Recently we were visited by Aquaterra’s senior management team for a company update and discussion of management role changes. During this presentation a question came up about training and I also had a flashback to a period of a nine year employment with a very large engineering firm. Within that firm there was at times mention of mentoring programs, but no programs were ever successful because many of the employees had the wrong perspective. The work environment and management style created a situation where people were scared to teach each other or share information for fear of losing their job to that person. For example, as an aspiring designer at that time with no formal engineering schooling I once asked an engineer to show me how to size a culvert. The engineer told me that if she showed me how that I would be able to replace her. This was typical throughout the office and as a result the work environment was stagnant for everyone. No one was moving. As an employee at that company you just became very good at the exact same task year after year or you tried your very best to learn those tasks on your own.
My move to the next company provided a totally different perspective from top to bottom. During my first week a senior engineer sat with me and taught me more in that week than my 9 years at the other company. I was so astonished that I asked the engineer why he was taking so much time to teach me. His reply was the more he could teach me the less he would have to work on the details of the project, and he would be free to complete the more difficult project tasks, managing the client and taking on new tasks for himself.
Notice the two completely different views. One view was if I share information with you I may get phased out and the other was if I teach you more I will be free to learn more and move up. So which of the two is better? The people that wanted to protect themselves actually hurt themselves by not helping others grow. The process will hopefully reciprocate from the top down to the bottom. How often do we hear or we are asked by others if a place of employment offers growth. Most us want to know that we can progress through the years.
During the presentation Victor told us how senior management and others would be taking on new roles and be learning new things, but what about us? Later that evening I wondered what I could provide to Aquaterra Engineering. Again it is perspective. It is not just about what I can gain personally, but what I can provide to others. After leaving that large firm a number of years ago I have had the privilege to train many designers and engineers how to refine their design abilities using CAD software. Instead of protecting knowledge it becomes a joy to watch someone else grow by sharing knowledge. Later you can stand back and reflect on their growth and how you had a hand in shaping their career. Being helpful in sharing information with others typically reciprocates. In other terms, you reap what you sow. Those who I teach are typically willing to teach me as well and the end result is we all become a better team.
The following is something to consider when thinking about the difference between training and mentoring.
Mentoring is relational. It is like a father to his child or a friend to a friend, where as, coaching and training is a task assigned and obligated to complete. Mentoring is building a relationship with someone and helping them grow. Not out of obligation, but because you want to see them grow. Training is typically assigned and measured as we see on annual reviews as tasks set by management. Did you learn this assigned task? Yes or No? Did we make the opportunity for you to learn this task? Yes or No? Mentoring, on the other hand, has no boundaries. I can mentor to someone above, below or equal to my level. A person seeking a mentor typically does not need to seek the approval of management and management may or may not even recognize this growth. Yet the mentor and the mentored can find personal fulfillment in the experience. You know you are growing as an employee in your skills and knowledge or you know you have helped someone else grow.
I can only effectively mentor those in my office since that is where I build day-to-day working relationships, but I can provide coaching to staff abroad, if desired. I have started a personal blog with a few entries relating to using advanced CAD methodologies. I hope to add to this blog as others have questions. I have a lot to learn myself as far as Civil 3D goes, but if you have a question about using these design software products let me know and maybe we can learn something together. If you are interested in access to the blog you can email me.
-Jesse Aldridge
Hello all. Well our blog posts have been quite few and far between of late. Not to worry, we’ll get back on track. We’ve had some corporate restructuring of roles and responsibilities to better prepare us for growth into the future and everyone has been focusing on those new roles. We’re also preparing for our annual corporate planning meeting. As we did last year, we’ll be sending out a survey to you Aquaterrians to glean your consideration for our progress to date and into the future. Please take time and devote your deep thought resources to provide us lots of input.
