Keyword: In the Media

British expert will help NZ firms develop a mentoring culture, writes Steve Hart

New Zealand organisations are increasingly embracing mentoring and coaching as being essential to their organisation's toolbox of learning and development strategies, says Aly McNicoll.

The New Zealand Mentoring Centre training director says the benefits of mentoring include helping to develop leaders, drive change and address management and human resources issues. While mentoring staff and grooming them for advancement may be all well and good, McNicoll says showing the benefits on the bottom line - generating a return on investment - is something some firms struggle with.

But help is on its way in the form of a mentoring expert from Britain.

"Britain is about five years ahead of us in terms of where mentoring and coaching sits in organisations," says McNicoll. "One survey found that 86 per cent of organisations [in Britain] were using mentoring and coaching as part of their day-to-day performance management practice.

NZ Herald writer Steve Hart talks to NZMC director Patti Gwynne

It seems some people put a lot of energy into resisting change - especially when it's the idea of a new recruit. Thankfully, there are plenty of people who believe that when a new member of staff joins a company it is a golden opportunity - not just for the new employee but for the company and its staff.

Patti Gwynne is a mentor and company coach. She says companies should rely on new staff to give a fresh perspective on the company.

"New members of staff are valuable during those first three months in the new job because they will see so many things that could be done better," says Gwynne.

Val Leveson from the NZ Herald talks to NZMC director Aly McNicoll about peer mentoring groups.

When working for a company, people often have colleagues to turn to when they need advice on how best to complete a task or to make a good career move. Sometimes another person, even on the same level as oneself, may have a different perspective and an idea on how to make something that seems impossible work.

However, when you're self-employed things can be quite different. You can feel isolated and stuck with no one to turn to for good, impartial advice and help.

Peer groups are often a help, but what do you do when you work alone and don't have a peer group around you?

Aly McNicoll, training director of the New Zealand Mentoring Centre, discovered her solution ten years ago.