PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
“One of my proudest moments was when a mentee said, ‘Hey, Sam, I’m following in your footsteps, and now I’ve become a mentor.’ That’s a priceless moment for me.” SAM BARUA, P.ENG.
Ms. Harron, too, believes in the power of reverse mentorship, often by allowing a mentee the opportunity help a mentor deal with an issue or challenge. The mentee gains confidence and learns critical thinking skills, and the mentor gets to see things from a fresh perspective — one they may not have even considered otherwise. “Don’t be afraid to discuss issues or challenges you have. You’re there to learn and grow,” says Ms. Harron, Senior Manager of Integrity Technology Advancement, Pipeline Integrity, for Edmonton-based Enbridge Pipelines. “You have to be yourself — come as the real person you are. Be authentic and real.” Taking this approach has helped her develop and grow her own leadership skills, says Ms. Harron. “It forces you to reflect on the way you’ve done things.”
secure my first engineering job in Canada,” he says. His resume was 10 pages long and included his picture, which is common in his homeland. A friend gave him tips on what Canadian employers were looking for and how to make his resume reflect that. After getting a job at Jacobs Engineering, Mr. Barua’s first supervisor, Raj Ganapathy P.Eng., was also a great mentor. “Raj helped me understand the Canadian work culture and business environment during my initial career progression in Canada,” he says. These positive experiences led him to sign up for the APEGA Mentoring Program in 2008. “I firmly believe it’s my responsi- bility to share some of my knowledge and experience that I’ve gained over the years,” he says. Through the APEGA program, he’s
been paired with about a half-dozen new engineering graduates and foreign-trained professionals. He also started up a group mentor- ing program for Engineers-in-Training at Amec Foster Wheeler, a former employer, and hopes to do something similar at his current workplace. “I enjoy getting to know the mentees and their ambitions, and trying to find a way to help them,” he says. “When people are com- mitted (to improvement), I love to help them. It’s very satisfying.” Even more rewarding is when a mentee he’s helped decides to become a mentor. “One of my proudest moments was when a mentee said, ‘Hey, Sam, I’m following in your footsteps, and now
A GUIDING HAND Throughout their careers, Ms. Harron and Mr. Barua have mentored dozens of individuals throughout their careers. Not surprisingly, they’ve had their own mentors, too. One of Mr. Barua’s strongest influences was the CEO of an engineering firm in his homeland of India. They still stay in contact, more than a dozen years later. After immigrating to Calgary in 2005, he also received support and guidance from mentors who helped him successfully transition into a foreign work environment. “When I came here, there were people who mentored me, helping me
CONTINUED ON PAGE 43 ››
HOW TO BUILD STRONGER MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS — IDEAS FROM TWO MENTORS WITH PROVEN TRACK RECORDS
APEGA asked mentors Lorna Harron, P.Eng., and Sam Barua, P.Eng., for some of their top tips for building strong mentoring relationships. They’re well equipped to answer — both are past recipients of the APEGA Outstanding Mentor Summit Award, which recognizes exceptional achievements as mentors. Commitment, selflessness, a willingness to listen, a positive attitude, and mutual respect are some of the key ingredients for a successful mentoring relationship, they say. Here are a few more tips to keep in mind: • Create a mentorship agreement. Set goals, then stay focused on those goals. Review them regularly • Meet regularly, ideally once or twice a month. Give yourself time for a meaningful discussion. Try meeting after work or on weekends, when there’s no pressure to scroll through your in-box or rush off to your next meeting • Come to meetings prepared. Understand what you want to work on. Know what you want to share. Have your questions ready • Be open feedback, whether its laudatory or a little less so — i.e., constructive • Be open and honest in your conversations. Share your thoughts and feelings honestly. Don’t minimize your concerns or try to hide how you feel • Approach the relationship with the right perspective. For the mentee, getting a job from your mentor should not be your goal. Certainly ask questions about how to succeed in a job or career path, but that’s different from asking for an interview from your mentor or your mentor’s employer • Work with several mentors to target different aspects of your life and career. No one person has the best advice for everything
40 | PEG FALL 2015
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker