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I agree with everything here completely and have the same experience. The costs of making yourself available to mentor others these days are too high. Workplac

I agree with everything here completely and have the same experience. The costs of making yourself available to mentor others these days are too high. Workplace politics will only make you a target eventually. It even happens (and probably moreso) in volunteer projects. People are rightfully acting more mercenary and more self-interested. This industry attracts a lot of socially disaffected people who behave like scorpions (Scorpion and the Frog fable...).

andelink 3y ago
I disagree. I have mentored many folks, and actively continue to do so. It’s only been beneficial for both me and my mentors. Not sure where this anti-mentorship culture comes from. I don’t see it at my current company. Even at Amazon I had multiple mentors (I didn’t mentor anybody myself back then).
- busterarm 3y ago
  "So and so said something that made me uncomfortable." As someone who is white and male, I am not willing to be alone in a room with or 1:1 with anyone except a direct report, in either direction. It's not worth the risk. I've seen blatantly false allegations completely ruin careers. I've seen people who habitually lie and make repeated false allegations coast on doing no work for years until they get bored and move on -- with full awareness of the company -- because the company doesn't want to risk that kind of lawsuit for firing them. The company would rather that person's whole team be miserable than risk any kind of reputational damage. This is way more common than you would believe. I have friends who work in HR in other companies who say the same and have the same policy that I do. It used to be that you could be charitable and by-default assume that everyone's intentions are aligned at work. Same team, etc. However, the people who bring their politics with them to work absolutely do not feel this way and will smoke you if doing so aligns with their cause -- facts don't matter. And yes I'm aware of the missed opportunities as a result.
  - andelink 3y ago
    That’s insane. I’m gonna retire if I feel the same as you about this.

andelink 3y ago

I disagree. I have mentored many folks, and actively continue to do so. It’s only been beneficial for both me and my mentors. Not sure where this anti-mentorship culture comes from. I don’t see it at my current company. Even at Amazon I had multiple mentors (I didn’t mentor anybody myself back then).

busterarm 3y ago
"So and so said something that made me uncomfortable." As someone who is white and male, I am not willing to be alone in a room with or 1:1 with anyone except a direct report, in either direction. It's not worth the risk. I've seen blatantly false allegations completely ruin careers. I've seen people who habitually lie and make repeated false allegations coast on doing no work for years until they get bored and move on -- with full awareness of the company -- because the company doesn't want to risk that kind of lawsuit for firing them. The company would rather that person's whole team be miserable than risk any kind of reputational damage. This is way more common than you would believe. I have friends who work in HR in other companies who say the same and have the same policy that I do. It used to be that you could be charitable and by-default assume that everyone's intentions are aligned at work. Same team, etc. However, the people who bring their politics with them to work absolutely do not feel this way and will smoke you if doing so aligns with their cause -- facts don't matter. And yes I'm aware of the missed opportunities as a result.
- andelink 3y ago
  That’s insane. I’m gonna retire if I feel the same as you about this.