Too Long; Didn't Read
Most onboarding approaches are centered on guiding new hires through their first days, tasks or overcoming the hurdles of getting started. But this approach rarely highlights the troubles and challenges of the mentors*. By ‘mentors’ I mean experienced engineers tasked with onboarding a new hire, sometimes also called “buddies” among engineering teams. The journey to good mentorship starts with reflecting on your own experiences (as a mentor or mentee). What were some of the tools and traits of a super successful mentor, and what were the hurdles? Why do some mentors fail to thrive?