What strategies have been effective in fostering a culture of mentorship and knowledge sharing within your IT department?
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CIO in Educationa year ago
Lunch and learns have actually been working very well for us.Associate Director of Engineering in Finance (non-banking)a year ago
At a higher level, these aspects are part of larger purpose statement/vision/mission and core values. Making it part of the leadership focus areas and to some extent part of their KRAs will establish some sort of north start for the group. I see this as a precursor to any further conversation and discussion. Leaders need to be at the forefront in showcasing learning and sharing culture, mentoring others in the organization and leading by examples.
Director in Manufacturinga year ago
After our formal leadership training we always assigned a senior leader to mentor the leader for one year. And we trained the senior leader a bit on how to mentor. EG ensure their type A personalities didn’t stop the students from asking questions and expressing their opinions/questions/fearsAnd whenever possible the senior leaders were from unrelated departments from the students. When possible from business areas like Finance, Marketing, Manufacturing
CIO in Healthcare and Biotecha year ago
We have designed and implemented training and learnings throughout our IT organization. We're not large, but we are intentional as we teach operational design, foster mentor/mentee relationships, and openly publish project opportunities for people to participate in learning about new roles and functions. We are strict about managers holding 1x1s with their team at least every other week and we do skip-level 1x1s every 6-12 weeks. We train and stress that the 1x1 time is not a status report but the time is for discussing personal and career growth, relationship development, Q&A, etc. We fund a learning budget that every employee or team can pull together to develop and grow. We have an established internship program where we cycle interns through on real projects, and give employees opportunities to mentor the intern and learn in that way.
In our department, we hold bi-weekly brainstorming and knowledge sharing sessions. Scheduling regular meetings where everyone can openly share their insights and learn from each other's knowledge is crucial. These sessions are occasionally complemented with catered lunches, and attendance has consistently been high. We consciously avoid putting anyone on the spot, ensuring that these forums remain open and comfortable for all.
We are also staunch advocates of continuous learning. To that end, we support any educational course or subject our team members wish to pursue, provided it is not unreasonable. This approach encourages our staff to maintain their curiosity and continue their professional development.
Recently, we initiated the implementation of formal mentorship and internship programs, which are still in the early stages. The objective is to consistently allow individuals to acquire the skills they aspire to master. With regard to internships, we make a concerted effort to ensure they culminate in a tangible outcome, such as a publication, product, or presentation.
Overall, we strive to create a nurturing and inclusive environment that promotes learning, sharing, and growth.