Public servants at Development Victoria are finding career success through a mentoring program launched by the Agency to support the growth and development of its staff.
Celebrating the success of GROW mentoring, Development Victoria said the program was kicked off last year with 54 mentors and mentees paired up to engage, share, learn and grow professionally and personally.
“Our GROW mentoring program is based on the principles of Growth, Relationships, Opportunities and `Win-win’ for everyone involved – and the organisation,” Development Victoria said.
“Mentoring is all about sharing knowledge, skills, and life experience to guide another person and support them to reach their full potential,” it said.
It said the program offered participants an opportunity to learn from the experiences of others and collaborate together to come up with new solutions to professional challenges.
The Agency said the mentoring program also offered team members a way to connect with someone they might not otherwise get the chance to do so.
“Developing trust is vital as it allows you to have honest conversations with your mentor, test ideas and get feedback safely,” it said.
“Two program participants who have developed a strong professional relationship – and friendship – are Senior Development Director Karen Cowden and Development Manager Ruby Clifford.
“Karen was assigned as Ruby’s mentor and immediately connected as a pairing.”
Ms Cowden said the structure of the program provided catalysts for her and Ms Clifford to have in-depth conversations and gave them tools to resolve some of the more challenging workplace matters.
“Ruby is an emerging talent within Development Victoria and to be able to contribute to her growth and progress in her role as a Development Manager in the Precincts team has been a great privilege,” Ms Cowden said.
“We both learnt from each other in a professional sense – but we also had some fun along the way and we have built a really strong friendship as a result of this program.”
Ms Clifford said the GROW mentoring program offered just the right amount of structure while still providing flexibility to have meaningful, personal conversations.
“I went into the program seeking greater knowledge of the organisation, but what I ended up gaining was so much more – a newfound friend and valuable mentor,” Ms Clifford said.
Development Victoria said the mentoring program would continue throughout 2023.
More information about the program can be accessed on the Development Victoria website at this PS News link.
