​From bedsides to boardrooms

With COVID-19, we are now managing changes, the health of our teams and supporting our communities to survive and thrive in testing times.

In age services, the vast majority of us have an intense passion for our work and we love supporting our colleagues to excel. However, sometimes it can be difficult to find this support ourselves.

Imagine you had:

• Someone you could call to debrief about a work error you made but don’t know how to fix

• Someone who gives you advice with no agenda – thinking about what will work best for you

• Access to resources, ideas, and opportunities you barely knew existed

• Someone to help reach your goal who is able to share in your success because they see your triumph as their own

This sometimes means we shelve our own professional development and mentoring relationships. I admit I am guilty of this, too.

Do any of these thoughts resonate with you?

• The current environment is making me time and energy poor

• I don’t know how to start

• Where are potential mentors? (even if I find them they’re probably too busy to talk to me)

• Mentoring is only for the lucky few

In the past, mentors have helped their mentees move through crises and weather storms. They have provided support, listened to concerns, and helped as employment landscapes have altered.

Every one of us needs to be accessing support and tools to helps us excel and lead with confidence.

We are living in a time of transformation, with the face of Australia and our care workplaces changing significantly. That means you must ensure you take every support available so you can lead confidently and with commitment.

This includes: New strategies to manage your personal and professional priorities; improved management skills; positive job-related feedback and support; increasing knowledge, empathy, and skills relating to a diverse range of experiences; greater understanding and collaboration with the industry; seeing the bigger picture.

Today, mentoring is more important than ever and the benefits are big, for both yourself, your team, and your organisation.

No matter how busy you are or what is happening, it is up to you to take charge of your mentoring network. It will not grow unless you invest in it. 

You need to create mentoring moments and make this part of your weekly or fortnightly routine.

This is where a structured mentoring program, such as LASA’s Mentoring Program, can really benefit, helping to match you with an industry leader.

With only a fortnight left to register your current and emerging leaders for the second wave of LASA’s Mentoring Program, it’s time to think about who in your organisation might benefit most from being mentored by a leader in the age services industry.  You can reach out to discover more about mentoring and how this program can support your organisation’s current and emerging leaders at mentoring@lasa.asn.au.

Samantha Bowen is an Australian based writer, facilitator and social entrepreneur. Samantha’s focus is on inspiring and engaging our emerging leaders and young professionals to reach their potential – helping to count the leaders amongst us all. 

As an emerging leader in Australia’s healthcare scene, she has a a strong list of accomplishments for someone in their early 30s – Principal Advisor Next Gen at Leading Age Services Australia, Founding Director of Acorn Network, a Federal Board Member for the NHMRC’S National Institute for Dementia Research, a recipient of the Layne Beachley Aim For the Stars Scholarship, a non-executive board member of Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services, co-founder of Women in Social Enterprise, a former Naval Sailor, has a postgraduate Masters of Occupational Therapy, and is currently completing a Masters of Ageing through the University of Melbourne. 

She has also presented nationally and internationally at a number of conference on engaging Generation Y in the workplace, co-founded WiSE to support and ignite the potential of female Social Entrepreneurs, and runs a National Mentoring Program for emerging leaders in the Australian aged care industry.