Mentors

electromanj

Hello all. As this is a place of assisted learning, I was just wondering what kind of impact mentors have had on peoples lives. I have seen so many examples of people helping people here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentor

"the personal name Mentor has been adopted in English as a term meaning someone who imparts wisdom to and shares knowledge with a less experienced colleague."

Who among you has been influenced by a mentor, and how did they change you life? Who among you has been a mentor, and how have you changed others lives?

traVis

doggiedoc

Hey traVis! I've had many Mentors. Wonderful topic!

Paul

Chris Savage

I had a mentor who helped me for 5 years to understand various programming languages and nuances of PC programming. He was kind, patient and recently contacted me again after having lost touch for many years. If not for him I would not be where I am today because I would probably have lost interest and moved on to other dreams like being in a rock & roll band!

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

I think my life's most influential mentors were those who neither signed on to that role nor could have imagined themselves being as influential as they were. Even in my sixties, I continue to receive the benefit of unintentional mentorship from those around me. Hopefully, I've been -- and continue to be -- able to pay it forward, even though such a relationship has never been formalized.

-Phil

electromanj

@doc thank you.

@Chris, you are a mentor, and never give up on that band man!!!!

@Phil, you captured the spirit of this thread perfectly. It seems to me that the best teachers are forever students as well.

Leon

I don't think that I've had one, although I've mentored lots of other people. I prefer finding things out for myself.

davejames

...oh, right off the top - Richard A., one of the managers I had while working at Philips Semi. This man had enormous patience when dealing with newbies and sharp, but instructive, critique when he figured you've had enough experience. He was a fixture in the semiconductor test industry, on the technical level with Bob Pease. He had a profound impact on my life in general.

ratronic

Phil you are one of my mentors.

bill190

In various fields of knowledge, there are things which "everybody in that field knows". This basic knowledge is like smelling air... What does air smell like? It does have a smell, but because we are constantly smelling it, we don't notice the smell.

And same with these basic knowledge things. No one writes about these things in books because they don't think to - because "Everybody knows that!"

But beginners do not know these things. Thus a mentor can easily see that you don't know some basic thing and mention it to you. Then you know. Then you can get started. Everything in the books suddenly makes sense!

So a mentor is a good "kick start" to any particular field.

For example I bought a factory service manual for my car. I'm not an auto mechanic. Reading through the manual, it kept referring to "MT"... I looked for a glossary and could not find "MT"??? I googled MT and found all sorts of MT's, but these were not the MT mentioned in the book.

If I had a mentor, he could have laughed and said MT means Manual Transmission car...

ElectricAye

My first experience with mentors began in 8th grade writing class. My teacher, a woman in her upper 60's, read my first paper, accused me of plagiarism, gave me an F, then sent me to the school's assistant principal, who then spent an eternity lecturing me on the sins of plagiarism and how I was destined for a life of crime, already having one foot in hell and the other on a banana peel.

It took a couple of weeks before I could convince at least one of these people that I really could write papers like that, and that I really understood the science topics I had written about, and that the only reason I spelled the word color c-o-l-o-u-r is because I read a lot of books written by people outside the USA. Afterwards, perhaps out of a sense of guilt, my elderly writing teacher did all she could to encourage me in my intellectual pursuits.

Good thing I never turned to a life of crime: with what I knew about science back then, none of them would have stood a chance.

localroger

Well, there was Mr. Blackmon, my Ham Radio elmer who I met at the church I attended in my early teens. I never did much successfully in Ham Radio, partly because I didn't have the money to do anything right and partly because I got interested in these fascinating new things called computers. But he did inadvertently start my interest in collecting vacuum tubes, of which I now own probably a couple of hundred.

I'd be remiss not to mention my father; had I not practically grown up in his physics lab, including the HP2100A minicomputer they got in 1974, I probably wouldn't have had the background to do what I'm doing today.

When I arrived at the job I still have in 1984 I knew loads about electronics and computers but about interacting with customers and not coming across like a jackass, not to mention specifics of the industry that was now employing me, not so much. Garry Pickadash taught me those things that I wasn't so inclined to learn on my own. RIP Garry; he died about 15 years ago of a sudden heart attack.

I have a great admiration for the fellow who signs my paychecks, who I won't name right here because his is the name of the company I'm avoiding naming, but his wisdom and experience have both informed and inspired me. One reason I have held the same job for more than half my life is that I know he values me for what I can do, not the degree or certifications I never bothered to get. He is the one who taught me the importance of getting paid in the end when you're a small business -- no matter how fun the project is, if it's likely to fail (he values me for seeing this) or the customer is unlikely to pay or to be satisfied by anything realistic, then it's best avoided. It's funny but some of my best triumphs at work have been things I didn't do. I once saved them over a million dollars by advising them to pass on a purchase order that the sales guys were positively salivating over; our competitor lost the million dollars.

And while they may not be mentors, can anybody fail to just be inspired by Ken and Chip Gracey? The audacity of jumping from Basic Stamp production to making your own microprocessor is just awe-inspiring, and the end result isn't just useful, it is in a real sense beautiful. Yeah I know the P2 will be more scaleable to other processes and all but the P1 is also a story, a quest, a challenge, an achievement, and something that I looked at and -- I will probably always remember the moment -- something you look at and realize that you've never seen anything like that, you never realized anything like that might possibly exist, and it is so elegant and compelling that you can't figure out why nobody ever did it before.

Ken Gracey

I wouldn't have achieved much without mentors, particularly at Parallax. Here's a sampling of my Parallax mentors:

• Phil Pilgrim. Glad to share any kind of experience specifically those related to programming Parallax products. You'd think that I'd have become an expert programmer by now since we manufacture and design these products, but I only spend about 100 hours a year doing programming. Phil has generously shared simple solutions over and over again, encouraging me to engage in larger projects without even saying so.
• Tiger. There's a quiet person on the forums named Tiger. Without Tiger's direction Parallax would have never expanded beyond electronic assembly and into CNC milling, routing, anodizing, welding (yes, sometimes) and injection molding. Tiger simply has the right answers about these things and he's willing to share a whole life of experience to help us reduce costly mistakes. Tiger stuck with me through my first major CNC project (Penguin, initially made on a manual benchtop mill) and patiently provided answers to every little question I had along the way. Tiger added massive production output to Parallax without even recognizing it.
• Chuck/Chip. Dad and brother, both providing their guidance in different ways. The former lets us know that it's okay to make mistakes and encourages us to do give anything a try. And the latter - Chip - is open for one-on-one support of my electronics and business projects 24/7, with insightful feedback and an all-around solid compass. If I can't figure out how to resolve something at Parallax then Chip will help me figure it out in a minute. And this doesn't even touch on the well-known attributes of Chip who most of you know for his creative engineering inventions. OT: when the time comes to write the book there's much I look forward to sharing about Chip, specifically in the area of engineering influence in his life. Although he was self-motivated, the key exposures that enabled his success were as simple as providing exposure from our dad, who brought home computers from the office, took us to computer shows, and got Chip a business license while others were trying to force him to go to high school and college. I think all of us might underestimate the power of simply sharing what we do with others.

They're influential people and mentors. I have many more - too many to list.

Returning the favor to a younger crowd I feel we have done as a company with our educational programs, but I try to identify opportunities where I can assist younger people in getting started with microcontrollers. But the type of mentor request I most commonly receive is actually for basic business operations. Having so many customers who are entrepreneurs, I'm frequently asked about the steps one might take to grow their hobby into a business and leave a safe job behind. Giving advice in this way has been the most difficult for me to offer since it's such a challenge to provide do-or-die guidance to a single-person venture where there's no room to make mistakes (especially now, in this economy). A quick sampling of the new business ventures where I have recently been asked for some kind of input include: industrial floor cleaning; adventure camps; robotic businesses and unique security devices. The kinds of decisions these people face include whether or not to do the manufacturing themselves, how to market, what kind of business license or corporation to build, when to hire the accountant, whether or not they actually need a lawyer, who to work with, whether or not distribution is required or they can sell direct. It's nearly impossible to provide useful input without asking them a ton of questions and doing some research on your own since all of these businesses are different. Some have launched successfully and others remain positioned in the family room.

Ken Gracey

GordonMcComb

I was mentored in a line of work I ultimately did not take, but the experience of having a mentor taught me a number of life lessons. I was pursuing a career in television writing and producing, which in the 70s was a different kind of business than it is today. In college I took classes from a retired producer/writer/director who was teaching part time, and we struck up a friendship that lasted years. For nothing more than the occasional thank you -- which I don't think I said often enough -- he opened many doors, introduced me to his old Hollywood friends, read and critiqued scripts, served as sounding board, and more. Again, for no recognition, pay, or favor. Just because he wanted to.

We all have teachers, instructors, and others who influence us. They're important parts of our lives. But I've come to realize a true mentor is a rare thing. My belief is that once we've been rewarded with the experience of having a mentor, we need to pay it back somehow. Keeping the cycle going is important. Someday I hope to be as good a mentor as the one I was blessed with. (Thanks again, George!)

-- Gordon

Oldbitcollector (Jeff)

When it comes to the Propeller, I count Mike Green, Trodoss (Alex), and Potatohead (Doug) as mentors in Spin.

I've learned much from there code examples and posts.

Thanks guys.

OBC

LoopyByteloose

Let's not forget Gunther, who provided so much insight into the SXes and assembly language. We have moved on to the Propeller as the chip of choice, but he provided much of the ambiance and support that have made Parallax Forums truly great.

Still, as you often see written in the fronts of books, there are too many to properly recall. So thanks to all that I've not mentioned.

stamptrol

It would be fair to say all of us who have done anything worthwhile have been helped along the way by mentors.

In my case, the list is huge; from my Dad's "can do" attitude and willingness to try and try again; to the car dealer I worked for during high school who taught me about customer service; to my business partner who made it mandatory to have fun with your work; the list goes on and on.

And, probably most important; being able to mentor someone else along the way so that the concept of helping others is never lost.

One other thing I've noticed is that the "mentee" thinks he or she is the one gaining knowledge. In all cases I'm aware of the "mentor" learns as much from the process!

Cheers,

Cluso99

I taught programming courses for the mini I worked on during the 70s and 80s. I had previously taught engineers to repair the mini. There was not one course that I taught where I didnt learn something!

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

I think it's safe to say that we've all benefited from Ken Gracey's mentoring-by-example. His equanimity, generosity, and common human decency not only shine through in his forum demeanor and personal contacts, but it's a spirit that permeates the entire Parallax organization. He could write a book on how to run a business and treat its customers and staff. In my case, it shows that mentoring can be reciprocal and that the roles of mentor and mentee do not depend on relative age (as much as he loves rubbing in the fact that I'm twenty years his senior ). I can easily count myself as the greater beneficiary of this co-mentoring relationship. Thanks, Ken!

-Phil

Cluso99

Well said Phil.

One thing I have noted in life... Everyone is a mentee but not everyone is a mentor

BTW Phil, I will rub it in too. You are a complete decade older than me (at least for another month).

John R.

I've had a handful of mentors over time, some "professionally", some more "personal". I think of the term "Mentor" more as "sharing wisdom" than just sharking knowledge, or answering questions. A true mentor helps guide the other person through a process of learning and understanding. I have learned that a true mentor is not necessarily the smartest one in a group. The mentor is willing to share, and not afraid to see the "pupil" (that's really not the right word) become more successful than her/him self. Mentoring is less about answering questions, and more about "teaching", and teaching not just the subject matter, but how to think effectively and grow, both professionally and personally.

On the giving side, Mentoring is one of the most rewarding things I've done. From "Big Brothers/Big Sisters" to professionally mentoring, it is a great reward. One of my proudest "accomplishments" is that my entire IT Staff from one of my former employers are now all in mid to upper IT Management. It kind of validates not just the knowledge that you shared, but the values and ethics you passed along.

While a mentor relationship usually implies an ongoing relationship, this is not always the case. A brief encounter can be a "mentoring moment". Sometimes these are not fully realized until long after the "ships pass in the night".

To all who have mentored me, here and elsewhere, thank you.