At first glance, the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) in Montenegro didn’t seem like an organisation that needed mentoring. Skilled in communication, already managing several social media channels with thousands of followers, and running high-profile events like their annual Human Rights Film Festival, they were anything but beginners.
But that’s precisely why they were chosen.
As Zvezdana Kovač, Director for Strategy and Outreach at CCE, explains, “We didn’t need someone to teach us basic skills. We needed someone who could challenge us and push us to evolve—to refine how we communicate, not just what we say.”
And challenge them he did. Over four months, renowned strategist and mentor Vojislav Žanetić worked closely with CCE’s team, leading interactive sessions far beyond standard PowerPoint presentations. What made the mentoring stand out was its structure and intentional design.
The programme wasn’t just about communication tips — it offered a complete strategic journey. Topics ranged from political branding and community engagement to practical methods like creative communication frameworks and hands-on exercises in digital storytelling. Žanetić guided the team through audience mapping, tone and voice refinement, and even reputation and crisis management, all tailored to CCE’s real-world context.
The mentoring happened at the busiest time of year — just days before their major festival and in the middle of multiple project deadlines — yet no one wanted to leave the room. “You’d think people would sneak out for other tasks,” Zvezdana recalls, “but no. Everyone stayed, fully engaged, from the first to the last moment.”
The true power of mentoring lies in its practicality. Žanetić offered hands-on advice tailored to CCE’s day-to-day challenges — including how to reframe messages for different audiences, adapt voice and tone across platforms, and rethink visual design to attract attention and reinforce brand presence.
“We approached communication as a long-term investment,” Žanetić shared in his final report. “We aimed to build not only tools, but a mindset — one rooted in strategic planning, communication discipline, and a shared internal culture that sees messaging as everyone’s responsibility.”
One unexpected outcome? A deeper organisational shift. Until then, communication duties were often scattered across project teams, with no dedicated staff overseeing strategy. “We realised we needed more than just coordination — we needed a core team focused solely on communication,” says Zvezdana. That realisation, sparked by the mentoring process, has already started reshaping internal roles and responsibilities.
CCE also began applying what they learned to their regional media literacy project and even invited their mentor to speak on a local TV show.
Still, it wasn’t just about strategies or tools. It was about mindset.
“We talked a lot,” Zvezdana reflects, “about whether this was truly ‘new knowledge’ or just things we already knew but hadn’t acted on. And the answer was — it doesn’t matter. What mattered was how we started thinking differently.”
By the end of the mentoring process, CCE walked away with more than refined messages and digital skills. They walked away with a renewed sense of direction — and the confidence to lead, not just communicate.