Over many years of facilitating programs, not just in Australia but in Southeast Asia, US, the Middle
East and of course, the UK, I have to say this was a first – running training in a church nave!
Whilst it was a little on the chilly side, (I think you can see that I am cold!), it was a glorious venue for
our third session on Mentoring for a firm of chartered accountants.
Whilst we leave the firm to decide on the mentoring pairs, our sessions consist of briefing sessions
for the mentees separately and then the mentors. Both groups have pre-work –mentees doing a
career assessment with a view to identifying their objectives from the program and mentors
completing a mentoring skills self-assessment. These separate briefing sessions give the two groups
a chance to work through gaining clarity around what mentoring is or is not, the roles of the
manager of the mentees and the qualities of good mentors and mentees.
The third session – with divine inspiration on this occasion – requires lots of space. Hence moving
from the boardroom to the church! Mentors and mentees all attend and have their first meetings –
one on one – and sign a contract as to how they are going to work together. In mixed groups they
also brainstorm what they see as the potential pitfalls and then we discuss solutions.
We have run this program for other firms and also corporates, one of which shared that the year
that they did not engage us, the mentoring was not as successful.
Do drop me a note if you would like to learn more about our approach.
