Unlocking potential through mentoring
Mentorship is a key driver of leadership development, employee engagement, and organisational growth. Proven to boost employee retention and career advancement, mentorship benefits both mentees and mentors.
Recognising this, Navitas, a global leader in education services, launched a transformative mentoring program in March 2023 in collaboration with Women & Leadership Australia. This award-winning initiative has empowered nearly 200 employees to enhance leadership skills and foster a more inclusive, connected workforce.
Training for Success: Tailored Mentor Training by Women & Leadership Australia
Navitas engaged Women & Leadership Australia to deliver Mentoring Skills training to ensure that mentors were equipped with the necessary tools to succeed.
“The training mentors received from Women & Leadership Australia helped lay the foundation in ensuring we had the knowledge, skills, and encouragement to embark on our mentoring relationships without fear of failure,” says Lisa Lee, Human Resources Manager, Talent Programs at Navitas.
Women & Leadership Australia conducted eight online workshops to groups of up to 37 staff across various time zones, reaching participants from around the globe, including Australia, New Zealand, Toronto, Dubai, London, New York, and Singapore.
Led by Dr. Janet Smith from Women & Leadership Australia, 119 Navitas staff participated in training designed to set a solid foundation for effective mentorship.
The training was tailored to Navitas’ requirements and based on the popular Expert Mentor Program; the sessions focused on:
- Differentiating mentorship from coaching: Participants gained insights into how mentorship involves guidance, shared learning, and mutual development, distinct from the more directive nature of coaching.
- Building trust and communication: Through activities that emphasised active listening and powerful questioning, mentors were equipped with the tools to build strong, trusting relationships with mentees.
- Promoting inclusive leadership: Highlighting the importance of diversity and inclusion in leadership, inspiring participants to foster equitable workplace environments
Mentor Training Feedback
100% of respondents agreed that the training facilitated by Dr Smith provided them with adequate knowledge, skills, resources and preparation to effectively mentor their mentee.
“One of the things that I really took from it was thinking of ways that I can turn things around with my teaching team and not just have this view that I’m the mentor and that I’m always telling everybody what they should do but finding ways to encourage other people to share their experiences more.” Program Participant.
Summary of Program Delivered by Women & Leadership Australia for Navitas
Program Delivered: Expert Mentor Program
Participants: 119 Participants in 4 groups of up to 37 staff
Sessions: 8 x Mentoring skills workshops delivered online (2 x 2 hours sessions per group)
Lasting Impact of Mentoring on Leadership and Development
After training 119 staff on building their mentoring skills the Navitas Mentoring Program was ready to hit the ground running, connecting almost 200 mentors and mentees globally through one-to-one mentorships, fostering shared learning and skill development.
The Navitas Mentoring Program has proven transformative at both organisational and individual levels, fostering meaningful connections and leadership development.
“Being able to bounce ideas off others, and work through challenges with someone not directly involved in the situation at hand is such an advantage. Skills I then learnt as a mentor have also helped me develop as a leader.” — Fiona, Program Mentor.
“There is so much more to gain when we have a neutral ‘sounding board’ on thoughts, ideas and approaches.” — Mona, Program Mentee.
With 95% of survey respondents recommending the program to others, it’s clear that Navitas’ mentoring initiative is not only building individual capacity but also creating lasting organisational impact.
Award-Winning Success
Navitas streamlined the program and resolved pairing and time zone challenges by using Mentorloop, a cloud-based platform that simplified administration and enhanced the participant experience.
Navitas was chosen as one of the winners of the 2023 Mentorloop Impact Awards. The Navitas Mentoring Program was one of 19 programs short-listed from hundreds under consideration. Other winners included Woolworths Group, nib Insurance, and Heinemann Asia Pacific. The Navitas’ Mentoring Program stood out for its exceptional participant engagement and commitment to fostering equity and inclusion.
A Future of Mentorship: What’s Next in 2024
The Navitas Mentoring Program continues to evolve. As the program returns in 2024, we are aiming to build an even stronger leadership pipeline.
Women & Leadership Australia look forward to providing the practical mentoring tools and training to support prospective mentors again this year and into the future.
