But these are the challenges – insecurity, job stress, questioning our decisions – that we need to rise and stand together to overcome.

Supporting our fellow women has never been more important than right now as so many businesses are closing their doors around the globe in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But now is not the time to panic over the things you can’t control, instead, we need to weather the storm together and find (or create) the opportunities we all need to succeed and come through the other side.

And we at The Mentor Institute want to deal with this the best way we know how.

By seeking and sharing knowledge, experience, support, and even hope during this time of crisis. Staying together, staying strong and focusing on new mentorship opportunities.

We are a tightly knit community that is there for one another allowing you to tap into the superpowers you already have (but might not know about) and pick up a few more along the way.

With that in mind, I want to offer free mentoring sessions for April, May, and June to give back and help those who need it most. If you’re going through a difficult time, have lost your job, and feeling overwhelmed, know that we are here to help you get through this.

I also want to send out a call to arms to my fellow brave and powerful women to join me in mentoring and supporting those that have been hit the hardest right now. Any free mentoring time you can spare could help build a foothold for a fellow woman whilst it’s particularly tough to hold your ground right now.

As a mentor, you can lead the way for others and give some security in these uncertain times! If you’re in need of mentorship or can donate some of your time right now, please get in touch. 

Email me directly val@thementorinstitute.com

With our International Women’s Day event behind us, our guest speakers Claire Bibby and Nat Kringoudis and moderator Catherine Brooks provided us with much-needed insight on tapping into our powers as women and making a difference in the world.

This year’s IWD theme, Each for Equal, tied in well with what our speakers talked about. During discussions on taking charge of our bodies and listening to what they are saying, and standing up for others who don’t have the courage to speak up on their own, there was one topic that stood out and was repeated a lot: Creating a supportive community.

A community makes all the difference

Community plays a large role in how women can help other women. It’s a safety net that helps us overcome challenges and stop us from falling. Dr. Nat gave us a beautiful insight into how being a country kid played a huge role in where she is today.

As she explained, growing up in the country meant that she was part of a very tightly knit community, and when she moved to the city, she always tried to get involved in whatever community she lived in – to find, or even create, a beautiful and supportive community.

Her burning passion was finding a way to help.

Claire Bibby shared her own personal journey with us and what an inspirational, passionate speaker! She had us riveted as she worked the room talking about women kind, how to overcome challenges in the workplace and the importance of authenticity.

What matters most about the community? To just be there – to be supportive and look out for everyone who is part of it, and to look for clues and cues from those who aren’t as vocal. To be the best possible version of ourselves as part of those communities while inspiring others to do the same.

We need to come back to that tightly knit community that we lost somewhere along the way. Many of today’s issues – be it physical health and mental health issues, stress in the workplace – boils down to being utterly disconnected, without a community to support us.

Community of Business Women

This is especially true for women in business who are taught from a young age that they have to brave the world alone, and no matter how awful we might feel, we are supposed to not talk about it.

But that’s wrong.

We must talk about our experiences, good and bad, and share them with other women. We must openly share our struggles, fears and doubts, so that other women know they are not alone. We must build that community again and face the uncertainties, be it in our business and career, or in private lives, together.

That’s the only proper way forward.

Many young women starting their career path feel discouraged when stepping into the workplace for the first time, as the educational system hasn’t prepared them well. A mentor and an accepting community can make all the difference.

They can assist with guidance, share their experience, and give the much-needed confidence to face challenges together. When women get stuck in place, a community can help them go forward.

Where can you find such a community? Anywhere! We have to come back to that community. The Mentor Institute aims to be such a tightly knit community where women will support women and carry them forward.

International Women’s Day is upon us and we’re getting ready to celebrate!

Although there is still a lack of representation in professional leadership, Australia stands out as one of the countries with the most significant increase in the number of women in leadership positions in the Asia Pacific region! 

But that doesn’t mean our work is over. Whether you’re a female entrepreneur, lawyer, HR Executive, or an established CEO, access to influential networks can help overcome common barriers for female professionals! 

And what better way to support, and network with other powerful women than with cocktails and canapes? 

With this in mind, we have decided to host our event “Enabling an Equal World” on the 6th of March. Where we will be discussing the current lack of representation in professional leadership as well as how future mentoring can re-dress the balance for the next generation. 

As well as some of the incredible women supporting women at our event, we will be hearing from two guest speakers: 

Claire Bibby 

Discussing the impact that mentoring and sponsorship has had on her own career, as well as the importance of bringing both men and women on the journey to enable an equal playing field. Claire is a senior lawyer, non-executive director, and life coach with incredible success operating at the top-end of the corporate market, SME, and NFP space.

After more than two decades of building and mentoring award-winning teams, she creates and speaks about environments in which business leaders and employees can make bold decisions with confidence. 

Dr. Nat Kringoudis

Best selling author, Acupuncturist, and Dr. of Chinese Medicine, Nat is a bona fide women’s health revolutionist. Having recognised a large gap between conventional medicine and supporting wellness, Nat has accepted the task of inspiring wellbeing and educating women about their health choices. 

Nat will be sharing her wisdom on the importance of wellness as part of the western medical approach. As well as why accepting your body is different from men’s is important and how you can use it to boost your journey to become a great leader.  

If you want to connect with an amazing community of female changemakers, or it’s time for you to overcome your own barriers, join us at our Enabling an Equal World event on March 6th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 

Tickets are limited so be quick.  Get your tickets here

Mentoring is a rewarding experience. For mentors, it offers professional development, the platform to refine interpersonal skills, greater authority and recognition, and an opportunity to share their experience with the next generation of leaders. Mentees benefit from the wisdom of established professionals, an unbiased perspective, tangible support, and networking opportunities. 

But should mentoring be the responsibility of the employer, or arranged outside of the workplace? There’s a compelling case for the former, which we’ll explore in-depth here.

Mentoring and Job Satisfaction

Mentorship programs are known to improve job satisfaction – for mentors and mentees. There are many reasons for this. For experienced professionals, being asked to participate in a mentoring program is a form of recognition that strengthens their position as an authority figure. This can reinforce commitment to their organisation, making them feel more satisfied in their current role. 

Mentees have a similar experience. The opportunity to develop their career with the support of a senior figure within their organisation improves job satisfaction. Mentees feel valued by their employer, and a stronger sense of belonging. 

Both parties in a mentoring relationship benefit from improving their interpersonal, organisation, communication, and other soft skills. Refining these abilities has a positive impact on day-to-day work, which in itself boosts achievement, favourable feedback, and so, job satisfaction.

Mentoring and Employee Retention

According to a research by Diane Kostrey Horner,  “[Mentoring] can provide a positive environment, which can lead to increased job satisfaction. In turn, a higher level of satisfaction in the work environment can be associated with reduced turnover and improved retention and patient outcomes.” 

It follows logically that better job satisfaction encourages employees – whether they are mentors or mentees – to stick with their employer. 

Let’s say that an employee is considering a move to another organisation. If the role or salary is similar to their current situation, other factors such as company culture, scope for promotion, and a sense of belonging will help them to decide whether a move is right. 

Where mentoring programs are already in place, an employee who is at risk of leaving can be offered a mentoring opportunity. This may prompt them to reconsider a move, and re-dedicate their career development to their current company. 

Likewise, if an employee is not feeling confident in their current role – which can be a particular issue for women in the workplace – a mentor can help them to unlock their self-belief, be more assertive, and ultimately improve their happiness at work.

Mentoring and Career Development

Good mentoring tends to have an overwhelmingly positive impact on a young professional’s career trajectory. At the start of a mentoring relationship, it’s common for the mentee to share their immediate and long-term objectives, which the mentor uses as a framework for their custom program.

A mentor will draw on their experience to give the mentee potential routes to achieving their professional goals. They’ll also provide feedback on progress and constructive advice on improvement. 

One of the most beneficial aspects of working with a mentor is that they may offer networking opportunities. Even the most innocuous of encounters with senior figures in an organisation can result in a giant leap towards reaching career goals – whether that involves training, expansion of responsibilities, or recommendation for a promotion. Every meeting counts.

Mentoring and Gender Equality

Legislation and training have improved the outlook for women in the workplace, but gender inequality still exists there. Women are paid less than men, they are overlooked for promotions, and in some industries, an old boys’ club still effectively operates. While the door might officially be open to women, in practice it’s locked shut. 

It’s important for women to have visible role models, especially when they can interact with them on a one-to-one basis. The confidence gap between men and women stunts the careers of females who would otherwise develop into leaders. Good mentoring can prevent them from dropping away, instead empowering them with self-assurance, resilience, and the right skills to excel. 

Female leaders get results. Companies with women in top roles hit financial objectives, improve employee retention, and attract top candidates. With effective mentoring, women take a leading role in the success of their companies.

It’s time to embrace mentoring for female employees. Find out how The Mentor Institute can support your organisation.

The hectic schedule of a professional doesn’t always permit spare time for mentoring. However, digital technology allows the mutually beneficial results of mentoring to happen with greater convenience. How does it work? Let’s take a look.

What Is Distance Mentoring?

Mentoring has traditionally taken place in person. Whether at the office or in a more relaxed setting like a café or restaurant, effectively the only way to exchange ideas was face-to-face.Thanks to leaps in modern technology, mentorship partners now have a wider range of options at their disposal. As well as meeting in person – which remains a valid and productive way to facilitate mentoring – it’s now possible to conduct the relationship by video chat, phone calls, instant messaging, and email. This is what we mean by distance mentoring.

In fact, using a combination of different methods is now the best way to work around work and family commitments, while keeping the lines of communication open.

Who Might Choose Distance Mentoring?

Busy professionals have to work around a multitude of conflicting demands on their time. As well as the packed schedule of a thriving career, we all need to make time for family, friends, and leisure – for our sanity, if nothing else!

As such, it can be prohibitively difficult to squeeze in time to fulfill mentoring duties in person. Distance mentoring offers a useful solution.

Instead of travelling to a meeting place, spending time with a mentoring partner, then reversing the journey home, it’s quick and simple to set up a video call. Mentors and mentees still have the opportunity to meet face-to-face, just in a slightly different way!

Materials can be shared by email or instant message, then discussed in a video or voice call. The key strengths of mentoring – sharing guidance, exchanging ideas, providing feedback, and developing soft skills – still happen, in a much more convenient format.

Distance mentoring also allows for impromptu advice to be given. Let’s say a young professional is due to deliver quarterly results at a team meeting. They might be feeling nervous, concerned about their performance, or otherwise lacking in confidence. A mentor will be able to provide instant support, either with a quick text, a brief call, or a video message. Urgent questions can be answered in the nick of time, without serious disruption to the mentor.

Similarly, if a mentor has a last-minute invitation to a networking event that might be of interest to the mentee, they can share it digitally in seconds.

Distance mentoring is, therefore, perfect for the modern mentoring partnership. It combines the benefits of traditional mentoring with the convenience of up-to-date communication technology.

The Benefits of Distance Mentoring

Formal education, vocational training, and employers’ curricula provide the background knowledge and on-the-job expertise that allow you to succeed in your role.

However, there remains a gap for a type of learning that goes beyond the standard box-ticking. To truly flourish in your career, it’s helpful to work with a mentor.

Mentors are highly experienced professionals, usually working within your industry, that offer guidance to people who are new to their chosen career, or working their way up the ladder.

Mentoring isn’t the same as working in a school or university, or as a professional lecturer. Participants draw on similar teaching skills, but they also tend to take a less structured and formal approach. Instead, the mentoring relationship is personalised; the mentor assesses the current status of the mentee and what they want to achieve, then offers practical advice, tips, and feedback.

There are huge rewards for each party. Mentors have the opportunity to develop their soft skills – such as teaching, listening, and compassion – as well as strengthening their position as a leader and expert in their field.

For mentees, the guidance received from an experienced practitioner in their sector is invaluable. Soft skills such as confidence, assertiveness, and resilience are improved, while mentors may also provide exclusive networking and shadowing opportunities. Working with a mentor can, therefore, shorten the amount of time that emerging professionals take to reach their career goals.

How to Get the Most Out of Distance Mentoring

Modern technology advances at breathtaking speed, but the core principles of mentoring remain the same – no matter which format it takes. To get the most benefit, each partner must be willing to invest time, energy, and commitment.

Although distance mentoring largely takes place digitally, meeting in person at least once is strongly recommended. If opportunities are limited, the best time to meet face-to-face is at the start of the mentoring relationship.

From the outset, the mentor and mentee should agree which methods of communication are suitable for each party. For example, the mentee may be happy to send messages using their personal number in the evening, but the mentor might prefer to use only their work number, or restrict contact to set times. Discussing this at the start of a partnership avoids difficulties further down the line.

It’s a good idea to set up a regular appointment – especially at the beginning. Consistent communication provides an excellent foundation for meaningful cooperation.

Finally, always be honest with one another. The mentee should be open about what they want to achieve, and the mentor must be able to provide constructive feedback. In fact, when both sides are able to speak frankly – and respectfully – to one another, the conversation is at its most productive.

Are you interested in sharing your expertise with a young professional? Or would youbenefit from mentoring from a leader in your field? Click here to find out more about TheMentoring Institute.