Skip to main content

Mentoring experiences

An important part of my role is working with people in day-to-day interactions, but also to help them grow on the long term.

It's always motivating to see how people can change and evolve in the right direction when the right feedback is provided - when the dialogue is open, when the sender is open and honest in the comments and observations, and when the receiver is also interested in what others have to say.

It's not that when somebody tells you did something wrong, that you have to immediately agree with them - I'm the first to be against. Still, when two or more people tell you that you are drunk, you definitely go to bed.

I've had one guy who was always gloomy, never satisfied by anything, and always expressing his concerns and reasons to be upset with loud voice. After two years of working together, although he did not become the most positive person, he learned how to listen to others, how to contain his anger, and how to express his ideas in a way that favors listening and understanding. Moreover, he managed to be seen as a valuable contributor to the team he was part of, and - although keeping his "grumpy" title - to be listened to.

Now I'm on for a new challenge: a really strong technical person, but with whom people don't like to talk, and whose advices are not sought after - because he is too hursh, too direct, sometimes even arrogant and mean to the poor guy that doesn't know a thing.

Did you have this kind of people in your team? How did you manage them? What worked best?

Comments

Having a great mentor can mean so much. It can really inspire a person.

Popular posts from this blog

[Goal driven] A technique that has (almost) nothing to do with tomatoes

I know a lot of theory about time management, techniques, ways of organizing yourself and so. And I am sharing my knowledge with others as well. But the most rewarding part comes from actually applying these techniques myself. For example – using the Pomodoro technique has given me the joy of achieving significant progress in just a small amount of time. Imagine a bright red, glossy tomato-shaped kitchen timer sitting on a clean wooden desk. Its rounded surface gleams under soft daylight, with a small green stem on top, mimicking the look of a real pomodoro. Around its circumference, bold white numbers mark the minutes, with a simple arrow indicator showing the current countdown. The timer’s dial is currently set to 25 minutes, signifying the start of a focused work interval. Nearby, a notebook and pen suggest readiness for productivity, while the timer’s classic wind-up mechanism adds a tactile, satisfying element to the scene – a perfect embodiment of the Pomodoro technique in ...

[Management lessons] When the Best Plans Fail: Lessons from a troubled launch

A few months ago, my team was gearing up to launch a new automation tool for case assignment - a project that is key for the future, and also were we spent so much energy into. We spent weeks identifying scenarios, testing in a dev environment, and reflecting on potential issues. We wrote crystal-clear documentation and worked with a rockstar team of developers, testers, and communicators. We thought we had every base covered. But when launch day arrived, chaos ensued. The tool hit snags that never showed up in testing - edge cases we hadn’t anticipated. Worse, some team members seemed blindsided by the changes, despite our efforts to keep everyone in the loop. It was a classic “complex failure,” as Amy C. Edmondson describes in her book Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well . Complex failures, Edmondson explains, aren’t the result of one person’s mistake or a single oversight. They happen in intricate systems where multiple factors - technology, human behavior, and unexpe...

[VUCA world] For Leaders: Empowering Teams Through Chaos

In a VUCA world—Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous—leadership isn’t just about steering the ship; it’s about inspiring your crew to navigate the storm together. Rapid technological shifts, economic unpredictability, and evolving workplace expectations challenge even the most seasoned leaders. Yet, these challenges also present opportunities to innovate, connect, and grow. How can you empower your teams to thrive in this dynamic landscape? Drawing from my experience guiding people through turbulent times, I’ve outlined four strategies that blend clarity , agility , simplification , and trust with over-communication, innovative solutions, and emotional intelligence . These are the keys to transforming VUCA’s chaos into a catalyst for success. 1. Over-Communicate for Clarity in Volatility Volatility creates unease, but clear, consistent communication anchors teams . Leaders must over-communicate—repeating key messages, sharing context, and aligning actions with purpose. This isn...
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.