Dingilian  and Associates, Inc.

Benefits of Mentoring

           This work originated out of necessity … the necessity to help persons with different educational backgrounds learn to recognize, solve, and communicate resolutions to technical problems in industrial and academic settings. I recognized the need for mentoring and not simply consulting. In a ‘consulting’ capacity, I would often educate persons on that which needs to be done in order to improve a design, use of a material, or improving a process. Yet, in a ‘mentoring’ capacity, instead of telling others what they needed to do, I could give them the skills to discover for themselves what needs to be done. I realized that in a mentoring mode I could be more effective in both helping those with whom I work understand the technical information in a more foundational way, an immediate benefit, and I could see them begin searching in more effective ways solutions to problems themselves, a longer lasting benefit.

​

Had Great Mentors

           However this ability to mentor did not come about overnight nor did it happen accidentally. Instead it happened for at least two reasons. First, I continue enjoying my career of over fifty years in the field of polymers – from chemical formulations, to specification, to processing, testing, and applying in many fields that help everyone live a better life. During these five decades, I have been mentored by many caring professionals who themselves were experts in their technical endeavors. I continue to be grateful for their support and know that I could not have been the technical expert that I am without their unwavering support.

​

Not All Mentors Appreciated

            Second, during all these decades, those whom I appreciated were often not very appreciated by others. In fact, many of those from whom I learned were seen by my peers as people from the ‘old school’ or ‘don’t know how to talk to people.’ It seemed to those in my generation and younger, that these experts were simply out of touch with younger people and did not know the modern way of solving problems. In some cases I could see the point of these younger engineers and scientists, and yet, more often than not, I realized that the source of misunderstanding was the perspective that each had of what knowledge, science, engineering, and problem solving meant to them. The difference between the older generation and the younger ones was not the technical information, but what science meant and how it was conveyed. I could see the sense of frustration and dejection on everyone’s face – the engineers from the earlier generations and those from the later ones. It is at this juncture that my expertise in the field of the Psychology of Personality Development helped me recognize that the intent and objectives of all parties were similar if not identical. The conflict was not on understanding or the lack of understanding of scientific principles, but rather what these represented and how they were conveyed.

 

Focus on the Scientist and Engineer

            These two factors that affect the ability to grasp, to utilize, and to discover solutions to engineering and scientific needs and problems, helped me be more effective in learning from others while at the same time helped me be a better mentor. I repeatedly saw the positive results of my mentoring and was pleased by those whom I helped. I realized that I am being effective because beyond science, my focus is on the scientist. This Technical Mentoring Service is a means with which I can help others learn to appreciate what they do, the technical contribution of those around them, while being able to more fully and effectively convey their accomplishments to others. This is my way of appreciating all those who supported me over the years and simultaneously helping others have a glimpse of how fulfilling a career can be as an engineer and scientist.