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Welcome everyone, and thanks for coming to my talk. Quick note: I had planned to thread a bunch of clothing-related puns throughout this talk, but darn, I don't know if I would have been able to knit them together. So, instead, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jonathan Wallace, and I work at a company called Stitch Fix.
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At Stitch Fix, we help our clients become their best selves. We are a personalized styling service and we do some cool stuff. We utilize machine learning and data science, and we work with tools that you may be familiar with, including Go, React, Angular, Ruby, and a lot of Rails.
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I should mention that we are hiring, so if you want to learn more about our company or what our engineering department does, please get in touch with me or come visit our booth in the exhibit hall. Today, I'm here to share my thoughts on mentorship with you, and I appreciate your presence.
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This isn't going to be a highly specific talk, but we'll discuss techniques, strategies, and philosophies that, when employed, can drastically accelerate your career and skill growth. The plan for today is to first discuss what mentorship is, then explore why you might be interested in engaging in it, and finally, go into details about effective approaches and tactics for becoming a good mentor.
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So, what can mentorship look like? It can be formal, such as having regularly scheduled 30-minute meetings every week or bi-weekly. Alternatively, it can be informal and intermittent, where your mentee reaches out to you as needed. Something I believe is crucial for mentorship to be effective is that it should be altruistic. Even if you're mentoring as part of your job and receiving payment, what really matters is whether you are sincerely invested in your mentee's results and growth.
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Mentorship isn't about the money; it's about genuinely caring for your mentee's progress. If you're being compensated outside of a formal job, it might be more of a coaching relationship rather than mentorship. In mentoring, focus is not just on particular skills but rather on the broader, longer-term career development of your mentee.
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The mentee plays a vital role as they provide the fuel for the relationship. While they bring the spark, your job as a mentor is to be the accelerant, facilitating their learning and development. It's essential to have a future vision of where your mentee might go in their career or how they might grow their skill set. You don’t necessarily have to have a fixed vision, but helping them to develop their own vision more quickly is an important part of mentorship.
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So, why should you engage in mentorship? One of the main benefits I've found is the chance to practice leadership skills in a low-stakes environment. The consequences are minimal, allowing for many opportunities for course correction. For example, suppose you are assisting someone new to Rails and programming. You can help them navigate career growth options, discussing roles like back-end developer, front-end developer, UX designer, etc. They might change their minds about what they want to pursue, and that's a chance for you to reset expectations and guide their focus.
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You'll also have numerous opportunities to practice your listening skills because people rarely communicate exactly what they mean. It’s common to find individuals using a lot of words, making it challenging to grasp their true intent. As a mentor, practicing active listening enables you to become adept at identifying what someone is trying to convey. This skill is valuable in all areas of life, whether you're speaking with executives, peers, co-workers, or family.
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Inexperienced individuals often lack the vocabulary needed to articulate their thoughts accurately. They may know what they want but struggle to express it. Everyone encounters moments like this when seeking solutions through a search engine but unable to find the right phrase. This highlights a critical issue: helping mentees build their vocabulary and awareness so they can express their knowledge and needs more effectively over time.
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As a mentor, your role is to help mentees convert their unknown unknowns into known unknowns. A good friend of mine gave a remarkable talk about this subject, emphasizing how mentors assist mentees in recognizing what they don’t know. Mentoring others also helps refine and strengthen your understanding of a particular domain. Mentees may ask questions where you think you have the answers, yet when you explain, they become confused. This reflects the importance of bridging understanding gaps between you and your mentees.
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You may also find that a mentee uses different terminology than you expect, broadening your vocabulary. This collaborative effort can transform the formless void of knowledge into a labelled map, allowing for greater clarity and understanding. Mentoring can inspire you to acquire new knowledge through their inquiries, reminding you that you too should continue learning. As a mentor who has been in the field for a while, I find that this humbles me; it helps me recognize how far I’ve come and reminds me to appreciate others' efforts.
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Now let's dive into how to find a mentee. This process is quite straightforward. Whether you’re involved in programming, mentorship, or any other interest, there’s likely a community of individuals sharing that passion online. Finding those individuals in online forums or communities, attending meetups, and participating in hackathons are excellent ways to connect and find mentees.
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Many years ago, I attended a Startup Weekend. I met someone there who was taking his first step into software development. Fast forward three or four years and I was working alongside him, which was incredibly rewarding. When you engage with others at events or online platforms, share your passions, whether it’s mentorship or a different topic. Share your struggles and expertise, and in return, you will find people recognizing you as a valuable resource, increasing your potential to become their mentor.
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Volunteering with children is another great way to build mentorship skills. Whether coaching a local chess club, a robotics team, or a sports team, the challenges you face will enhance your communication skills across various age groups and backgrounds. Teaching children helps refine your ability to communicate as they are quick learners, providing instant feedback and course correction, which can help you practice your mentorship techniques.
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Letting the mentee drive the relationship is crucial. If you find yourself steering the relationship, it may indicate that it isn’t functioning properly. Your mentee might possess objectives and goals, or they may not, and that's perfectly fine. They may have problems to discuss, but they might not, and that is acceptable too. However, if you sense the relationship fading, it’s perfectly acceptable to reach out, check in, and see what they need. Providing them a chance to express if they would like to continue is important.
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When presenting my talk proposal, I included terms like inquiry-based learning, which emphasizes that the mentee should lead while you guide them to ensure they stay on track. This teaching method encourages active participation, aiming to generate knowledge through personal experiences rather than rote memorization. By facilitating an experiential learning environment, you help ensure that the learning process becomes more meaningful and impactful.
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As a mentor, you encourage questions from your mentee. For instance, if they ask about routes in Rails, you can start by identifying their specific concern and guiding them to resources that address their questions. This approach fosters independence as mentees learn to address their unknowns and can transform those unknowns into known unknowns by themselves.
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Differentiated learning recognizes that everyone learns differently based on their individual strengths and weaknesses. Understanding a mentee's zone of proximal development allows you to provide the right level of challenge and support, ensuring that you're not overwhelming them while still promoting growth. It’s essential to identify how comfortable they are with various learning approaches, whether they prefer tutorials or exploratory learning.
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As a mentor, paying attention to your mentee's morale and stress levels is paramount. Recognizing when they might be at risk of burnout helps you provide necessary support. You might be the encouragement they need, offering a sympathetic ear or recognizing their accomplishments to keep them motivated.
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As mentors, we can help our mentees not just with technical skills but also with understanding and managing stress in a way that supports their learning process. Being aware of their emotional well-being will influence their ability to absorb information during learning sessions. This understanding highlights the importance of active listening and connecting with them emotionally.
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Active listening entails genuinely paying attention to your mentee during conversations. This means looking at them directly, setting your distractions aside, and ensuring that they feel heard. Non-verbal cues, such as body language, can greatly enhance your communication. Encouraging them to express themselves while reflecting back what you hear aids their understanding of the conversation.
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You should avoid interrupting them or responding with counter-arguments. Instead, allow them to complete their thoughts before offering your insights. Communicating clearly and honestly is important, providing constructive feedback as needed while still offering praise for their efforts.
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When giving feedback, remember the golden rule: treat others how you would like to be treated. However, also consider treating them how they would prefer to be treated—each person has different strengths and weaknesses. Asking mentees how they prefer to receive feedback can create a more effective mentorship dynamic.
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I wanted to highlight the importance of being a mentee as well. To find a good mentor, you should be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses. This involves asking various individuals—friends, family, and co-workers—for feedback about your performance and areas for improvement. This self-awareness sets the stage for a successful mentorship relationship.
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Once you identify your needs, seek someone you respect, be it a mentor in a technical role, an effective individual contributor, or a project manager. Approach them with interest and willingness to learn, whether through formal requests or small, casual inquiries. Cultivating this relationship can lead to valuable growth.
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In the industry, remote mentoring is increasingly common. High-fidelity communication is vital—video calls tend to work best, allowing for more personal interactions. If not possible, audio calls can suffice, but be sure to focus and avoid distractions. This means being fully present during conversations and making an effort to engage actively.
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Mentorship is about contributing to the community. While you may not be able to contribute through coding or documentation, offering guidance to less experienced individuals is invaluable. Regardless of your expertise level, improving at mentorship takes time and practice. You can play a pivotal role in empowering someone’s growth.
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Wrapping up, I’d like to express my gratitude to organizations that have supported me in delivering earlier versions of this talk. I appreciate Stitch Fix for allowing me the opportunity to speak today. Lastly, thank you to everyone who has joined me during this talk—if you have questions, feel free to reach out after this session.
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The end.
