five rules for mentoring new user experience professionals

5 Rules for Mentoring New User Experience ProfessionalsBob ThomasManager of User Experience, Liberty Mutual

robertl.thomas@libertymutual.com@bobthomas

What Does It Mean To “Mentor,” as Opposed to “Teach”?

๏ “to teach or give advice or guidance to (someone, such as a less experienced person or a child)… − Merriam-Webster Dictionary

๏ However, teaching (or coaching) is related to tasks and often comes with a specific agenda (the teacher’s)

๏ Mentoring is related to personal choice and also comes with an agenda (the mentee’s)

What Does Mentoring Mean to Me?

๏ Developing a relationship where both mentor and mentee benefit

๏ Being a leader in our field

User Experience Opportunities

U IA D

Usability Research/Testing Information Architecture Visual & Interaction Design

Rule #1๏ Sometimes, your boss can be your

mentor

If You Establish a UX Practice, People Will Seek You Out

Mentors Can Provide Learning Opportunities for Mentees

Mentors Can Give Mentees Confidence

Rule #2๏ Sometimes, your boss can’t be your

mentor

Performance-Based Objectives Can Introduce Conflict

If Your Boss Is Your Mentor, Your Objectives May Not Match Up

Your Boss’s Performance-Based Objectives for You

Your UX-Based Objectives

A X

B Y

C Z

Rule #3๏ A mentor is responsible for

guiding and assisting the mentee, based on a social contract

A Mentor Is There For You When You Have No Right or Wrong Answer

Rule #4๏ You can’t mentor a stone

You Cannot Successfully Mentor Everyone. At Times You Will Fail.

Rule #5๏ Perspective is additive

Let’s Face It: We Can’t Make Carbon Copies of Ourselves

Mentors Enable Mentees to Lend Their Unique Perspectives to the UX Community

Summary๏ Rule #1: Sometimes, your boss can be your mentor

๏ Rule #2: Sometimes, your boss can’t be your mentor (in other words, find someone else)

๏ Rule #3: A mentor is responsible for guiding and assisting the mentee, based on a social contract

๏ Rule #4: You can’t mentor a stone

๏ Rule #5: Perspective is additive

Thank you very much

Bob ThomasManager of User ExperienceLiberty Mutual

E-mail:

robertl.thomas@libertymutual.com

Twitter:

@bobthomas