Newsletter SUMMER 2012 issue Letter from Sophie Could I be a leader? I have spent the last month running a series of leadership seminars for women around Australia. It has been a wonderfully optimistic exercise. As so often happens when groups of women come together, despite them being complete strangers they are chatting within minutes, laughing and then the conversation quickly morphs into serious discussion of global issues. They were an eclectic group of women from the Pilbara, Cairns, Broken Hill and down town Melbourne managing government departments that deliver health, education and police services. Others worked in banks, construction, oil and biotech companies. Not for profits were also well represented. Marita Cheng Engineering Visionary I told stories about my female heroines such as Prof Fiona Stanley, Sheryl 2012 Young Australian of the Year, Sandberg, Marita Cheng and Christine Nixon to illustrate how women manage Marita is currently studying their careers, find mentors, manage difficult workplace situations, and find engineering and computer science their voices. at University of Melbourne. In 2008 Marita founded Robogals Global My strongest impressions were that you can achieve a lot in a day when you to change the way that girls view their capacity to contribute to engineering are focused and give people the chance to reflect on their values, priorities, and technology. Already Robogals style and achievements. The isolation of workplaces is highlighted as people has run robotics workshops for 3,000 are relieved that others experience the same frustrations and anxieties. girls across 80 schools in Australia. Marita is the recipient of a number of Women want to contribute, enjoy their work and make their mark but don’t Fellowship and Awards and was a always covet the top job. Why is the topic of endless tomes that I won’t former panellist on ABC TV’s New address here. Inventors program. www.MccaRthyMEntoRing.coM I hope they left with a clearer sense of purpose and plan It was a fun and inspiring four days for me and I hope for leadership. Commitments included having the chat you will all take the opportunity to reflect, dream and with her boss about her next role, having another commit during the holiday season and I look forward to baby, doing a public speaking course and writing about seeing you in 2013. her latest project for publication. Sophie reSearch tips for mentors We know mentoring can be useful, fun and even life changing. Our research Managing Power, People and My Career reviewed best practice and identified the top 10 tips for mentors. 1 Advisor 6 Objectives A valuable mentor creates a learning environment and A clear purpose and understanding of the goals, helps build a culture of trust by encouraging, advising expectations and obligations should be established and guiding the mentee. at the start. 2 Commitment 7 Wisdom Mentors should be available and committed to the Mentors need to have ‘walked some decent miles’— success of the relationship. although not necessarily in the same industry. 3 Attributes 8 Guide, don’t drive A good mentor is a strategist, trusted advisor, Let the mentee be the driver of the relationship. role model, leader, nurturer, teacher, supporter The mentee sets the pace and goals and the mentor and challenger. provides the trusting learning environment. 4 Style 9 Trust The best mentor has many different working styles When a mentee truly believes that you can and will adopt a style that suits both the situation and hold in confidence what they tell you, trust will the mentee. grow exponentially. 5 Listen 10 Equality Being an active listener, truly hearing and The partnership should be one of mutual respect understanding what the mentee is saying, is one of and equality. In a successful partnership both the most important aspects of good mentoring. the mentor and mentee is stimulated, engaged, learning and inspired. AHRI New Research: External Perspective Preferred Last month, the Australian Human Resources Institute Specific comments by respondents in the AHRI released a report into the benefits and challenges Coaching and Mentoring Report that source mentors of coaching and mentoring in Australian organisations. externally included: According to Peter Wilson AM, National President of “More successful than internal mentors. There is a the AHRI, “an illuminating result was the enthusiasm that more open but confidential exchange. Feedback is expressed in relation to external mentoring compared from mentees is consistently more positive when the with the in-house equivalent.” mentor is external.” These comments reflect our own research into “Experienced people who are independent of where the the aspects of mentoring which are of most value mentee works is a critical success factor.” to mentees. Participants of the McCarthy Mentoring program He went on to say that “both the mentees and mentors consistently comment on the significance of having an commented on the openness, directness and external mentor who act as a confidential, objective genuineness of exchanges when the overlay of internal advisor. It is seen to be a crucial element of the program. political positioning is removed and the mentor is not burdened by any direct career responsibility towards the mentee.” muSt read Guide to getting the Seven Myths About Fit, Fifty and Fired Up My bum has nothing to do Women at Work with the story mentoring you need Nigel Marsh Harvard Business Review Catherine Fox Tracey Spicer Time Bomb, by Steve Jobs, by Great By Choice, by Flourish, by What Makes Us Tick, Barbara Pocock, Walter Isaacson Jim Collins & Martin Seligman by Hugh McKay Natalie Skinner & Morten Hansen Philippa Williams Building Asian links news The Prime Minister’s October White Paper, Australia in the Asian Century, will 2012 Australian Census of Women in Leadership drive Australia’s ties with Asia across every aspect of the community. One released on Tuesday the 27th of the key agenda items is the importance of “nurturing deeper and broader of November. relationships” with our Asian neighbours. BoardLinks—The Australian From a business perspective, this includes taking advantage of the new work Government has launched agreements between countries as well as increased government support for a networking program for development and engagement within Asia. women seeking their first board As the relationships strengthen, companies expand their Asian networks and appointment. The initiative is to help reach the 40:40:20 there is greater integration across the region, mentoring can provide valuable target by 2015. support and practical in-market advice to executives working in new cultures www.boardlinks.gov.au and communities. A local mentor can be particularly helpful in navigating the new business community, adapting to the new culture and practices and helping to expand local networks and relationships that are so crucial to business success. The McCarthy Mentoring Not For Profit Executive Scholarship ScholarShip will be launched in December 2012 for executiveS working in The scholarship is designed to assist a leader within the not for profit sector progress their career, strengthen their leadership skills and increase the impact not for profit of their important work in the community. It includes a 12 month mentoring program with a carefully selected mentor external to the organisation. The mentor will be chosen from our suite of well-respected leaders from business Click here to apply. government and the not for profit sector that have not only reached the top of their fields but share our commitment to developing others. The scholarship is open to a member of an executive team in an Australian not-for-profit organisation. Applications close by 5pm, Thursday, January 31st 2013. Click here to complete an application. changing the path of women’s unempLoyment Not for profit Fitted for Work helps 3000 disadvantaged Forum Schwab Foundation Global Social Entrepreneur of women get and keep work each year. With a 75% the Year Award 2012 and a seat at its table to ensure this success rate of women who use their services getting best practice model is used in other parts of the world. a job within the first three months, Fitted for Work is an However times are tough. With only 2% of its budget extremely valuable service to our community. government funding, the organisation relies on the As CEO Jane Hunt states, “for every unemployed or generosity of the community and corporate Australia disadvantaged woman that gets work and steps out of to try to meet the increasing demand of its services. poverty or homelessness, we’ve actually helped their “We’re on track to help 5000 women a year become family and community so the impact is substantial.” financially independent by 2015 but we need to ensure we have sustainable funding. Business partnerships The two core services offered are a personal dressing in particular are a crucial part of this.” service with interview preparation and transition to work programs which include interview coaching, mentoring, work experience and workplace sessions. “wE do EvERything The services are designed specifically for women— building their skills and knowledge at the same time as wE can to hElp woMEn their self–worth and dignity. SEcURE woRk and “Increasing disadvantaged women’s confidence and self-esteem is crucial. When a women with little or no EStabliSh financial resources is dressed in appropriate interview clothes indEpEndEncE.” by volunteers who really care about their wellbeing and believe in them, it gives them a confidence boost that changes the game.” Businesses, large or small, help in a range of ways Clients come from all walks of life but all of them are such as work experience placement or workplace experiencing disadvantage eg unemployment, ill–health, ‘familiarisation’ days where women can go to re-acquaint have a disability, exiting a domestic violence situation, themselves with the workplace, build their confidence experiencing homelessness, or have become recently and get exposure to the business world.