iMentor Pro - Press Release
iMentor-pro listed in TOP 10 Australian COOL Company Awards
Australian Anthill Magazine today released its winners of the inaugural COOL Company Awards for 2006. iMentor-pro is very proud and completely knocked-out by being included in the Top 10.
The awards are sponsored by Microsoft in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Davies Collison Cave.
‘Being recognised for what we do and how we do it by Australian Anthill is a real honour. Thanks, guys.’ said Michael Donovan, Managing Director iMentor-pro.
What Australian Anthill and the judges said about iMentor-pro:
At first glance, business coaching/mentoring companies generally don’t epitomise “cool”. The concept is noble, but they generally manifest as self-absorbed old windbags lecturing doe-eyed protégés on how to be more like them. But iMentor-pro, a “virtual business”, stands out from the crowd for its no nonsense culture.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about iMentor-pro is that it places the mentees (those being mentored) at the centre of the mentoring process. The company was launched in 2004 when founder Michael Donovan surveyed the state of the domestic business mentoring industry and thought he could build something better. Donovan describes the network as “a bunch of old farts” who “refuse to be pastured” and “want to help others do a better job, ease tension, share experience, show the way and shine a light”. In short, “We offer a process that reduces mistakes by sharing our cock-ups with others so they are better than we were.” How many mentoring/coaching companies do you hear sell themselves like that?!
iMentor-pro offers a Guild of skilled mentors who are matched with mentees. The mentor assists the mentee by imparting experience, suggested readings, referrals and general assistance tailored to the mentee’s specific circumstances.
A software package called Socrates Mentor-Monitor offers a secure and non-intrusive way for measuring the performance of the mentor, the progress of the mentee and alignment with business results.
It’s a proposition that pushed the right buttons for our judges, providing a much needed service as the ‘baby-boomer’ generation moves into retirement. iMentor-pro is more than just a cool idea. It’s a cool company.
Details on this and the other awardees can be accessed at www.australiananthill.com and in the August Issue #17 (p43) of Australian Anthill Magazine available from 4 August 2006.
The method behind the ‘coolness’
Edited extract – full text at http://www.australiananthill.com/main.php?page=ed_cool_companies17
Broad observations aside, how does a business magazine judge one company to be ‘cool’ and another to be ‘less cool’? Or worse, simply ‘uncool’?
Six criteria were developed, against which all applications would be judged. The criteria were: Youth and Attitude (with emphasis that age of staff and owners should not be a determinant), Reinvention, Creativity, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, The X-Factor.
These criteria were used to narrow down applicants and select the top fifty (and later, the top twenty, then final TOP 10). However, the term ‘cool’ is highly subjective and will mean different things to different people. In essence, the term ‘cool’ was generally used to describe a company that is bringing about change by doing things differently or defying convention. Like James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, the companies chosen were selected for their unique qualities as role models at a certain place in time, for the here and now. They either intrinsically represent or are preparing for changes in customer behaviours (and demographics) and evolving business attitudes.
They aren’t afraid of the future, of failure, or challenging the status quo.
Contact:
| Michael Donovan Managing Director |
1300 669 139 |
Sincere thanks to our terrific Guild of Mentors:
Also thanks to our supportive Alliance Partners:
Australian Institute of Company Directors – Mentor and Mediate CONNECT
Melbourne Business School, Mt Eliza Centre for Executive Education – Executive Mentoring in Organisations
Amazing Results – Executive On-boarding Programs
Evan Carmichael.com – Library of Mentoring articles by iMentor-pro (200 downloads a month)
The Resilience Institute – Engaging a key competence
Corporate Values Alignment – Direct Applications essential to building sustainability