ASHI-approved CEs – two per inspection up to 10 annually.

Protégés (except for the Special Task Force Member) do not have to be graduates of the ASHI School; however, they need to be a member in good standing of ASHI. It is advised that the parties give each other at least a six month period of time for their association, no end date is advised. Protégés may also have multiple mentors. Protégés shall agree to abide by all of the mentor’s rules and guidelines when doing an inspection with him/her; this
includes any insurance requirements.

Protégés who have reached the level of ACI and/or participating in ASHI at the local and national levels, shall be recognized: at the annual CoR meeting; at IW via name badge and/or ribbon; at the annual business meeting at IW; in the ASHI Reporter; and with ASHI approved CE’s – 2 per inspection up to 10 annually.
The number of ‘supervised,’ ‘ride along’ and/or ‘parallel inspections’ prior to the end of the association between the Mentor and the protégé shall be mutually agreed upon, and the ASHI Parallel Inspection Program may be used as a guide.

Chapter involvement by the protégé is STRONGLY encouraged.
Amendments to this Mentorship Initiative shall be brought by the Special Task Force to the CoR for approval as needed.

The Membership Initiative became Effective January 7, 2015.


To Read the Full Article

ASHI offers its members unparalleled resources to advance their careers. ASHI offers training for inspectors at all levels of knowledge and experience, including resources about all major home systems. Members benefit from a vast network of experienced professionals, providing a community for mentorship and knowledge sharing..

Learn More About Membership »

In this Issue

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Professional Networking

Grow your professional network, find a mentor, network with the best, and best part of the community that’s making home inspection better every day.