1.
Perhaps it is because I see so many activities
that need to be done, I find it hard to take the time to get perspective from a
mentor.
2.
Perhaps I find it challenging to make myself vulnerable
in sharing my thought processes.
3.
Perhaps I believe that I see work processes so
clearly, it is hard to feel like finding a mentor with the right experience
will be worth the effort in obtaining it.
4.
Perhaps I have too much hubris in thinking what
I see as the issue is in fact the root cause to be addressed.
The more I learn, the more I realize that my 4 complaints
hold me back. Failing to discuss my situation with a coach or a mentor misses
the many benefits building on others experiences. Bennett et al,
deals with many of my issues in Chapter 13.
Extreme teaming and interdisciplinary work, consistently
state that our individual experience is not the only truth. Different
disciplines view problems through different lenses and solve with different
frameworks. Additional perspectives and framing allow insight into an issue
that a single perspective may leave obfuscated.
Beyond the text, there are many sources of mentorship
guidance for my communities. Virginia Tech publishes
a guide for developing a mentoring relationship with goal of developing as
a member of a profession. The Navy offers programs
in several
commands
in the local district. Each of them focus on a partnership built of trust,
likely to allow for the psychological safety. Each calls for transparency of
expectations, purposes, and respect, so as to ensure both parties can devote
resources appropriately. Outside of my supervisors, I have found it hard to
square my schedule with a regular meeting, even for coffee and discussion of
our organization.
Interestingly, consulting an AI addresses my 4 complaints.
Because AI is such a low threshold, I believe the technology will further
supplant our relationships as sources for answers and mentoring. Why ask a
friend when one can ask Google for a detail? Why setup a meeting when Claude,
Cortana, and ChatGPT are ready to give advice without a search? In each case,
the quality of the AI response remains unknown and changes without examination.
The act of acquiring the mentor or coach, while taking time, develops because
of confidence in their experience, decision-making, or coaching ability. While
some would argue that the range of advice of available from multiple AI’s gives
greater benefit than a mentor, the mentor relationship provides a connection
and contribution beyond the answer.
Despite all of this, several of my coworkers have developed
beneficial mentor relationships. I see time blocked in their schedules, usually
in a junior / senior relationship, to build the awareness from the experience
of others. Clearly, AI hasn’t supplanted this relationship yet. Knowing the
value, NSF
requires mentoring, but I wonder how much of it will be supplanted by AI.
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