Thomas describes mentoring as “a very rewarding experience, not only does it allow you to support the growth of mentees but it also helps you as the mentor develop valuable people skills that are crucial for career progression.”
We caught up with Tom to hear more about the journey that led him to a successful career at Waldeck and an additional role as Mentor:
Hi Tom! Why did you choose to become a mentor?
It was just a natural next step for me really, having been at Waldeck for over a decade I now have a strong understanding of how we operate and deliver. Having been supported by several different mentor figures over the years, I was now in a position to start passing on that knowledge and support to the young Engineers and Draftsman in their professional development.
Please can you tell us a bit about your mentoring experiences so far…
I became what I’ll term a ‘full time mentor’ just over two years ago when Finley Nottingham joined the business. He joined Waldeck straight from school with no previous experience in the public sector (Which is the same path I took). I was responsible for his initial training and continual support daily. Since then I have also Mentored other Juniors in the same position. It’s been an interesting and rewarding experience so far. It’s nice to pass on the skills I’ve learnt and help young engineers develop.
What motivates you in your work?
I’m very passionate about preserving aquatic life in the natural world, therefore as a Civil Engineer, I am motivated to ensure that new infrastructure design developments adopt sustainable drainage techniques which discharge clean and controlled water levels wherever possible. I’m also very keen to pass on the knowledge I have learnt about SuDS to the junior engineers so that they develop a more holistic design mindset regarding the implementation of drainage systems.
What do you enjoy most about being a mentor?
The thing I enjoy most about being a mentor is seeing the mentees grow, once they become independent and start producing high quality technical information which we are both proud of, this gives me a sense that I have provided them the right support and have been a successful Mentor.
What kind of growth or changes have you seen in your past mentees?
Over the past two years, I have been proud to see mentees grow into a professional young technicians and engineers, who can work independently on a very challenging engineering project tasks and deliver them very effectively and efficiently will minimal assistance. Some are also currently doing very well at university have passed the previous few years of advanced education with flying colors.
What challenges do you often face in mentoring, and how do you suggest dealing with them?
Every mentee is a different, it became apparent that not everyone learns as quickly or in the same way. Some people need more reassurance, motivation and support than others, but that’s fine. It’s just a case of assessing each individual in the early days to gain an understanding of how to get the best performance from them.
What advice would you give someone considering becoming a mentor?
Go for it, it is a very rewarding experience and along the way you will develop your own people and management skills which are a massive help in career progression.
What do you think makes a good mentor? How have you developed these traits over time?
I think several traits help, being polite and approachable to the individual, being a good listener to identify their support needs and being patient due to the repetitive nature of teaching at times. The mentor should be supportive and complementary in success to fill the mentee with confidence but always consider and note areas for improvement in any feedback. Another good trait which I have developed over time is an adaptive and open-minded teaching approach. I realized through listening to feedback from one mentee that they needed to shadow me more as they learnt more effectively visually rather than through written explanation.
How do you typically structure your mentoring relationships?
I make it clear from the start I’m fully approachable to assist them with any problems or challenges. We will discuss any current challenges and goal and then set a series of progressive tasks to reach those goals. The main responsibility to undertake those tasks then sits with the mentee, but occasional check ins and prompts from me as the Mentor are also important to help keep them on track.
What books, resources, or people have influenced your career the most?
People who have influenced my career most, certainly Veronica Ruby and Mark Greatrix in the early days who taught me how to use the design software AutoCAD and Civil 3D. Then once I start working on live project work, Tim Leach and Craig Baird had a big influence on my career. Both managed and supported me over several years, in the delivery of broad range of Civil Engineering projects primarily housing, highways and rail. Each project developed my understanding of delivery management and expectations, technical design standards, and product solutions. All of which had a large improvement on my own skillset as an Engineer.
Thomas is one of many mentors, follow the link to hear more from our mentoring team>