Vicky

Mentoring Supports Positive and Creative Leadership to Flourish

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When Vicky Hintz moved quite quickly into a leadership position as the newly appointed manager of an early childhood centre, Vicky needed support and guidance. However, at the time her organisation had its own challenges.  

“Like other not for profit childcare centres governed by a committee, committee members changed regularly. When I started, the group was unable to provide the level of support I needed as a new leader.” 

Vicky heard about the Mentoring Foundation of New Zealand (MFNZ) programme and was open to the idea of attending.  Upon joining, Vicky was matched with experienced mentor Andrew Brock.  

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SEEING NEW PERSPECTIVES​

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“I was a little bit nervous at the start,” says Vicky. “But Andrew was amazing at getting me to talk, he has so much knowledge and he really listens.”  Mentoring meetings with Andrew provided Vicky with the opportunity to get out of the workplace to enjoy a coffee and a chat.  

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Becoming a new leader has its challenges. It is not always straightforward.  Mentoring enables a mentee to look at problems from a different perspective and be creative and adaptive in response. 

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“We met every four weeks or so and there was always something to discuss. We nutted things out together. Some things were small and others large.  Being a centre manager can be quite lonely and I’d got myself into a bit of a rut – talking to Andrew helped turn my thinking around to be more positive,” says Vicky.  

Andrew agrees. “Being promoted and becoming a leader is a really big step and people forget that. It’s not simple. It can be quite isolating,” says Andrew.  “You’re the boss and whether you like it or not things do change, and you need to learn to adapt to that.” 

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CHANGING THE CONVERSATION​

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Having regular discussions and getting perspective on challenges helped Vicky to change the conversation and see things from a different viewpoint.  

“Vicky was dealing with a lot of stuff,” says Andrew. “I could see she was holding onto some of it, so I encouraged Vicky to share it with the Board. By sharing, challenges become everyone’s responsibility, and everyone can agree on the way forward together. A shared model of leadership can be a powerful thing in community-based entities,” says Andrew. 

Andrew also guided Vicky to help the board look at the governance structure and review how they functioned and recruited members. His support helped Vicky to influence that and drive some positive changes. 

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PATHWAYS TO LEADERSHIP SUCCESS​

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“I was keen to help Vicky establish enduring pathways that would go on to provide support once the mentoring had finished,” says Andrew.  “Vicky and I discussed how to think more broadly - how she could network and share resources for example.”  “I also encouraged Vicky to take time out for herself and celebrate with the team when things go well. As a busy manager and leader, it’s very important to look after yourself, stay well and celebrate successes,” says Andrew. 

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For Vicky, having the opportunity to reflect and discuss issues and generate new approaches and solutions has paid off.  “I’ve thrived participating in this programme. It really has changed my outlook. Pretty much everything we talked about I’ve implemented,” says Vicky. 

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Amongst other initiatives Vicky has established a networking group within the sector and is now part of a thriving community of childcare centre managers.   As Vicky’s leadership journey progresses and it continues to bring ongoing benefits to her organisation and community, it demonstrates the ongoing impact of great mentoring.