MICHAEL Taylor and Nicole Hurkens spend two hours together every month as part of Commerce Ballarat\u2019s mentor program.<\/p>\n
Ms Hurkens, a CPA qualified accountant, runs her business Allstyle Business Solutions providing a raft of services from BAS lodgement and cashflow reporting to financial statements and literacy advice.<\/p>\n
She knew she had a great clientele but didn\u2019t feel like she was helping anyone apart from pumping out ATO compliance.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be hooked up with someone who has good leadership and who can listen to what I am wanting to do could be a really good scenario,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichael has helped steer me in the right direction, we have achieved a lot in the past few months,\u201d Ms Hurkens said.<\/p>\n
Mr Taylor, founder of Taylored Leadership Solutions, has been involved with the mentor program for five years.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t have a mentor when he started out in the business world which is one of the reasons he said yes when Commerce Ballarat\u2019s CEO Jodie Gillett approached him to come on board.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a genuine interest in sharing my experiences with other people in business and you always learn from your mentee as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Hurkens has a list of what she wants to improve or change and between the two of them they tick of items as they go.<\/p>\n
A lot of things holding her back, she realised, were personal pressures she put on herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichael and I are now working on immunity to change, to find out what is that one thing that is really holding me back within myself,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of muddling my way out, wasting time with self doubt and indecision, having a mentor like Michael has stopped me going around in circles.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Taylor considers mentors can be objective and can play the devil\u2019s advocate.<\/p>\n
In his experience mentees generally welcome honest feedback, that\u2019s what they are in the program for.<\/p>\n
\u201cI often ask why would you be doing that or why do you think that\u2019s the best approach,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole reason for going through a mentor and mentee process is developing and improving and getting the best growth from tackling unknown possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Taylor encourages his mentees to think about what has happened in the month since the last meeting so they can discuss the outcomes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to talk about specific things that have happened, I don\u2019t have a set template on how to work with a mentee,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is about working together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thirteen business owners are participating as mentees in Commerce Ballarat\u2019s mentoring program this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MICHAEL Taylor and Nicole Hurkens spend two hours together every month as part of Commerce Ballarat\u2019s mentor program. Ms Hurkens, a CPA qualified accountant, runs her business Allstyle Business Solutions providing a raft of services from BAS lodgement and cashflow reporting to financial statements and literacy advice. She knew she had a great clientele but […]<\/p>\n