You’d think we were grumpy old men. Recently I had lunch with a number of IT leaders, and  several people were bemoaning the challenges they’re having with some of their younger staff members. The complaining was ironic, as none of us are old men (yet). One thing was clear however: managing the
generation of instant gratification (gen-Yers, millenials) requires a different set of strategies.

To read more, please jump over to the GrowthPoint Group news page.

By popular demand (believe it or not) our first topic will be developing an IT budget.  With it being early in 2012, this is very timely. 

The goal of this event is to develop a budgeting template that everyone can take away and use in their own company.  We’re going to work together to develop the best practices and create a template which will be made available to all group members.

If you have an IT budget, please bring a copies along!  Of course, you’re welcome to blank out the numbers as appropriate.

No (or minimal) experience at budgeting?  This is the event for you!  Experienced budgeters – we need you at this event as well.  This is the ultimate version of peer-learning.

Date: February 22

Time: 6 PM – 8 PM (we start sharply at 6, please arrive early)

Location: Please see our Linkedin Group – You must be a member to attend.  We’re limited to 15 people, so RSVP quickly!

RSVPs are required. Attendance is limited to members of the Vancouver Technology Leaders group on Linkedin.  Want to join?  Click here.

There’s a huge amount of value in your followup – it’s an opportunity not to be missed.  Not only does it reinforce your image as a sharp and professional person, but it helps build the relationship further.  It also gives you an opportunity to summarize any action items from your meeting or discussion, find new ways to connect or show that you were thinking about them.

Follow up messages are also used to set the next steps in your budding relationship.  It could be as simple as “let’s touch-base again in two months” to as exact as making a coffee date.  Of course, as soon as you do this, you set yourself a reminder so you don’t forget, right?

Find interesting ways to follow up and you’ll end up staying top-of-mind with the people you meet.  For example, if someone tells you that they just won an award, send them a card to say congrats.  Taking the time to be personal is very important.

Generally, people like to be lead. Not dragged, not micromanaged, not forced and coerced.  Led. Find a strong leader and you’ll find that people tend to follow them.  It doesn’t matter if they’re extroverted and charismatic or if their quieter and calm.  If they provide the right feeling, people naturally follow.

For most of us, we start with a personal philosophy, broken down into simple attitudes as done by Terry Starbucker:

1. Positivity – “Looking at the literal world in a favorable way“. This is the essence of what I call being a “Half-Full” leader.
2. Purpose – There must be a place you want to lead someone, or a group, (or yourself) TO
3. Empathy & Compassion - I have to be able to walk a mile in the other person’s shoes, and apply the “Golden Rule“
4. Humility – You want to make them BETTER than you. You shine the light on them.
5. Love – You have to love leading, and not be afraid to talk about it, or express it.

I’d like to add a couple more key attitudes:

When these attitudes become part of us, they build into the feeling you provide to others.  Recognizing and developing this feeling is one of the most important thing a leader can do.  It can be the difference between an energized, positive team and a stressed and frantic one.  It’s the difference between the team following you and having to be micromanaged.

It’s easy to have these attitudes when things are going well, but when stress comes, such as projects being behind or a deadline looming, do you stay positive with a sense of purpose?  Maintaining the right attitudes takes a strong mind.

What kind of leader would you want to follow?

Mentors are another powerful tool to professional development (and career) success.  Spending time with and learning from leaders is a great way to jump the learning curve. 

This is something I’ve done extensively through my career.  I just recently had a great dinner with one of my mentors, where we spoke for hours about project and portfolio management.

Finding Mentors

Finding mentors should be an easy process.  The simplest definition of a mentor is an adviser or someone you look up to. There is no rule stating that a potential mentor has to be in your field or have a specific area of expertise.  There’s a lot of benefit to learning from mentors in other areas.

Easy areas to find mentors include previous manager / leaders (current managers can lead to conflicts), professional associations or networking events (you’ve started networking, right?).

Creating the Mentoring Relationship

Creating a mentoring relationship is a lot like dating.  It starts out as networking and learning about each other.  At some point, there should be a process of creating a mentoring relationship. This could be as simple as discussing the person becoming (one of) your mentor(s).

Why is this important?  Like any relationship, success requires some commitment and work from both parties.

Great Mentoring Relationships Take Work

Maximizing your mentoring relationship takes work.  It’s a great opportunity for the mentee to develop great organizational and leadership skills.  Some important points to consider include:

1. Respect your mentor’s time -  Like you, they’re probably very busy.  Schedule meetings (coffee, dinner, other events) regularly.  Pick a time that works – monthly, quarterly … and be proactive about managing that schedule.
2. Be Prepared – Know what you’d like to get out of each meeting.  Communicate them with your mentor in advance so they can prepare.  Examples:
1. Situations at work
2. Skills areas
3. Their experiences with X
3. Bring a notebook – Be ready to take notes and really learn from your mentor.  This will help you make the most of their time.  Plus, it’s a great show of respect.

Potential Mentors: Understand the commitment

There is commitment required from both sides of a mentoring relationship – but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.  How hard is it to have a coffee or lunch once every month or two with someone keen to learn from you?  It’s your opportunity to give back to the industry that you’ve been successful in.

Understand that the person you’re mentoring might not be ready to lead the relationship.  Just asking and getting started is a big step.  As their mentor, help them establish what the relationship should look like and how to make it very successful and rewarding for both sides.  The points above are a great starting point, but others might work well for you.

Committing to helping someone grow and develop is one of the best things you can do and amazingly rewarding.