Notes from Rachel Ober's guide to developer mentoring

mentoring.md

• Best mentoring experience is a two-way street

How to get started with mentoring?

• Talk to others and find out who would be interested in the process
• Is this for engineering, or the whole company
• Start a pilot program
• Ask HR about it

What stops people mentoring?

• Fear of doing it badly
• Concern that they have nothing to share
• However, being honest about gaps and issues can overcome this

Tips for new mentors

• Start off the relationship by figuring out the goals of the relationship
• Frequency, outcomes etc
• Could be technical or just advice-based
• Much easier if you know the goals

What are the successful elements for mentoring?

• Regularly scheduled meetings are important
• Mentors have to be honest if mentees are not meeting goals
• Keep assessing the relationship and make sure it's working
• As a mentor, be knowledgeable about what your mentee is working on

Where is a good place to find mentees/mentors?

• Not easy to just 'find a mentor' because there needs to be a certain level of trust and understanding
• Could be through volunteer opportunities or in your organization
• When looking for a mentor, think about where you want to be further down the line

Should your mentor be your manager?

• No
• If you're the manager, you need to balance the best interest of the company and the person
• A mentor should be primarily interested in the mentee's success