The Real World: Mento Perspective

I live. I am alive. He told me his life story and my heart beats and my lungs expand and deflate and I have most certainly not been slain by boredom. I refer to my mentor, of course. My Mento, according to Joey Tribiani. Sensei, as some suggest I call him. In truth, he didn't tell me his entire life story. He gave me the "short version" of his life as a working professional. Post-undergrad life as he experienced it. Fitting since that's exactly what I'm dealing with right now. A young professional, not too far out of college, really not far out of grad school and wondering what on God's green earth I'm supposed to be doing around here.

I've pretty much accepted that I know nothing. You know, about life. But somehow I keep learning things as the days go by. I learn about life as an adult, I learn about life in the city, I learn about life on my own, and I discover this vast chasm of the Everything that I still have to learn. At the end of our chat Sensei said in his soft-spoken tone, "I don't know if you learned anything from that." I laughed. I laughed because he was so far off base. I learned. And you know what? I went in to that meeting thinking that I still had no direction for the next two weeks, much less the next six months. Every time he's asked me what I want to focus on for the next meeting I've always stuttered and stumbled over my thoughts as I've attempted to verbalize them...because I never have a clue. I don't even know what I want to learn. Sheesh! But he spoke and I listened. I supplied no conversation because I was listening as he described his journey from there to here. I didn't have to say a word and he spoke right to me. Zing! There were so many nuggets of wisdom in his story that I wish I'd brought a digital voice recorder so I could play those phrases over and over again to myself when I forget...

Don't be afraid to stay where you are. Going from job to job every couple of years is okay as long as you know when to stop, and where to stop. Just because your job satisfaction isn't at its peak right now doesn't mean you have to go somewhere else - it might mean that you need to ask for opportunities here. The opportunities are there, you just have to probe for them. It's always a conflict (for people like us) when there's a fork in the road. Which prong to travel? Where will the one you don't take lead? What if? You shouldn't forget that there's no such thing as a "V" only decision-fork. You know what I mean? It's more like a tree with ridiculous amounts of branches and twigs. In foregoing plant analogies it's more like this: you can always turn around or find another route to get where you want to go next. Just because you take one path doesn't mean you're stuck there forever. It's okay to backtrack when appropriate, and it's okay to change your mind.

Funny, because much of my Sensei's story sounds like my own. Granted, he's had over 30 years of experience and I've had over 4, but there are similarities. We crave change but have an incurable fear of it at the same time. There's a constant internal conflict because we want some new adventure but don't like the thought of actually having to do it. And we're not the only ones. I think many people my age feel that way - us 20-somethings. How many of us really know what we want and stick to it through thick and thin? The lucky few, that's who. Our generation is characterized by changer-uppers. We switch jobs, we change careers, we move cities, we get bored. We're less likely than our parents, and especially grandparents, to be satisfied with doing the same thing for a long period of time. Great - does that mean I'll never be content enough to stick with a job for longer than two years? I don't think so. Especially now that my Mento told me that in his first ten years of work he had six different jobs, but in his last twenty-two years of work he's only held two different positions - both at the Smithsonian and the last one he's held for twenty years. See??? There's hope!

The most important thing, he told me, is to find opportunities to learn and grow where you are. Seek all that out instead of making a rash decision about your future. If you want to change jobs or cities or whatever, do it. But make sure you've taken advantage of everything you can while you're working where you are. In the right environment you can make your job what you want it to be. He did.

So those are the nuggets. The bits o' wisdom. Even after that I was all "uh, um....yeah....fluhhhh" and abandoned all eloquence when trying to articulate my thoughts. Even though I was thinking, I GET IT! THAT'S SO ME! I can't even brilliantly express myself now when I have the opportunity to edit myself. But those are some important nuggets to consider. First off, I don't need to apologize for where I am now. I don't have to know what I want in 5 or 10 years, I don't have to know where I'm going. I don't have to be ashamed of being part of the transient generation in the most transient-ridden city of them all. Second, I have to seek out opportunities. I don't have to think big, but I do have to think. I can be 26 and searching and happy and excited and maybe a wee bit fearful about all the opportunities I have yet to discover.

Heavy stuff, right? I know! I'm all brain-astounded after that talk. I didn't even talk. I just soaked it in like a natural sponge. I was all, whoa dude that ish is deep. I wanted to say that aloud but thought it might be rude to interrupt sounding like a surfer on drugs. Even when not interrupting, it's probably inappropriate to sound like a high surfer in a professional setting. Eh? So now that I've had my mind blown I have to do something with this information....next week sometime. No I kid, I kid! I'm not that much of a slacker (always). I already signed up for a free workshop on grant writing and I've talked to my boss about ways to improve my job. Now you stop it! Don't go planning my 20th Smithsonian anniversary party. I know you want time to make it the best surprise party of life and yes, I would love to have elephant rides available to all and maybe a slip 'n' slide, but simmer down! I'm taking what my mentor said into consideration. I'm re-evaluating my ever changing life plan, and I'm doing what I want. Within reason. Prayerfully considering it all, I assure you. Right now I'm taking steps to make myself as well prepared as I can for the next step, whatever that may be. Whenever that may be. That's all I can do now anyway. And have fun in the process, of course.

BOOYAH!

Overcompensating

The OHR mentor coordinator told us that we had until August 28th to turn in our complete Individual Development Plans (IDPs). Oh boy. If you read my post on "The Real World: Goals " you'll know exactly how that statement made me feel. In sum, it activated my sensitive gag reflex. However, this weekend I started jotting down some ideas based on the results of a personal assessment I took. I knew I wanted great knowledge of the Smithsonian Institution (SI), I knew I wanted to increase my professional network (IMPW) and I knew that I wanted to improve my written communication skills (INTIWTIMWCS).

I completed my IDP draft today and emailed it to my mentor. I had 8 goals (as determined by the assessment administered to me by the program coordinator), 16 reasons why these goals would help me professionally and personally, 13 activities I will pursue to accomplish these goals, 9 dates for completion of my goals and sub-goals, 13 resources I will need to accomplish said goals, and 9 methods with which to measure my progress. I thought that's what I was supposed to do. Apparently, I went overboard.

In my defense, the example IDP I received looked a lot like the one I created. Okay, okay, there was no (or little) plagiarism involved. What I mean is that the format looked the same. I thought that for each goal I needed 2 or 3 reasons why said goal would help me personally and professionally and at least 2 activities I would pursue to attain the goals. Then of course I had to have completion dates for the activities, measurements for progress and blah blah blah. Formatting. That's what I was going for. I didn't want to look like a slacker, especially because every time my mentor asked me what I wanted to accomplish I really, really, really sounded like a slacker.

I sent my completed IDP draft to my mentor so he could look over it and make suggestions. This is what he said to me: "It certainly seems like you're going to be pretty busy over the next few months!" Oh garsh. Now he probably thinks I'm an over-achiever. Undo! Undo! Undo!

The Real World: Goals

Are we supposed to have them? Well, apparently when you're in a mentor-mentee relationship, you are. I know this because I've been given the task of hashing out 8 professional goals for myself over the next 6 months. Allow me to rephrase. I have less than two weeks to figure out how to achieve 8 professionals goals in the next 6 months. Cripes.

Whatever happened to just hanging out and maybe just seeing how things play out? Since when is it vital to set goals for yourself professionally? Don't answer that. I KNOW the answer. I'm just annoyed by it is all. I mean, I have some goals in my head: make some money, pay some bills, work some but mostly hang out. I even have more ambitious goals in mind: make some more money, pay off my college loans, use more money to vacation to more exotic places once I make the more money. But now I have to formalize my goals. And I have to get my supervisor to approve them, AND my mentor. Poor guy. He must think I'm hopeless.

Luckily, I have all my papers from career counseling at UK. I have reacquainted myself with my personality type, what sorts of things I value in a job and blah blah blah. It's given me some ideas for my "Individual Development Plan." Ugh. When my mentor and I were talking the other day he said something like, "So you're not one of those really driven people who knew what you wanted to do since you were young." I said, "Sure I knew what I wanted to do when I was young, but that changed every six months." Actually, I wasn't being quite honest. It didn't change. I wanted to be a movie star for years and years. I only gave up that dream when I realized it required moving and auditions and eating Ramen, AGAIN, for months on end while I acted in B movies that I would be more embarrassed by if they weren't paying the bills. But back to reality...The Real World, if you will.

Goals. Gotta have 'em if you want to be motivated and get anywhere in life, I suppose. And so I've come up with my top two goals: Smithsonian Institution Knowledge and Developing My Professional Network. My mentor can help me with both of those. I just have to come up with a plan to attain those goals in the next six months and some performance measurements. BORING! Then, of course, I have to do the same for the six other goals I came up with during my personal assessment test: Creativity & Innovation, Written Communication, Ability to Influence Others, Getting Results, Flexibility & Adaptability, and Stress Tolerance. I'm not sure exactly how I'm supposed to increase my creativity and innovation, for example. How am I supposed to measure my progress in that area? What sorts of exercises can help me get there? I mean, if I'm thinking of creative writing then no problem - I'll set myself a goal of writing a short story every month and reading it aloud or something. But I'm also supposed to be thinking about being creative in my job right now. Not too easy when I'm a data entry specialist. How do I get creative and innovative there? These are not rhetorical questions.

So that's my goal - to formalize my goals. Who knew getting a mentor would require so much homework? Granted, this is a good thing. I need to think about this stuff. I'm not all that concerned about my career path, but that doesn't mean I should sit idly by and not make things happen for myself, right? Right. Hmmm, it might be a good start if I stop blogging and get to that mentee homework.

Bye bye.

Update: Mentor Me, Matey!

Should I have been better prepared? He asked me what I wanted from him over the next six months. I said, "Errrr....Ummmmm....ehhhhhh." There we were, chatting over coffee, and I had no idea what to tell my new mentor. I don't know exactly what I'm looking for out of this whole thing. Clarity? Networking? Sure, both of those things. I want it all. I don't know how to go about it, though. I've never been mentored before and I've never mentored another. How do these things work, especially in the work place?

I walked into the basement cafeteria at the Castle, craning my neck in as many degrees of the 360 degree spectrum as my neck allowed. I saw a man in khakis and a tropical print shirt standing at the coffee machine. I looked at him, he looked at me. Neither one of us said anything. I walked closer and gave him that are-you-the-person-I'm-supposed-to-meet look. He reciprocated. I apparently had nothing brilliant to say because my mouth stayed closed and I continued to look inquisitively in his eyes. He broke the silence. "Are you Gillian?" Yes! This was the guy, my mentor. So now the awkward get-to-know-you conversation could start.

'Twas a pleasant coffee talk. No awkwardness to be had for miles. Well, I felt awkward when he asked me at the end of the conversation to describe my goals for this mentor relationship. I had no idea. Still don't, as a matter of fact. (Any suggestions would be very welcome.) I told him I want to learn more about what he does every day at work because I love to read and write and would enjoy incorporating that into my career. Ho hum, I don't know. I told him I haven't taken much initiative in my career thus far and I didn't really know where to start. Fear not, he said...in my mind. In reality he said something along the lines of, well you've just started your career and the fact that you're in this program so soon after coming here speaks well for your future. Okay, I accept.

You know, I recently finished this book called Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. It's this fascinating book about how our notions of pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps success are flawed. We Americans like to think every great success is attributable to individual merit and gumption. In reality, that's not the case. "Outliers", or unusually great successes, are people with impressive smarts and intelligence and work ethic, but they don't succeed in a personal vacuum. They are born at the right time in the right place and are luckily associated with the right people so that they are in the prime position to become the best at what they do. For more information, please read the book. You may not agree with everything - I didn't - but it's certainly food for thought. Plus, it is written from a sociological perspective and that is just pure awesome in my opinion. What does all this have to do with me, you might ask? I don't think I'm going to be any sort of great outlier or head of my field, especially because I don't even really know what my "field" is going to be in the long run. I do think, however, that I'm well positioned to figure all that out. Just think, I came to the Smithsonian at the right time. Within the past year we have hired a new Secretary for the Institution who is cleaning up around the place and pushing the Institution into a new era of transparency, efficiency and productivity. It's a good time to be working here. Other SI employees have endeavored to pilot a mentoring program in the past but were told there wasn't enough interest or weren't enough resources or were thwarted in some other way. How convenient that just as I finish my first year of work here there is a pilot program for professional mentoring that is accepting applicants who have worked at SI for at least a year. How providential that though I apparently don't care enough about professional development to take the initiative to apply for such programs without prompting (I deleted the informational email about the program within two minutes of reading it), I have colleagues who are looking out for me and want to encourage me in my career growth (my co-assistant gift registrar forwarded me the email with a note that nudged me to apply.)

My point is not that I'm an outlier or super special. My point is that I'm blessed. I have no idea what I'm doing here or where I'll go, but I have people in my life who are encouraging me and pointing me in the right direction. I hope my relationship with my mentor will be similar. I have great hopes for the next six months. I have no clue how I want to go about progressing as a mentee or learning or whatever, but with help I'll figure it out. I'm a fortunate person put in a position for maximum growth. That's pretty humbling. It's also pretty exciting.

The Real World: Meetings

I haven't attended many meetings in my tenure at SI. In fact, the only times I've congregated to discuss business with my colleagues have been either during team meetings or times of great projects. However, I've been informed recently that there will be more meetings in my future. That's right, my fellow Assistant Gift Registrar and I are going to be incorporated into more meetings about gift recording during the coming months as we wrap up one fiscal year and start another. I'm not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, it's nice to see that my superiors are entrusting me with greater responsibility. On the other hand, I don't like meetings. They stress me out. Okay, not always. They don't stress me out when I'm just taking minutes or doing some sort of skit...yeah, that's only in my dreams. This afternoon I will attend my third meeting of the week. This is highly unusual. I haven't been able to dine with my Lunch Bunch (named by a colleague, not by me) since Monday! Sadness ensues. Oh well, with greater responsibility will hopefully come greater salary. :) Fingers crossed? I'll keep you posted.

I found out today that my mentor dropped out of the pilot program at work. Sadness ensues. I hadn't met her yet, but I had Googled her and she was pretty impressive. So the coordinator sent me a bio for another possible mentor and I told her it would work. This guy is a writer/editor at Air & Space and he sounds super groovy. Aces! We'll see. Wish me luck. This whole program is designed to foster pan-institutional cooperation, professional development, career networking and good relationships between young professionals and the more seasoned ladies and gents of SI. I'm excited to be paired with a writer/editor. I hope I learn a lot. Of course, this switch up so late in the game (well, in the planning phase of the game) makes me a bit anxious. What if we don't get along? What if I'm a bad mentee? What if he has nothing good to teach me about life, work and the pursuit of happiness? Yipes!

Tuesday was a good day because I met with almost all the other mentees for our informational meeting regarding this mentoring program. The best part of the meeting was the introduction part. We all introduced ourselves (shocking!) and told everyone why we'd signed up for the program and things we liked to do in our free time. I could start a band. Someone plays cello, someone plays drums, some people sing, and I think someone said she played the piano or something. But all the mentees wanted to learn more about the institution and just increase their suitability for career upward movement. The atmosphere was charged with hope, possibility, excitement...and a wee bit of awkwardness cause no one really knew anyone else. Stranger danger. Just kidding.

So our full mentee AND mentor kickoff is this coming Tuesday. I'll let you know how it goes.

Hmmm, turns out the mentor program update wasn't as short as I'd planned. Anyhoo, maybe I'll start keeping a tally of how many meetings I attend. You know what? I don't think they're even going to serve me food. At least at my old job in Tulsa there were always snacks at meetings. And I was allowed to eat them! And eat them I did. Pause for the happy memory of me eating during a meeting. Sigh. Oh well. I will get back to work and leave you with a happy memory from my weekend with Mom.