INTHEBLACK December 2025 / January 2026 - Magazine - Page 39
“The purpose is to help that person up to the next level…
To get them to start believing more in themselves, to
understand the strengths that they may not realise they
have and to help them better utilise those strengths.”
MARIOS PASAS CPA, INFRABUILD
and I’ve decided to be quite hard on them,
once a month for an hour, that should work. It should
knowing they’ll take it in the right spirit.” This is
have a bit of a cadence to ensure everyone involved
different to sponsorship, he explains, which is
remains disciplined and accountable.”
typically about supporting someone who is more
People can also grow out of mentoring
junior to build their confidence.
relationships, Cogin acknowledges. “Sometimes the
Consistency of behaviour and messaging in the
mentee will want to go off and do something else,”
role of mentor is crucial.
she says. “One year is a good length
“My greatest fear as a mentor is about steering
of time. A number of universities have
off the path of consistency because of my mood,
alumni–student mentoring programs that
something else going on in my day or in my life,”
are typically structured over nine months.”
he says. “You’ve just got to be brutally consistent.”
However long the official mentoring
Cogin agrees, stressing the importance of clarity
relationship, they often result in lifelong
in the framework of the relationship.
friendships. McLeod is still in touch with
“You can have mentor–mentee relationships
the two mentors that had such an effect
that are not a good use of time for either party,”
on his career decades ago, and Cogin
Cogin says. “To avoid this, you have to be clear
remains friends with several mentors she
about what you want to achieve during a 50-minute
has had along the way.
meeting. The mentee needs to take responsibility
“I like to think of it as your mentor
for this.”
becoming your cheer squad,” Cogin
Pasas says the mentee effectively has to be
says. “They’re watching your career
encouraged out of their comfort zone to receive
and cheering you on from the
the greatest benefit.
sidelines, long after that career
“The goals and desired outcomes need to
guidance and help has ended.” ●
be driven largely by the mentee,” he says. “If it
becomes a situation where the mentee feels they’re
being managed, it is not really going to achieve
what is needed.”
The structure of the relationship should
be clearly defined, just like any other project
within a business. This includes agreements
on expectations, and how long the mentoring
arrangement will last. As long as the
EXPLORE
UPSKILL
READ
relationship is properly structured, it is likely
CPA Australia’s
with CPA Australia’s
an article about
Global Mentoring
Practical Guide
how to approach
to be mutually beneficial, Pasas explains.
program
to Succeeding as
a prospective
“You need the time to make it a success
a Mentor online
mentor
for the mentee,” he says. “If it is set up for
course
six to 12 months, maybe with a meeting
THE ART OF MODERN LEADERSHIP intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au 39
