During these tumultuous times, SCORE’s SLATE mentoring methodology, which all SCORE mentors must know prior to providing services to our clients, provides continued guidance on how we do business and interact with the business owners we serve:
- Stop and Suspend Judgment
- Listen and Learn
- Assess & Analyze
- Test Ideas & Teach with Tools
- Expectations Setting & Encouraging the Dream
We at SCORE remain committed to applying SLATE in all aspects of how we operate. We will continue to stop and suspend judgment and to listen and learn. One of our core values is, “Diversity Matters.” This means that SCORE believes in the importance, value, and power of diversity – diversity of people and diversity of thought – and our Code of Ethics prohibits SCORE from discriminating against any person.
SCORE’s mission is to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education.
We aim to give every person the support they need to thrive as a small business owner.
At SCORE, we hold that:
Clients matter
Our clients’ success is our success. The quality of their experience at SCORE is the truest measure of our success as an organization.
Small business matters
Small business drives our national economy through business formation, job creation and wealth building. Small businesses are critical to vibrant communities in our society.
Giving back matters
We are proud to enable volunteers, stakeholders and sponsors to give back to their communities.
Volunteers matter
Volunteers give freely of their time, energy and knowledge to help others – and they are pivotal to the continued success of SCORE’s mission. SCORE volunteers donated more than 4.9 million hours of service in 2019 to support their communities. In return, we aim to make their time at SCORE engaging and satisfying.
Experience matters
A volunteer’s experience matters; their relevant knowledge, wisdom and experience serve our clients through mentorship and education.
Relationships matter
In relationships, we act with integrity, respect, honesty, purpose and professionalism. We listen with an open mind, encourage and openly communicate with all people seeking business help from SCORE. Personal, long-term relationships – including those between mentors and business owners – are a driver of small business success.
Diversity matters
We believe in the importance, value and power of diversity – diversity of people and diversity of thought. Diversity of race, gender, ethnicity, geography and experience among SCORE volunteers, employees, board members and clients enables SCORE to effectively execute its mission of helping all small business owners.
Lifelong learning matters
We believe that small business owners who are lifetime learners adapt to change more readily and are more successful. Volunteers as lifelong learners remain relevant and achieve personal satisfaction and growth.
Donald Pelka
Chapter Chair, SCORE NW Indiana
219-654-2630 | [email protected]
