The Wayside Network

Use your mentor to learn from their experience:

• On being appointed or promoted to a senior role
• Returning to internal audit after time in an unrelated job (or an extended sabbatical or family leave)
• Introducing a new approach to risk management or providing assurance
• Understanding the technical nuances of new regulations or guidance
• Merging two or more internal audit functions
• Outsourcing internal audit

Use a coach to improve your skills with people or to supplement professional or academic training:

• Preparing to make a public presentation
• Managing difficult customers
• Managing your boss
• Getting the most out of your audit committee
• Building and developing your team members

Having a coach-mentor who has managed the process of transforming an audit department and implementing risk management in other organisations gives you the benefit of experience - but only when you want it. You are in charge and your coach-mentor will not interfere or offer advice you don't need.

What does coach-mentoring mean in practical terms?

Sometimes, especially for mentoring, one session of about an hour and a half is all you need. But often a series of meetings will give you the extra motivation you need to set some clear goals and monitor your progress

The process begins with an initial meeting of about one hour in which the coach and learner get to know each other, agree what the learner wants to work on and set the ground rules for future sessions. Since coaching requires a good relationship between coach and learner, there is no obligation to go forward until both parties are happy that the arrangement is going to work.

A timescale for the relationship and the frequency of meetings is also agreed. Coach-mentoring should not be open-ended: most people can work on specific issues and learn how to learn more effectively in the space of three to six months.

The learner determines the agenda for each session. Face to face meetings are most effective, particularly if the learner can get out of the office so as to make space for reflective thought, but telephone coach-mentoring sessions and e-mail conversations are also possible and work well for some people.

Contact us to see whether coach-mentoring would be useful for you or for someone in your team.