Mentoring Today

Time to rethink mentoring and ignite passion in the next generation

By Lisa Bordeaux, A Mod Up Consulting

One of the common themes that we heard

at the 2022 Partners in Progress Conference was the importance of mentoring. As we look at the coming needs of the industry, it’s important to re-think our approach. What worked for previous generations likely won’t work for as many in today’s generation, not because of a failure at parenting as much as the changing life circumstances of young people today. In order to have a thriving future, the idea of the apprenticeship being a grind, that it is a right of passage, needs to be updated.

We know the average age of those who are entering the apprenticeship program is 26. That is likely because that is about the time people are starting to think about getting married and starting families. In 2021, the average age of marriage was about 28.

If you turn 26 this year, you were born in 1996. Bill Clinton was the president, the Nintendo was popular, and there was a bombing at the Olympic Park in Atlanta. On the news was coverage of mad cow disease and Charles and Diana’s divorce. DVDs and eBay were taking off, while on the radio played Snoop Dogg, Metallica, and Sheryl Crow. Thirty Black churches were burned to the ground in Mississippi. There was a lot happening.

When you turned 10, Enron failed, Saddam Hussein was killed, and George W. Bush was in the White House. The Wii was released, Google bought YouTube, and oil shale became viable. PINK!, Nine Inch Nails, and The Pussycat Dolls played on the radio, and North Korea began testing nuclear weapons. Heatwaves became a problem. There was a tidal wave in Indonesia, and Bush acknowledged secret CIA prisons around the world. Then came the Great Recession from 2007 to 2009. Add to that the last two years, which have been traumatic for many people, and it is easy to see why there is a generation entering the workforce that is risk averse and afraid to make mistakes.

The generation entering the workforce is looking for mentoring and reassurance. They do not have the same high level of confidence as the generation before them. In fact, what worked for your generation and mine, will likely not work for this generation.

According to indeed.com, mentorship means helping others develop both professionally and personally. A good mentor can provide others with high-quality feedback, mediate conflict, and think creatively to overcome challenges.

We are in luck, because mentoring is something that is repeatedly sited in the top five things that Millennials and iGeners are looking for in a career. Mentoring is different than just telling someone what to do. It requires a bit of nurturing. This can make a huge difference in the health, happiness, and well-being of the people working in our industry. To be a good mentor, there are a few areas of focus to develop. Good mentors provide constructive feedback, and they have empathy. They communicate and, perhaps most importantly, they listen.

Apprenticeships of the past often meant doing all the dirty work as a rite of passage. Those experiences were focused exclusively on skill development and lacked clear and meaningful mentorship. If the old school apprenticeship mindset continues and mentorship is not included in the process, the industry will lose some great people. These are people who, with positive mentorship and empathy, could have become great workmates and assets. This next generation is generally practical, careerfocused, and cautious. They are not as independent, and they will look for industries that can understand and foster what they need. For the future of the industry, it’s up to us to support them as they come up.

Five Tips for Effective Mentoring Today

1. Rethink the relationship

Young people desire connection. This collaborative generation wants to gain knowledge from every resource possible, and its members crave feedback from managers, as well as peers. Consider giving individuals the chance to work with multiple mentors or mentees to help build relationships, access a variety of perspectives, and build resilience. While this generation craves connection, it has also grown up in front of a screen, so don’t assume they know how to conduct themselves perfectly (or to and older generation’s standards) in face-to-face interactions. Model appropriate behavior, be clear and direct, and be kind. 2. Invite them to contribute

The days of top-down mentorship are over. Provide the opportunity to share and exchange knowledge between mentors and mentees. Besides fostering young people’s need for collaboration, it helps build their social skills and ability to handle feedback—key areas of learning for this generation. Consider reverse mentoring program, or implement its success principles, which include demonstrating a diverse culture in your organization and actively addressing mentees’ fear and insecurities.

3. Make mentoring timely

The need for instant gratification has become a cringe-worthy buzzphrase for Gen Xers and Baby Boomers—generations who feel a sense of entitlement around risk taking. But like it or not, young people have grown up in the age of information where Google is only a tap away. Speed mentoring—similar to speed dating—and flash mentoring, which sets up a network of taskspecific mentors, are great options for leveraging this quality in young people. 4. Redefine progress

Speaking of instant gratification, organizations that give little feedback or only promote a select few, sometimes years apart, will have less success with the younger generation. Strike the phrases “needy” and “too sensitive” from your vocabulary and respect the needs of a generation that grew up getting medals for showing up and trying hard. Consider frequent, meaningful, and direct feedback—texts are great for this—and providing smaller promotions more frequently. 5. Value life over compensation

Perhaps the most interesting defining feature for Millennials and iGeners is the preference and drive to achieve worklife balance. Secretly, we all want that, but these are the first generations to name it and actively push for it. Create value in the mentorship experience by looking ahead to parts of the job that go beyond compensation—benefits, pension, vacation time, health care—and most importantly, making a difference. Young people today have been told their whole lives that they can achieve anything if they just follow their passion. Make sure they know that their training and career in sheet metal has purpose, helps others, and contributes to the greater good. Make it their passion. ▪

Lisa Bordeaux is a technology thought leader with years of experience. She has developed and implemented technology at all levels of business including the end user, installer/contractor, distributor, manufacturer, cooperatives, and associations. She presented on Modeling Change at the 2022 Partners in Progress Conference. Visit pinp.org/conferences/2022pinp to learn more and download presentations.