Liz Foulds and Linda McDonald have participated in the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s MentorNet Program. For more information on mentoring, please click here.
The Mentoree: Liz Foulds
Company: Resumes for Results – Gippsland, Melbourne Central and Tasmania Why did you become a mentoree? Purchasing my territory five years ago, my business had doubled its turnover from the previous year and I was worried that I wasn’t equipped to handle the rapid growth correctly. My main areas of concern were working ON the business rather than IN it. I heard it all the time but couldn’t grasp how it was possible to implement successfully when there was only one of me to lead my team and only so many hours in each day. I knew I needed some mentoring but living in a regional area made it difficult to obtain one, along with the confidentiality issues that come with living in a country town. I reached out to ABN after hearing about it from a networking forum. I attended some of the monthly webinars first and was very impressed with the professionalism of everyone involved and haven’t looked back since. What were you hoping to get from the experience? I was needing some guidance on implementing strategies to source new team members, predominantly for Tasmania. Business Planning (I thought I had that one covered-boy was I in for a shock) was another important area; needing to harness the growth before it got out of control. Also networking with others, without having to leave my office and drive several hours to attend functions that often were disappointing. What is the biggest challenge of being a mentoree? My biggest challenge was finding the time to implement everything I was learning whilst still handling my workload and paying the bills. I faced difficult challenges with a major employer advertising some very prime positions that saw me working all hours of the day and night for two weeks. Then of course the terrible bushfires in Gippsland almost caused a complete standstill for a ten day period. What is the most powerful thing you’ve learned? Whilst I thought I was a successful businesswoman I realised that there was still a lot to be done. MentorNet gave me the tools that I needed. I can outsource with confidence; something I had never been able to contemplate prior to doing MentorNet. I now outsource a lot of my work that relates to two other web-based businesses I operate. I have systemised certain areas of my business that allow me to have time to do other things, I now have a life and don’t sit at the computer for fifteen hours a day achieving little. What would you say to anyone considering being a mentoree in the MentorNet program? Go for it, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain – new skills and networks. I feel that it adds benefits to your business that you just never knew existed. You grow as a person and so does your business learning from the modules covered and interacting with other pod members and your mentor. How has MentorNet helped you become a better leader? I have now set guidelines for prospective new consultants. These are clearly defined, some I am flexible on but others I’m not. Rather than taking on new team members just so that someone is covering the area I sit back and look at the person to see if they bring value to the team. This has been a great improvement, it enables me to say no. I stay in constant contact with my team and each and every person knows that they are valued for the contribution they make. We are a cohesive team rather than two in Melbourne Central and two in Gippsland. As I currently have no consultants in Tasmania the work generated from there is shared out to other team members. The team values this and appreciates the fact that it is spread around. I often get feedback from associates about how highly my team speak of me – this is priceless and something I work hard to maintain. Why Mentoring is a great way to improve leadership skills My mentor Linda specialised in this field so I was able to draw a lot of valuable insights from her. The program also gave me the confidence to lead my team knowing that the ‘back end’ of the business was getting under control. It all goes hand in hand – without a great team I wouldn’t have a great business. Learning to trust the team I am able to hand over a lot more of my work, leaving me free to pursue other areas of the business. The biggest learning curve of having a team is that it is no longer about You. Something that can be difficult to grasp when it has been You alone for so long. Any additional comments? Whilst still having some work to do I believe that MentorNet has led me to implement some life changing decisions recently in both my business and personal life, all for the better. The challenges were worth it, the people were fantastic both in my pod and the whole group. The insights into other peoples’ businesses and the challenges they faced were so helpful. I am grateful for the assistance provided by all involved and highly recommend the program to anyone wanting to get a handle on their business.
The Mentor: Linda McDonald
Company: Corporate Learning Why did you become a mentor? I had the benefit of being a mentoree when I first went into my own business over 10 years ago. The benefits of the program and having a mentor were enormous and I then had a goal that I wanted to become a mentor when I had enough experience in my own business to have credibility. This is now the 7th program I’ve mentored with, in various organisations. And much of my business is executive coaching so I get to continue to practice my coaching and facilitation skills. What were you hoping to get from the experience? The satisfaction of feeling that I’ve helped to make a difference with the direction of the mentorees’ businesses. I’ve achieved that with all of the mentoring I’ve done. What is the biggest challenge of being a mentor? Sometimes it’s making the time to review the mentorees’ work on the web-site and making sensible comments that are useful for them. Sometimes the mentorees have specific needs that require me to draw extensively upon my experience to find a way to work with them that is beneficial for them. What is the most powerful thing you’ve learned? I continue to be amazed at how many different small businesses there are out there. The resilience, enthusiasm and perseverance of the mentorees is inspiring. I continue to be reminded about things in my own business that I’ve neglected or forgotten about. What would you say to anyone considering being a Mentor in the MentorNet program? I continue to be amazed at how many different small businesses there are out there. The resilience, enthusiasm and perseverance of the mentorees is inspiring. I continue to be reminded about things in my own business that I’ve neglected or forgotten about. How has MentorNet helped you become a better leader? By continuing to hone my mentoring and facilitation skills to provide effective mentoring sessions for all the mentorees in diverse businesses. Why Mentoring is a great way to improve leadership skills. Being a mentor is a leadership role and requires many of the same skills and characteristics of leaders in any organisation. Any additional comments? I will continue to offer my services as a mentor as long as the ABN wants me to. MentorNet is a fantastic program for small businesswomen and I am very happy to be part of it.
