Many of us spent our IT careers with a need for a mentor and like many I did not have one. It was not unusual to allow our careers back in the early days to be steered by the demand in front of us and to allow them to float along as we pounded out the work. So few of us really knew what was coming and we reacted to what our employers needed and adjusted what we did to suit that demand. Yet out there in the world great things were happening, maybe not at the speed they do today but they were building up a head of steam. Many of us, if we had the ear of a mentor, might have gotten to where we were going more confidently. The industry was creating places for many of us though, but at the time it seemed like you were a programmer or nothing. In my case since I was not a programmer I felt vulnerable and uncertain. I mastered the JCL and command line interfaces but had no desire to be a programmer. After doing the mainframe operator gig for several years I knew that I was heading somewhere further along just not sure where. Then I discovered a dual floppy personal computer manufactured by IBM the same guys who had built the big blue boxes I was running. I knew that things were changing but my peers were fewer and fewer since as I moved around I was in organizations that needed more IT people but could not find enough. Then I was struck by the proliferation of PCs in the office. Following on the heels of simply trying to make them mimic green screens driven by DOS, came Windows. The many changes that came along to support the more independent processing provided by these platforms helped gel my career. I was drawn into client server support with Novell, Windows server, and some UNIX platforms. As I was moving along in my career I was drawn into more management roles and eventually found myself running larger and larger teams. Can you believe back then we had to prove that IT and computers were a justifiable expense? I could not believe that we came from a place in our history of having to prove IT’s ROI or value as more than a computer expense to a point today where it is a required necessity. Man what a wonderful world it has become. I believe in mentors because I am sure I needed one back in the 70s. I think I could have been more focused and certain with a mentor and less of a nomad.
Flash ahead to 2008/2009 I am speaking with kids in a New Jersey High School, I am meeting with Network Academy students in Dubai, New Jersey, Athens, Delaware, Pretoria, and with CCIE Boot Camp students attending Narbik, VoiceBootcamp, and ipexpert classes and the things I hear lead me to believe even more in the need for mentors.
I feel strongly that CCIEs don’t only have the power to mentor, but inspire. I have been in several well attended Cisco Network Academy events where CCIEs have joined us to speak. The Net Acad students always have questions for them about their experience, their achievements and asking advice. The look in the eyes of some of these students gave me the idea for “Inspire Awe”, my push for mentors to step up.
Inspire Awe
Make a difference in the lives of those who will take your place in the future. Don’t be afraid to touch someone else’s career. When I first shared my thoughts about this I was asked by a few kids to provide mentors. I was fortunate to have located them and hooked them up with each other. What I have heard about these relationships is that the mentor found the protégés to be brilliant people. In my second article on this theme I did some research on IQ scores to back up a point I shared with my wife.
So I did some research on the subject and since the smartest person I know of was Einstein I looked up some facts about him. As far as anyone knows (that I could find on the internet) Albert Einstein never took an IQ test. But some creative folks in the 1920s decided to estimate IQs of notable folks like Mozart, Goethe and Al. It was then estimated in the 1920s that Al’s IQ was between 160 and 180, but this was a rough estimate at best. Why I waste time on Al is because my theory is that we live in a world filled with a couple of generations of Einsteins. It is true that the scale for measuring IQ has moved to keep up with the improvements in the general scores. My thinking about how smart kids are today was actually reinforced when I learned about The Flynn Effect. Since IQ scores improve by several points each generation the scores tests have been “renormed” to keep 100 as the normal rating. The improvement in IQ scores is called the Flynn Effect. If you take the scores and tests we were measured by and match them against our kids we are actually dumber, this is known as the Eman Effect (growing older and dumber). Our kids are vastly smarted than us and that is a fact. They have a capacity for learning and understanding things we could not easily grasp. Yup these kids have now gained about 15 points on us when we were tested back in the 70s.
I have been proved right again. I love when that happens! Not just do these protégés make me look good by brining brains to the table they also make the mentor feel good about their decision to adopt a mentee. I have been asked by several Network Academy students recently to provide mentors after my trips to Dubai, Athens and Pretoria. Are you available?
Do you have time for a protégé?
Maybe knowing what you are getting into is a good idea. In most cases a simple exchange of email addresses and the occasional Skype call is enough to help keep a future CCIE on track. As I shared in my first article about being a good mentor;
For all my efforts in locating mentors for future CCIEs I had not given much time to sharing my thoughts on what makes a good mentor. Who would make a good mentor seems to be easy enough. In this case a CCIE with a 4 digit number indicates the person has been in the industry for some time. They will have recertified and watched the emerging technology take hold and have an impact on the real world. While more recent CCIEs will have the testing and lab experience fresh and often they benefited from a mentored.
But what makes a good mentor?
I have been told a happy protégé or mentee is a good indicator.
I have been told a happy protégé or mentee is a good indicator. What should a CCIE mentor bring to the table? A good ear is a starting place. Listening skills and the ability to carry on an active dialogue with an upstart is the foundation of a good mentor. A mentor is not expected to know everything but being an active listener is very important and the foundation.
What is an active listener? When you are with good friends or family, and carrying on a conversation, the dialogue is probably easy and flows back and forth building on whatever subject you are chewing over. That is active listening. Responding on a theme and building on the subject involves active listening.
Constructive criticism may be involved when helping an upstart navigate from point A to B. Criticism is not a bad thing if applied properly, but remember avoid being harsh. Helping the recipient of the criticism realize the origins and then understand them is very important. But more important is that the protégé learns from the criticism. So ask questions, lots of questions to more fully understand the critical thinking behind any event or action requiring criticism. Active listening is very important to understand the protégé's thinking.
CCIE Certification is a long challenging process with a lot of personal time devoted to this highly prized goal. A mentor may observe some personal obstacle or pattern of behavior which are not based upon technology. Getting personal might be needed for the mentor to make his or her efforts effective. So be prepared to deliver an example of work/life balance you or a peer employed successfully. Helping the protégé become self aware, independent, realize a purpose and experience success is the goal of any good mentor.
Active listening will take the relationship a long way. Expect to make mistakes and expect to grow and mature through mentoring!
A good match is usually found in the less formal pairings. Forced mentoring does not often lead to a lasting mentor relationship. A CCIE who is willing to make the time is important since we always have demands upon our time and it is precious. There is a cycle to mentoring which begins with building a relationship. So don't dive into technology immediately, instead get to know each other. Talk shop after you have established a rapport and know a little bit about each other. Understanding the goal of your relationship is established during this first stage of mentoring.
Direction is a big second step. Make sure that you both understand and establish direction and the mentor's level of support. A motivated protégé is a good protégé, just don't get stuck doing all their work. Research and discovery are not the mentor's job.
Progress towards becoming a CCIE needs to have mile stones and a way to be measured. Make sure to establish some indicators of progress. If you need help establishing indicators then you need to have the dialogue with the protégé.
Be prepared for the end. You may reach the point where CCIE certification has been achieved and there is really nothing left to do. Be ready for this phase. It can be rewarding to realize you have actually helped someone with their future. Always be an active listener. This is a great skill and it does not come easy to all of us. Learning to listen is something a protégé can teach you.
This was my simple thinking and research on the subject of being a mentor. But don’t sell the activity short because you do, “Inspire Awe” as a mentor. We are living through uncertain times and a kind word and a few minutes of your time can help keep the spirit alive in a protégé. There is a huge demand for CCIEs and the tradition of knowledge sharing and mentoring is part of the CCIE history.
Inspire Awe you will always be proud of the positive way you will impact another’s life.
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