Tailoring Mentorship (with speaker notes)

This was a sponsored talk by Stitch Fix given at Railsconf 2017. Here's my abstract:

"In this talk, you'll learn how to establish effective, quality mentoring relationships where both parties grow their skills—and their career. Mentoring accelerates your personal and career growth. Come learn how much you'll grow by sharing your knowledge and experience using practices like inquiry-based learning, differentiated learning, and active listening."

Transcript

1. Tailoring Mentorship Achieving the Best Fit Welcome, everyone! A quick note. I had thought to thread a bunch of clothing related pun jokes throughout this talk but darn, I don’t know if I would have been able to knit together a coherent talk about mentorship. So instead, allow me to introduce myself…
2. My name is Jonathan Wallace. I’m an Principal Engineer (basically an engineering manager) at Stitch Fix. We’re a personalized styling service where we help you be your best self. We do cool stuff with machine learning and data science.
3. http://twitter.com/jonathanwallace http://blog.jonathanrwallace.com jonathan.wallace@stitchfix.com We use Ruby, Rails, Go, Angular, and React (amongst other tools). We’re hiring!
4. Tailoring Mentorship Achieving the Best Fit I’m here to share my thoughts about mentorship with you. This isn’t a Rails specific talk but we’ll be talking about techniques, strategies, and philosophies which, when employed will drastically accelerate your skill and career growth.
5. "IMG_5275" by keightdee https://flickr.com/photos/katedollarhyde/6247782287 is licensed under CC BY-NC here’s our plan for the day what, why, how
6. What "Batman and Robin" by ktbuffy https://flickr.com/photos/ktbuffy/10612069916 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
7. FORMAL "New Years Eve" by Kent Wang https://flickr.com/photos/kentwang/6610828273 is licensed under CC BY-SA It may be formal, scheduled and regular
8. FORMAL INFORMAL "New Years Eve" by Kent Wang https://flickr.com/photos/kentwang/6610828273 is licensed under CC BY-SA "Overdressed" by twotoneams https://flickr.com/photos/twotone666/2237600895 is licensed under CC BY-NC or informal, ad hoc, and intermittent.
9. Altruistic "DuckTales animation cel signed by Carl Barks, 1998" by Tom Simpson https://flickr.com/photos/randar/33759033495 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND For mentoring to be mentoring, it should be altruistic.
10. "Money" by free pictures of money https://flickr.com/photos/pictures-of-money/17123251389 is licensed under CC BY It is possible you’re mentoring as part of your job and are therefore getting paid and that’s fine. But to be most effective, you should be sincerely invested in your mentee’s success. Which makes me think of altruism.
11. "Money" by free pictures of money https://flickr.com/photos/pictures-of-money/17123251389 is licensed under CC BY It is not about money. You’re sincerely invested.
12. "SAKURAKO - Piano Lesson. [Explored]" by MIKI Yoshihito. (#mikiyoshihito) https://flickr.com/photos/mujitra/12877613313 is licensed under CC BY If you’re getting paid, you’re probably a teacher. Or maybe a coach.
13. "Maestro" by Fitzrovia https://flickr.com/photos/fitzrovia/12607933895 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND You’re not giving piano lessons. Instead, you’re focused on the bigger picture of your mentee’s career.
14. "HOT COAL" by EKIN4891 https://flickr.com/photos/93931093@N08/8542900793 is licensed under CC BY-SA Your mentee provides the fuel and the spark.
15. "HOT COAL" by EKIN4891 https://flickr.com/photos/93931093@N08/8542900793 is licensed under CC BY-SA Your job is to be the accelerant. You are the accelerant to their learning and development. We’ll talk more about this later as this is one of the most crucial tasks you have as a mentor. (That’s why it gets the animated gif.)
16. Screen grab from the 1985 movie “Back to the Future” You’re taking the long term view. You’re future focused for your mentee. Do you have a vision for their career or skillset ten years, fifteen years from now? It may not ultimately be the vision that they have but your helping them to develop their own.
17. Why "DSC_0192" by rachidH https://flickr.com/photos/rachidh/8202264135 is licensed under CC BY-NC If you want to practice leadership, it is best to start with baby steps where the consequences are low and you can begin to exercise leading someone else.
18. "July 2012 Niagara Falls High Wire Tight Rope Walker Jay Cochrane" by George Socka https://flickr.com/photos/beachdigital/7681250612 is licensed under CC BY If you want to develop your leadership skills, this is a great opportunity to do so. You don’t have to worry about catastrophic failure and you can be sure that you’ll get multiple opportunities to course correct along the way.
19. "Stakes" by E. B. Walker Photography https://flickr.com/photos/premierehdr/11737050964 is licensed under CC BY-NC The stakes are low. You may lay out a plan of growth and find it upended for one reason or another and get to practice re-working a plan.
20. "Stakes" by E. B. Walker Photography https://flickr.com/photos/premierehdr/11737050964 is licensed under CC BY-NC You can practice be more intentional about facilitating your mentee’s growth. At first, backend. Then Backend vs. UX vs. frontend. Then UX
21. "Elephant Ears I" by jomilo75 https://flickr.com/photos/jomilo75/2318869437 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND You’ll get opportunities to practice your listening skills. People rarely say exactly what they mean the first time. Often times, they go on and on and use a lot of words when just a few suffice. This is normal. This may be them exploring and testing out new ideas and then discarding them. This is casual conversation. This is often how knowledge is constructed.
22. "Bat Eared Fox_1" by guppiecat https://flickr.com/photos/guppiecat/33883088625 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND You’ll practice active listening which will allow you to be more efficient in identifying and addressing problems throughout your career whether you’re communicating with executives, peers or clients.
23. https://images.nasa.gov/#/details-PIA13014.html As I mentioned before, casual conversations may be meandering as someone constructs their understanding of a new idea whether that be a framework, application, or programming language constructs. One reason for this is that inexperienced folks lack the vocabulary. They may know what they want but not be able to express it.
24. "Magic!!!" by wiennat https://flickr.com/photos/wien/2222664608 is licensed under CC BY-SA Have you ever had a problem where if you only knew the “magic phrase” to google, your problem would be solved? A few weeks ago, I was attempting to use a tool to automate the installation of the linux operating system.
25. "Magic!" by andyoakley https://flickr.com/photos/andyoakley/3786585098 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND I knew this should be possible. It took me about a day and half before I determined the correct phrase was “unattended install.” I kept searching for “automated installation” and “keyboardless install” with no luck.
26. "Donald Rumsfeld" by Gage Skidmore https://flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/5446795136 is licensed under CC BY-SA Another challenge is that inexperienced folks may not know what they don’t know. Donald Rumsfeld, the Secretary of Defense in 2002 has an applicable quote.
27. “There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know. And if one looks throughout the history of our country and other free countries, it is the latter category that tend to be the difficult ones.” —Donald Rumsfeld, 2002 "Donald Rumsfeld" by Gage Skidmore https://flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/5446795136 is licensed under CC BY-SA In it, he talks about unknown unknowns. Experience allows us to turn unknown unknowns into known unknowns.
28. https://speakerdeck.com/pwnela/crossing-the-canyon-of-cognizance-a-shared-adventure Pamela Vickers gave an excellent talk about this called “Crossing the Canyon of Cognizance.” As a mentor, you’re often assisting mentees and helping them get to the “conscious incompetence” level that she explains in her talk.
29. https://images.nasa.gov/#/details-PIA17563.html Mentoring others allows you to refine conceptual knowledge and strengthen your vocabulary around a particular domain. A mentee may ask a question where you think you know the answer but you’re unable to explain it as well as you thought.
30. https://images.nasa.gov/#/details-PIA17563.html You’ll sharpen your understanding when attempting to convey it to others. Additionally, it is possible that they may use different words than you expect. You’ll turn the formless void into a labelled map.
31. https://images.nasa.gov/#/details-PIA14444.html Or, they may ask about something you don’t know about which will inspire you to acquire new knowledge.
32. https://images.nasa.gov/#/details-PIA14731.html And they can also inspire us with the effort that they put in to acquire new knowledge. They can remind us to be humble and remind us of how far we’ve come.
33. How "Fresh Mint Chip Ice Cream" by Isabelle @ Crumb https://flickr.com/photos/polkaroo/14953227022 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND Let’s talk about How
34. Find a Mentee "Fresh Mint Chip Ice Cream" by Isabelle @ Crumb https://flickr.com/photos/polkaroo/14953227022 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND First, to mentor, you need a mentee.
35. ""Warped Tour Mosh Pit"" by Ted Van Pelt https://flickr.com/photos/bantam10/12866120865 is licensed under CC BY Whether your someone into functional programming, mentorship, apprenticeship or any other topic, there’s a collection of people on the internet who share the same interest. There’s a slack organization, forum, or IRC chatroom where you can find others who share the same interest. Go to those places and be helpful.
36. ""Warped Tour Mosh Pit"" by Ted Van Pelt https://flickr.com/photos/bantam10/12866120865 is licensed under CC BY Go to meetups and hackathons.
37. ""Warped Tour Mosh Pit"" by Ted Van Pelt https://flickr.com/photos/bantam10/12866120865 is licensed under CC BY Talk about mentorship and its value to you (maybe even present!)
38. "Passion fruit" by stijn https://flickr.com/photos/stijnnieuwendijk/8350279416 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND Share your passion. Talk about it with others. Share your challenges. Share your expertise.
39. "Holding hands" by robscomputer https://flickr.com/photos/robscomputer/7405100280 is licensed under CC BY Be available and helpful to others
40. "Holding hands" by robscomputer https://flickr.com/photos/robscomputer/7405100280 is licensed under CC BY Whether it is a topic about which you care deeply or not, if you’re able and willing to help others, do it. Do it consistently. Develop a brand as a helpful, caring person and others may recommend prospective mentees to reach out to you.
41. "Holding hands" by robscomputer https://flickr.com/photos/robscomputer/7405100280 is licensed under CC BY Another avenue is volunteering to coach chess, quiz bowl, or athletics. Mentoring younger children was incredibly valuable to me when I started pursuing leadership opportunities in my career.
42. "Young driver" by Leonid Mamchenkov https://flickr.com/photos/mamchenkov/209535779 is licensed under CC BY Let Mentee drive the relationship
43. Mentee Drives "Young driver" by Leonid Mamchenkov https://flickr.com/photos/mamchenkov/209535779 is licensed under CC BY having objective goals is okay but not required. having a problem to talk through is okay but not required. don't be afraid to reach out and schedule "Hi, we’ve not talked since X - so I’m guessing that you’ve not got the time, or aren’t getting value, from our conversations. So probably best we stop for immediate future — can we have a 20m chat over coffee on X, Y or Z to review & finish up?"
44. One Exception
45. One Exception "Hi, we’ve not talked since X - so I’m guessing that you’ve not got the time, or aren’t getting value, from our conversations or pairing. So probably best we stop for immediate future — can we have a 20m chat over coffee on X, Y or Z to review & finish up?"
46. Inquiry based Learning The mentee is driving but you’re job is to keep them out of the bushes and not get in an accident. One way to do that is to follow the philosophy of Inquiry Based Learning.
47. Inquiry based Learning Inquiry-based learning is primarily a pedagogical method, developed during the discovery learning movement of the 1960s as a response to traditional forms of instruction—where people were required to memorize information from instructional materials.
48. Inquiry based Learning The philosophy of inquiry based learning can be considered a constructivist philosophy. Generating information and making meaning of it based on personal or societal experience is referred to as constructivism. This philosophy details that the learner actively participates in personal or authentic experiences to make meaning from it.
49. Inquiry based learning is experiential. Experience is most sticky when effort is expended.
50. "Socrates" by bencrowe https://flickr.com/photos/croweb/2836991287 is licensed under CC BY Ask questions. Think socratic method. Let’s say your mentee comes to you with a question about routes. My first questions would be focused on determining what their concern is. Is this an aesthetic concern about being consistently RESTful? Is it something specific that could be solved with a visit to the Rails Guides on Routes?
51. Facilitate Autonomy The goal in asking questions is to facilitate autonomy.
52. Autodidactic You’re trying to turn those unknown unknowns into known unknowns. We want our mentees to get a to a point where they’re autodidactic, or self-teaching, and need our help less and less.
53. Inquiry based Learning • patterns and meanings should not be deceptive to the beginners • useful knowledge about a field should be structured • knowledge which is structured should be applicable, transferable, and accessible to a vast range of situations • structured knowledge should be easily retrieved so that new information in that particular field could be gained without much effort Let’s talk about the four attributes of inquiry based learning.
54. Inquiry based Learning • patterns and meanings should not be deceptive to the beginners • useful knowledge about a field should be structured • knowledge which is structured should be applicable, transferable, and accessible to a vast range of situations • structured knowledge should be easily retrieved so that new information in that particular field could be gained without much effort As a newbie in a field, your filter, i.e. your ability to distinguish signal from noise has yet to be developed. Because of this, it is easy to be led astray and be confused with respect to concepts and ideas that seem similar.
55. https://speakerdeck.com/kyfast/amelia-bedelia-learns-to-code?slide=27 Kylie Stradley gave an excellent talk titled “Amelia Bedelia Learns to Code” and in that talk, she talked about the beginner confusion that is so common. I know that when I first started learning, I struggled to distinguish between the “rakes” command and the “rails” command.
56. Inquiry based Learning • patterns and meanings should not be deceptive to the beginners • useful knowledge about a field should be structured • knowledge which is structured should be applicable, transferable, and accessible to a vast range of situations • structured knowledge should be easily retrieved so that new information in that particular field could be gained without much effort As a mentor, you’re guiding your mentee and providing that structure.
57. https://www.codefellows.org/blog/this-is-why-learning-rails-is-hard/ In December of 2013, there’s a post to the Code Fellows blog which talks about why Learning Rails is hard. Here’s their diagram of all the things you need to know to learn Rails… in 2013!!
58. https://www.codefellows.org/blog/this-is-why-learning-rails-is-hard/ Our job as mentors is help folks less experienced than us navigate all these skills. How much time should someone new to programming spend learning the command line? I recommend only the basics.
59. Inquiry based Learning • patterns and meanings should not be deceptive to the beginners • useful knowledge about a field should be structured • knowledge which is structured should be applicable, transferable, and accessible to a vast range of situations • structured knowledge should be easily retrieved so that new information in that particular field could be gained without much effort And we want the knowledge they learn to be transferrable. Skills with the command line will last a life time.
60. Inquiry based Learning • patterns and meanings should not be deceptive to the beginners • useful knowledge about a field should be structured • knowledge which is structured should be applicable, transferable, and accessible to a vast range of situations • structured knowledge should be easily retrieved so that new information in that particular field could be gained without much effort Fortunately, in the Rails community, there’s a relatively high value placed on documentation. The Rails Guides are a great example of this.
61. Inquiry based Learning • Creating questions of their own • Obtaining supporting evidence to answer the question(s) • Explaining the evidence collected • Connecting the explanation to the knowledge obtained from the investigative process • Creating an argument and justification for the explanation Let’s talk about the specific steps for doing inquiry based learning with your mentee
62. Inquiry based Learning • Creating questions of their own • Obtaining supporting evidence to answer the question(s) • Explaining the evidence collected • Connecting the explanation to the knowledge obtained from the investigative process • Creating an argument and justification for the explanation You want them to devise their own questions. Let’s say that your mentoring someone in Rails. And they want to Apply a discount to a Product. And they come to you asking for help modeling it. You might talk about the different approaches.
63. Inquiry based Learning • Creating questions of their own • Obtaining supporting evidence to answer the question(s) • Explaining the evidence collected • Connecting the explanation to the knowledge obtained from the investigative process • Creating an argument and justification for the explanation logic in the controller logic in a model method called from the controller using a callback using a service object
64. Inquiry based Learning • Creating questions of their own • Obtaining supporting evidence to answer the question(s) • Explaining the evidence collected • Connecting the explanation to the knowledge obtained from the investigative process • Creating an argument and justification for the explanation After you’ve provided some structure about applying a discount to the sales price of a product, you’ll want to encourage them to do some research. Do they spike out an approach? Do they research blog articles?
65. Inquiry based Learning • Creating questions of their own • Obtaining supporting evidence to answer the question(s) • Explaining the evidence collected • Connecting the explanation to the knowledge obtained from the investigative process • Creating an argument and justification for the explanation Once they’ve acquired some experience, they should share that experience with you.
66. Inquiry based Learning • Creating questions of their own • Obtaining supporting evidence to answer the question(s) • Explaining the evidence collected • Connecting the explanation to the knowledge obtained from the investigative process • Creating an argument and justification for the explanation The process of explaining it to you is them constructing their knowledge.
67. Inquiry based Learning • Creating questions of their own • Obtaining supporting evidence to answer the question(s) • Explaining the evidence collected • Connecting the explanation to the knowledge obtained from the investigative process • Creating an argument and justification for the explanation After they’ve explained the evidence, they should be able to state an opinion that makes sense based on their evidence.
68. Inquiry based Learning • Creating questions of their own • Obtaining supporting evidence to answer the question(s) • Explaining the evidence collected • Connecting the explanation to the knowledge obtained from the investigative process • Creating an argument and justification for the explanation This is a good process to follow to ensure that they’re having an experience.
69. Differentiated Learning This is a fancy term for teachers that indicates that not all children learn the same way which may be generalized as not all people learn the same way.
70. Differentiated Learning People have different learning styles. People have different strengths. People have different weaknesses.
71. Differentiated Learning • Zone of proximal development • Exploratory learner vs. tutorials • Morale maintenance Specifically, people have different zones of proximal development. Lev Vygotsky originally developed this concept. It is the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can do with help.
72. Differentiated Learning • Zone of proximal development • Exploratory learner vs. tutorials • Morale maintenance It is the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can do with help.
73. By Dcoetzee - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20903046 Our job as a mentor is to fill the work queue of our mentee with tasks that are in the middle range. They aren’t too difficult. They aren’t too easy. They’re just right.
74. Differentiated Learning • Zone of proximal development • Exploratory learner vs. tutorials • Morale maintenance Does your mentee like to explore? How much freedom do they need? Are they more comfortable pairing? Would they prefer to work alone? Do they do better with tutorials?
75. Differentiated Learning • Zone of proximal development • Exploratory learner vs. tutorials • Morale maintenance Next up, morale maintenance.
76. "" by melolou https://flickr.com/photos/melolou/1239543050 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND In my opinion, this is the key thing to do. Let me reinforce how important is to know the signs of stress and someone ready to throw in the towel.
77. MORALE MAINTENANCE IS KEY "" by melolou https://flickr.com/photos/melolou/1239543050 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND I can’t over stress the importance of knowing when your mentee needs a boost, a compliment or a sympathetic ear. Knowing when they’re ready for a bigger challenge or are ready for constructive feedback will ensure that they’re growing to their maximum potential.
78. MORALE MAINTENANCE IS KEY "" by melolou https://flickr.com/photos/melolou/1239543050 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND Remember, you’re the accelerant.
79. http://www.neulakko.net/?p=1172 You’re the bellows. Too much air at the wrong time will extinguish the flame. Not enough will starve it. You want to provide the right amount at the right time.
80. Mentor Advice Let’s touch on a few important points here.
81. Reciprocal The relationship should be reciprocal. You’re learning from them as well.
82. Beginner’s Mind There’s something called the beginner’s mind. Richard Schneeman recently wrote a blog post about a typo that has existed for four years, underwent 19 revisions, and was seen by multiple editors that was not caught until reviewed by a new developer.
83. http://schneems.com/2017/04/19/the-four-year-typo/ That focus and that attention to detail are required for a new person to be quickly successful as a software developer. Us experienced folks take shortcuts. Mentoring someone less experienced reminds us of the value of that focus.
84. "inspire" by xbettyx https://flickr.com/photos/bettytsang/3419527350 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND The work ethic of a driven mentee will inspire you. They’re working through the signal and the noise. They’re constructing knowledge regularly with your help.
85. "inspire" by xbettyx https://flickr.com/photos/bettytsang/3419527350 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND They’re struggling with the challenges of the “magic phrase” and the silly typo.
86. Screen grab from the movie “The Dark Crystal” So be inspired by their efforts and tenacity. Recognize their greatness for what is. Let it make you better. Let it motivate your efforts to do better. To be better.
87. "minions" by N@ncyN@nce https://flickr.com/photos/nancynance/15108747367 is licensed under CC BY Your mentees will explore more technology collectively than you can do on your own.
88. "minions" by N@ncyN@nce https://flickr.com/photos/nancynance/15108747367 is licensed under CC BY Take advantage of that effort. Allow it to inform your opinions and grow your respect for their efforts. Your guidance on dimensions to consider will accelerate their growth but will also inform you of pros and cons of new technologies.
89. "minions" by N@ncyN@nce https://flickr.com/photos/nancynance/15108747367 is licensed under CC BY One of my friends, a person that I mentored through his career transition into technology tells me all the time about the wonders of clojure and functional programming. This is one of the best ways to grow your professional network.
90. Mentor the Whole Person "Danio rerio" by Thierrry https://flickr.com/photos/thierrymarysael/5546556947 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND If someone is stressed, learning is impacted. Avoid transactional relationship. “What’s your problem today? Let me help you solve it. Done.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376635711000805
91. Mentor the Whole Person "Danio rerio" by Thierrry https://flickr.com/photos/thierrymarysael/5546556947 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND You mentioned problems with your significant other last time. Is your cat feeling better? How did selling your house go?
92. "Danio rerio" by Thierrry https://flickr.com/photos/thierrymarysael/5546556947 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND This is the zebrafish. trained in an aquatic plus-maze for 14 days using food bait as a reward.
93. "Danio rerio" by Thierrry https://flickr.com/photos/thierrymarysael/5546556947 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND acute single inescapable stress markedly impaired spatial and cued memory in zebrafish plus-maze test parallels rodent and clinical literature on memory-impairing effects of acute stress,
94. Actively "Listen" by ky_olsen https://flickr.com/photos/ky_olsen/3133347219 is licensed under CC BY Active Listening Pay Attention Show That You're Listening Provide Feedback Defer Judgment Respond Appropriately
95. ". Attention" by Juliana Coutinho https://flickr.com/photos/ngmmemuda/3870988403 is licensed under CC BY Pay Attention Look at the speaker directly. Put aside distracting thoughts.
96. "attention" by no film https://flickr.com/photos/nofilm/8086425878 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side conversations. "Listen" to the speaker's body language.
97. "Listen carefully!" by Gúnna https://flickr.com/photos/gudmunda/861141754 is licensed under CC BY-ND Show That You're Listening I find that focusing on these notes helps me stay focused as it is a reminder of my goal.
98. "Body language (photo 2)" by Lars Plougmann https://flickr.com/photos/criminalintent/3412918360 is licensed under CC BY-SA Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention.
99. "Nodding" by Istvan https://flickr.com/photos/i_csuhai/2806617968 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND Nod occasionally.
100. "P8070502" by Bryce Bradford https://flickr.com/photos/brb_photography/2998105694 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND Smile and use other facial expressions.
101. "Straight Jacket Guy" by Darin Barry https://flickr.com/photos/darynbarry/2468722239 is licensed under CC BY Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting.
102. "Yes." by ancient history https://flickr.com/photos/ancienthistory/5820222702 is licensed under CC BY-NC Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and uh huh.
103. "Feedback Loops" by hellocatfood https://flickr.com/photos/hellocatfood/16989473710 is licensed under CC BY-SA Provide Feedback
104. "Reflection" by Jonathan Gill https://flickr.com/photos/jonathangill/33867529805 is licensed under CC BY-NC Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. "What I'm hearing is," and "Sounds like you are saying," are great ways to reflect back. Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side conversations.
105. "good question" by e-magic https://flickr.com/photos/emagic/56206868 is licensed under CC BY-ND Ask questions to clarify certain points. "What do you mean when you say." "Is this what you mean?” Summarize the speaker's comments periodically.
106. "I have a question" by The U.S. Army https://flickr.com/photos/soldiersmediacenter/4685688778 is licensed under CC BY Defer Judgement Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message.
107. "I have a question" by The U.S. Army https://flickr.com/photos/soldiersmediacenter/4685688778 is licensed under CC BY Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions. Don't interrupt with counter arguments.
108. "Honest" by brunkfordbraun https://flickr.com/photos/brunkfordbraun/471946613 is licensed under CC BY-SA Respond Appropriately Be candid, open, and honest in your response. Put aside distracting thoughts.
109. "Honest" by brunkfordbraun https://flickr.com/photos/brunkfordbraun/471946613 is licensed under CC BY-SA Assert your opinions respectfully. Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated.
110. Mentee stuff (Bonus round) "Mints" by photobunny https://flickr.com/photos/photobunny_earl/2190648921 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
111. Find a Mentor "Where's Waldo?" by IthacaBarbie https://flickr.com/photos/btf5/8560929002 is licensed under CC BY-NC
112. "Know Thyself" by Environmental Illness Network https://flickr.com/photos/environmental_illness_network/13962890138 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND know strengths, weaknesses. ask friends, family, coworkers. collect their feedback. what happened when i did this?
113. Respect Is it the highly technical CTO? Is it the incredibly humble yet always knowledgable friendly developer?
114. Respect Is it the gregarious co-worker who never fails to make connections with others? Is it the project manager who asks excellent questions to keep work running smoothly across different teams?
115. ASK You can have more than one mentor at a time. Ask for help. Ask for regular meetings. Ask for feedback. Ask for ideas.
116. "Remote" by Stef Ming https://flickr.com/photos/amingportfolio/4077591795 is licensed under CC BY Let’s touch on remote mentoring.
117. Remote "Remote" by Stef Ming https://flickr.com/photos/amingportfolio/4077591795 is licensed under CC BY Prefer high fidelity. Video over voice. Voice over text or chat. Screensharing when working on code.
118. Remote "Remote" by Stef Ming https://flickr.com/photos/amingportfolio/4077591795 is licensed under CC BY Smile when you talk, especially over voice. It helps you enunciate. Maximize whichever program you’re using when doing video to avoid distractions from other programs like email or chat.
119. Why "Raise your hand if you're sane..." by SAF EiNS https://flickr.com/photos/saf1/5133800960 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND Earlier in the talk, I left out one important reason to mentor.
120. "Call Me" by Thomas Hawk https://flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/7662693246 is licensed under CC BY-NC Here’s your call to action!
121. "Raise your hand if you're sane..." by SAF EiNS https://flickr.com/photos/saf1/5133800960 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND You’re at a Rails conference. Whether this is your first or your tenth, whether you have ten minutes of experience or ten years, the growth of this community owes an immeasurable amount to the open source software community. You may not have the inclination or desire to contribute code, but you can always reach out and help a #rubyfriend.
122. "Raise your hand if you're sane..." by SAF EiNS https://flickr.com/photos/saf1/5133800960 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND Remember: you don’t have to be perfect at mentoring. It is a skill that takes time and practice and you’ll get better over time.
123. Credits and Thanks
124. Thanks • Four Athens Coffee Club • Athens Women in Tech • Stitch Fix • Friends and Family
125. Credit • https://www.codefellows.org/blog/this-is-why-learning-rails-is-hard/ • https://color.adobe.com/Jack-Nicholson-color-theme-4875497/ • https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm • http://www.teach-nology.com/currenttrends/inquiry/ • http://madeofmetaphors.com/shapes • http://schneems.com/2017/04/19/the-four-year-typo/ • Pamela Vicker’s “Crossing the Canyon of Cognizance” video and slides . • Kylie Stradley’s Amelia Bedelia Learns to Code, https:// speakerdeck.com/kyfast/amelia-bedelia-learns-to-code?slide=27
126. Questions?