mentoring developers
TRANSCRIPT
Padawan and Master
Mentoring Developers
https://joind.in/8172
Feedback is Lovely
Explaining the metaphor
Why Star Wars
Leave Family
Learn the basics together
Initiate (Youngling)
Work with me here
Padawan (Apprentice)
But never stop learning
Become a Knight
Finally become a master
Or if that doesn’t work, take over
What exactly IS this strange thing?
Mentorship
Take someone with raw potential…
And turn them into something useful
Your definition of useful may vary
Facets to a relationship
Types of Mentorships
Formal or Informal
Professional or Personal
Long or Short Term
Group or Peer
Personal Rewards
Why have a mentor?
Technology moves FAST
Information
We all need a hero
Role Modeling
No man(or woman.. or little green thing) is an island.
Advice
To get to where you need to go, find the folks you need to know
Networking
Humans (well and others) are social animals
Interaction
You get more than you give
Why be a mentor?
Once I was the student, now I am the master
Learning
What your apprentice does reflects on you
Recognition
You might be surprised at what your apprentice can do for you
Networking
Sometimes you just want to give back what you’ve been given
Reciprocation
We like to do things that make us feel good
Intangibles
The one learning really holds the reins
How to become an apprentice
1.Personality
2.Skills
3.Availability
4.Drive
Apprentice, find a mentor
1. Ongoing process
2. Both sides together, never a one way street
3. Goals will evolve with circumstances
4. Goals should be specific enough to clearly define progress
Decide on goals
1. Interaction is the key to good mentorship
2. Online is never quite as good as face-to-face, but far better than nothing
3. Use the tech tools available
4. No one is ever “too busy”
Communicate
1.Change the goals
2.Change the nature of the relationship
3.Say Goodbye
4.Run away screaming
Exit Strategy
People Change, Relationships too
Mismatch in expectations
Mismatch in personality
Breaches of trust
Lack of focus
When things go wrong…
Remember: It takes two
Failure is good!
Driving Learning forward
Mentoring Organizations
1.Everyone needs to decide this is important
2.This can’t be “after hours” or “when the work is done” – make it a (paid) priority or it won’t happen
3.Let the apprentice choose the mentor if possible, more than one mentor for groups greater than 2 is more effective
Commit as an organization
1. Make a list of specific, measurable goals the organization wants to accomplish
2. Outsource or insource potential mentors, and make sure they understand what you want them to teach
3. Sit down with potential apprentices and make sure their goals mesh
4. Set aside time for the mentorship – don’t interrupt it with anything!
Organize, organize, organize
1.Take responsibility for career goals
2.Listen and share
3.Incorporate feedback given
4.Make time for interaction
5.Have realistic expectations and approach the relationship with honesty
Rules of an Apprentice
1.Trust and Respect
2.Listen
3.Help apprentice define and achieve goals
4.Offer advice, references, resources, CONSTRUCTIVE feedback
5.Give support when apprentice succeeds, and when they fail
Rules of a Mentor
Anecdotes stick around
Personal Tales
Beginning Developer
1.Try to find it on your own first
2.Ask questions, lots of questions, but never the SAME questions
3.Don’t be afraid to question “why?” but also be open to the answers – show respect
4.You will be pushed outside your comfort zone
What is expected of a beginning apprentice?
Intermediate Developer
1.Branch out beyond what you think you need to know into new areas
2.Have faith that the support you need will be there when you ask for it
3.Continue to reach out in new directions to new people, but keep your older contacts close as well
4.Remember that failure breeds success
What is expected of an intermediate apprentice?
Advanced Developer
1.Your mentorship relationship is more peer to peer, more give and take
2.Have respect for those who mentor you, but realize they are just people too
3.Sometimes real life gets in the way
4.Never stop learning and growing
5.Give back (time to get your own apprentice)
What is expected of an advanced apprentice?
Advanced Developer
1.Support and encouragement
2.Feedback loops for coding improvements
3.A shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, and less help with fixing things
4.Help with those steps out of the comfort zone
What does an advanced dev need from a mentor?
Some day that boy is gonna get me killed
Intermediate Developer
1.Stretching of their coding boundaries
2.Networking connections and introductions to others
3.Encouragement to leave the comfort zone
4.Positive role model for moving ahead
What does an Intermediate dev need from a mentor?
Beginning Developer
1.Best Practices
2.Positive Feedback
3.Resources for their own research
4.NO SPOONFEEDING
What does a beginner need from a mentor?
They grow up too soon…
Apprentice to Master
About Me
http://emsmith.net
IRC – freenode – auroraeosrose
#php-gtk #coapp and others
Questions?
http://phpmentoring.orghttp://phpwomen.org More mentorship organizations?
Resources:http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_70.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentor http://www.iop.org/careers/mentoring/benefits/page_38864.html http://www.mentorscout.com/about/mentor-benefits.cfm http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15327809jls0603_2 http://www.mindflash.com/blog/2011/07/mentoring-2-0-why-gen-y-demands-a-new-approach/