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I wanted to take a few moments to share my approach to mentoring and how I make it a priority.
I have two primary ways to approach mentoring: dedicated one-to-ones and everyday interactions.
🗓️ Reserving time for one-to-ones:
For dedicated one-on-ones, I reserve buckets of time from my calendar (e.g., 2:30–5 on Tuesdays, 7–8 on Wednesdays, etc.).
I have recurring and ad-hoc mentoring sessions during these times and am open to mentoring anyone. I meet with Engineers at all levels, from Interns to Principal Engineers.
And during these sessions, I have a few rules I try to follow:
- Avoid talking about tasks or projects; these are mentoring sessions, not a working session.
- Let the Mentee steer the conversation; they might need some advice or guidance, let them determine what to talk about.
- Be objective; to be a good Mentor, you must think about what’s best for the Mentee. Sometimes, what’s good for them might conflict with your own goals.
Mentoring time is essential. I try to avoid letting other things get in the way.
👨🏫 Day-to-day interactions:
I most often give career advice and guidance in one-on-one situations. Teaching is something I do more in my daily interactions.
Every interaction is an opportunity to mentor; whenever someone asks me a question about a problem they are solving, asks my advice on an approach they are taking, or even a pull request I am reviewing, I take that opportunity to teach.
Being a mentor is as simple as taking a few moments to explain the why behind your suggestions or answers. Take those extra two minutes to explain why; these are lessons that Mentees will carry with them.
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