It’s the ultimate win-win situation in business. Mentoring encourages the personal and professional development of someone less experienced. It helps improve performance, increases knowledge and builds trust. And, to be mentored is one of the best developmental opportunities for many in their professional life.
But how is it done, why isn’t it done more often and are there any pitfalls? In this 21st year of the Telstra Business Women’s Awards we speak to two previous recipients plus a Telstra Influencer – all female entrepreneurs – about what mentoring means to them.
Jo Lamble, TheCarousel.com Psychologist and host of The Moral Maze; Ronni Kahn, CEO and Founder of Australia’s largest food rescue organisation OzHarvest; Annalise Law, Managing Director of The Kanga Group, Australia’s leading promotional products group, and Robyn Foyster, Publisher of TheCarousel.com explain the importance of mentoring roles in their professional lives.
“When I started out I looked to pretty much anyone who would talk to me as my mentor, who I could ask question of and they would respond” says Law. She adds “Every day in my business I mentor people, I think it’s incumbent upon us to mentor whoever we are employing”.
Adding to the conversation Ronni says “It’s a huge responsibility. I really believe that it is a very wonderful role and I’m always very honoured and incredibly privileged that someone would want to learn something from me.” On what she has to teach she explains “Whatever it is I think it’s about encouragement, it’s about making sure people understand that they can follow their instincts.”
To find out more on how they have helped others to reach their goals, and how they themselves have been mentored, just hit ‘play’.
About the Telstra Business Women’s Awards
It’s Australia’s longest-running celebration of Business If you would like to nominate an Australian business woman who has pushed boundaries and achieved excellence, The Telstra Business Women’s Awards nominations are open now until 29 June 2015 at womensawards.com or by calling 1800 817 536.
New awards categories have been added this year recognising that brilliant business women come from across all sectors. The 2015 Telstra Business Women’s Awards six Awards categories include:
- Start Up (owns minimum 25 per cent; business under three years old);
- Entrepreneur (owns minimum 25 per cent; business more than three years old);
- For Purpose and Social Enterprise (delivers positive social/environment change as its core mission; includes not for profit and social ventures);
- Government and Academia (government departments; educational institutions; statutory bodies);
- Corporate and Private (employed by the organisation); and
- Young Business Women (under 29 as at 30 June 2015).
Have you been mentored by a successful Australian female entrepreneur? Or perhaps you are currently mentoring someone deserving of an award. Tell us why you’ll nominate them for a Telstra Business Women’s Award this year and in which category…
