Mentoring Systems in Action, What Leaders Built in Six Weeks
Two leaders meet in the staff room after handover.
One opens a notebook with three short lists. What moved. What jammed. What we will test next week.
The other holds a one page handover with a three line summary at the top.
Both look less tired. Both know what to do next.
This is what started to happen when leaders put tiny systems into practice, one week at a time.
What stuck from Weeks 1–5
Across the first weeks, a handful of simple routines kept showing up.
Three line updates became normal. High risk shifts opened with what is happening, what could go wrong, and what I need. Back and forth dropped.
Friday flow checks gave managers a steady reflection loop. They caught jams earlier and acted sooner, not louder.
Decision debt lists turned vague unease into clear choices to close. Small calls were made before they turned into fires.
Peer pods gave leaders twenty focused minutes to test thinking and spot blind spots.
Retention ROI snapshots gave executives local numbers to work with, not guesses.
If you missed any step, start with Five Tiny Systems That Change Your Week, then read The Hidden Cost of Unsupported Managers, Mentoring Isn’t Magic. It’s Management Done Well, What Keeps People from Quitting, and The Retention ROI Snapshot.
This piece is the “what happened next”.
What leaders noticed on the floor
Once the routines took hold, leaders reported the same shifts again and again.
Clearer starts
Teams arrived on shift knowing the one thing that mattered most. Not ten competing priorities.Fewer escalations
Small issues moved earlier because people knew how to raise them and who could decide.Cleaner handovers
One page, three lines at the top, next steps visible. Less time re-reading, more time acting.Better energy use
Hard calls in green blocks. Admin and email in yellow blocks. Leaders felt less scattered.Quicker learning
One small change tested each week, then either kept or dropped on Friday.
From earlier cohorts of this mentoring model, the pattern was similar. Many leaders reported higher confidence in decisions by program end. Most implemented at least one new workflow or communication routine in the first six weeks and kept it.
Your six week build, packed into one checklist
Use this as a weekly reset. Keep it light and repeatable.
Three line update on any risky shift or change
What is happening. What could go wrong. What I need.Friday flow check with one three minute map on a jam
What moved. What jammed. What we will test next week.Decision debt list with two items cleared by Friday
Write down the decisions you are avoiding. Close the smallest ones first.Peer pod
Twenty minutes. One real problem each. One question each. Then stop.One page handover
Three lines at the top. Key risk, key change, key next step. Detail in an appendix if needed.Energy aware calendar
Mark your green blocks and book hard calls there. Put admin in yellow blocks.
Pick four to run every week. Add the other two when they feel natural.
Lead with less chaos.
These systems are built to sit inside real weeks, not ideal ones.
They help leaders think clearly, move earlier, and stop carrying every decision in their head.
Individual leaders
Join as a mentee if you want structured support to build and hold these routines inside your own role.Organisations
Partner as an organisation to support managers with mentoring that fits real rosters, real pressure and your current reform context.Experienced leaders
Become a mentor and help the next wave of managers turn weekly pressure into clearer decisions and steadier teams.
Common snags and simple fixes
Small systems will bump into real life. That is expected.
Updates ignored
Check channel and timing. Are you sending the three line update the way your senior team actually reads, for example SMS, Teams, WhatsApp, or email Do they know to expect it before a shift startsFlow checks drift
Set a calendar alarm for 3.45 p.m. Friday. Ten minutes only. Same two questions every week. What moved. What jammed.Decision lists balloon
Cap the list at five items. Clear two. Move the rest forward by choice, not by forgetting.Peer pods stall
Use a timer. Five minutes to speak. Five minutes for questions. No advice until the end. One suggestion each, then stop.One page handovers creep
Move detail to an appendix or second page. Keep the top summary tight so the next person can act quickly.
The goal is not perfection. It is rhythm.
For executives
Back your managers with structure, not noise.
Three practical levers:
Add three signals to your dashboard
Decision lag. Escalations per week. Handover rework. Small shifts in these numbers often show up before turnover.Change one lever this quarter
For example, meeting defaults, decision owners, or handover format. Do not change everything. Change one thing and stick with it.Tie each lever to one small system managers can use by Monday
If you alter decision rights, pair it with three line updates. If you reduce meetings, add a Friday flow check. Model these yourself so leaders know they are safe to use.
Why mentoring keeps this alive
Training teaches models.
Mentoring builds cadence, reflection, and accountability so habits hold when work gets noisy.
That is why leaders often report improved confidence and early reductions in escalation patterns within the first six weeks of a structured mentoring program. They are not just learning ideas, they are practising how to use them on their own corridor.
For a practical lens on constraints that help, watch the TEDx, Great Leaders Transform Organisations by Thinking Inside the Box, and experiment with a simple rule.
Cap problem solving to twenty minutes. Then run a test.
Ready to keep the gains? Spots are limited.
Secure your place or join the waitlist for the next public cohort. Prefer to mentor. Express interest as a mentor.
About the Author
Samantha Bowen is the Founding Director of Hyphae Network. She helps leaders in aged care, health, and community services build simple systems that hold under pressure. Her mentoring programs have supported more than 400 leaders across Australia. Her work focuses on practical structure, steady teams, and results you can feel on the floor.
FAQs
Which four routines should I keep if time is tight
Run the three line update, the Friday flow check, the decision debt list, and a one page handover. Add a peer pod when you can.
How do I know this is working
Watch for shorter back and forth on high risk shifts, fewer escalations, and one small improvement tested each week. Listen for staff saying “this feels calmer” rather than “nothing ever changes”.
Can I start mid quarter
Yes. Start now. Set your first Friday flow check and build from there. You do not need a new quarter to begin a new rhythm.
What if leaders resist the format
Pilot with one team. Share the gains. Keep the format optional but visible. Most teams adopt what saves time and lowers stress once they can see the difference.
How do we involve senior clinicians moving into management
Pair them with mentors who respect clinical reality and roster pressure. Start with the three line update and a weekly flow check. Build from the work they already know, not from generic leadership jargon.