Mentor notes: How a Boss Can Help

As I've been exploring ideal work conditions from an employee's perspective, through my serving as a mentor at the University of Redlands School of Business, I jotted down a few ideas for how a boss can help their charges. Here is that short list (feel free to comment or add to it):

How a boss can help:

•    Clarify roles
•    Clarify objectives
•   Use clear, regular communication about expectations and constructive and encouraging feedback for improvement
•   Create time and opportunities to co-explore insights about performance, not just keeping up with “to do’s” and not focused on missed opportunities, but filtering priorities and revisiting objectives and metrics, seeking agreement on adjustments and progress as a “thought partner”
•   Be seen as authoritative and fair; no favoritism
•   Be willing to mentor, or if not, willing to provide employee with a “coach”
•   Provide a safe work environment
•   Be willing to admit mistakes (“just because you are ‘sure’ doesn’t mean you are ‘right’), provide teachable moments based on own experience
•  Model the behavior employees are expected to uphold (no gossiping, no venting about peers, no oversharing, keep commitments, do not take advantage of position/privilege, roll up one’s sleeves)
• Remove obstacles
• Provide development opportunities
• Encourage promotion, upward mobility
• Give clear and regular communication about assignments

Mentor notes: Strategies to Strengthen Your Development

As I've been working as a mentor this fall, in a formal program supported by the University of Redlands School of Business, it has given me the opportunity to think about what makes work, work -- for me, and for my mentee! Here are some recent thoughts about some of the things we can do as employees that can make us better workers, more successful enterprise owners, and protect our integrity in the workplace. Strategies that can strengthen your development:

• Find a mentor
• Build allies, social capital, potential coalitions
• Be seen as a leader, enterprise owner
• Remind self of successes, and sell them “up” the organization
• Be self-reflective, learn from mistakes even while you “own” them
• Maintain focus under pressure
• Be bold and direct in communication
• Don’t overshare
• Determine additional skills or training needed to grow and add value
• Take on tasks outside your role, volunteer to fill gaps as needed
• Support others’ success, but not to your own detriment
• Learn conflict resolution skills and use them as needed
• Don’t compare your kudos to others
• Don’t compare your setbacks to others

This is by no means an exhaustive list! Just a top-of-my-head attempt to put something in writing. Please comment if you have others to add...!

Mentor notes: "A" Player Thoughts

This fall, I've been serving as a mentor at the University of Redlands School of Business through their program that is designed to match seasoned marketing communications professionals with their younger counterparts. I'm an adjunct professor there, teaching marketing courses. My mentee is a young MBA candidate who is super smart, articulate, competent, and has a fairly honed sense of direction for one who is really just getting started on her career. I look at her and think "was I that 'together' when I was her age?" I think not! Anyway, as we've embarked on our time together, exploring opportunities for her to network and learn about careers in our field, delve into new areas of our disciplines that didn't come with her degrees, and talk about all things forward-thinking, I recently listed what I thought an "A" Player looks like in our profession:

What an “A player” looks like:

• Tunes in to culture, teammates
• Is on time, respectful of others’ times
• Works to be consistent
• Asks for help instead of waiting until the problem grows
• Seeks to find solutions and not just asking the questions
• Asks great questions, thinks holistically
• Engenders trust in teammates
• Works to make boss successful, anticipates needs and relieves worries
• Similarly, keeps boss informed, “no surprises”
• “Leads by example,” succeeds not through promotion and title but through results
• Does what it takes to get the job done
• Maintains a healthy life balance

There are certainly other traits that would apply. Please comment if you think of others.