Have you ever thought about becoming a mentor but didn’t know how to get started? Mentoring is a valuable tool for professional development that can result in positive outcomes for both the mentor and the mentee. In this session, you will learn:
- How to identify the specific skills and strengths that you could potentially offer as a mentor.
- Strategies for how to build formal and informal mentoring relationships in the workplace.
- Best practices for communication in mentoring, including how to give constructive feedback and understanding the importance of of active listening.
- Strategies for overcoming common fears that might be preventing you from wanting to become a mentor. If you’ve ever considered becoming a mentor but felt that you didn’t have enough time, that you’re too much of a beginner yourself, or even that your communication skills might be holding you back, this session is for you.
2. About Me
⬩ Cloud Training Specialist at Cloudbakers
⬩ Former Chicago Public Schools teacher
⬩ Lots of experience with mentoring
○ Mentor and mentee
○ Formal and informal
3. Objectives
⬩ Identify strengths that you could offer as a mentor
⬩ Begin building mentoring relationships at work
⬩ Improve your communication skills as a mentor
⬩ Overcome common fears related to mentoring
9. Reflected Best Self Exercise
1. Select 3-5 respondents and ask for feedback:
“I am at my best when…”
2. Identify patterns in their responses.
3. Compose your self portrait.
10. Other Questions to Consider
⬩ When did you make a mistake and learn from it?
⬩ What is something that you struggled with at the
beginning of your career?
⬩ If you could go back to the beginning of your career,
what is something that you would do differently?
12. Informal vs. Formal Mentoring
Informal
⬩ Mentors and mentees self-
select
⬩ Goals are unspecified
⬩ Outcomes are usually not
tracked or measured
Formal
⬩ Mentors and mentees are
paired based on compatibility
⬩ Goals are established
⬩ Outcomes are tracked and
measured
14. Informal Mentoring
⬩ Offer support when you can --- but don’t force it.
⬩ Be open and approachable, especially to interns and junior
members of your team.
⬩ Host an internal speed networking event.
⬩ Let the relationship be driven by the mentee.
17. Formal Mentoring
⬩ Start by defining the purpose and timeline.
○ Technical / Career / Leadership
⬩ Determine exactly how the effectiveness of the program will be measured.
○ Competency assessments, retention rates, improved job performance
rates, etc.
⬩ Set regular check-in intervals.
⬩ Let the relationship be driven by the mentee.
18. Mentoring Checklist (so far)
❑ Identify your specific skills and strengths.
❑ Decide on a formal or informal mentoring approach.
❑ Now what?
24. Paraphrasing
Restating thoughts from a different angle
“What I hear
you saying
is…”
“As I
understand
it, you’re
feeling…”
“It sounds
like you’re
saying
that…”
28. Mentoring Checklist (so far)
❑ Identify your specific skills and strengths.
❑ Decide on a formal or informal mentoring approach.
❑ When communicating, listen before you speak.
❑ But…
30. Lacking Strong Communication Skills
⬩ Offer advice and support to mentees through writing.
⬩ Attend meetup events that are related to your personal
and professional interests.
⬩ Don’t overthink it! Remind yourself that you do have
something to offer to other people.
31.
32. Not Enough Time
⬩ Focus more on informal mentoring opportunities.
⬩ Ask questions to get clarification about the time
commitment for formal mentoring programs.
⬩ Be honest and realistic about how much time and support
you are able to offer.
33. Too Much of a Beginner Yourself
⬩ Focus more on informal mentoring opportunities.
⬩ Start with soft skills mentoring.
○ Communication, creative thinking, teamwork, time
management, organization, etc.
⬩ Continue to build your skills, and then teach others what
you have learned.
34. Resources
⬩ SHRM: Creating a Mentoring Program
⬩ MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership
⬩ “Thoughts on mentorship in tech”
⬩ “Effective approaches to mentoring women in tech”
35. Recap
⬩ Identify skills and strengths that are specific.
⬩ Informal: Proactively seek out opportunities to connect.
⬩ Formal: Start with the end goals in mind.
⬩ Listen before you speak.
⬩ Acknowledge your mentoring fears and then create a path
forward.
Share story about how I struggled with fear of failure earlier in my career. I was always very reluctant to seek out new opportunities, even ones that I knew I was more than qualified for.
I turned it into a positive thing by making it something I can teach other people about.
This morning, I ran into someone here at CodeMash who heard me speak at another conference. Hearing my story is what helped give him the confidence to apply (and get accepted!) to give his first conference talk here.
30 minutes
30 minutes – 4:00
Halfway point!
40 minutes – 4:10
Pseudo-listening
”So, I’m working on a new project…”
“Oh, you must be so excited!”
“Uhh, actually, I’m pretty terrified.”
For the third point:
Emphasize that as a trainer, explaining WHY is a huge part of what helps people to understand and remember exactly what they need to do (especially once they are removed from the immediate situation and need to reflect back on it).
50 minutes – 4:20
Mention the CodeMash mentoring program here! ☺
It’s not a sprint, it’s a lifelong journey --- or, as some might prefer to call it, an odyssey.