#PKMChat 2016-09-21 Mentoring #WOL

Mentoring WOL

Topic prepared by Michelle Ockers

We recently finished a three part series in #PKMChat were we unpacked Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) and Working Out Loud (WOL). Last week we chatted about Mentoring PKM. This week we are talking about mentoring someone in WOL.

When we unpacked WOL we identified that there are many definitions of the concept of WOL. Most are variations of the original definition from Bryce Williams:

Working Out Loud = Observable Work + Narrating Your Work

Making your work in progress visible to others, and sharing how you work are key elements across most definitions of WOL. Nigel Young (@The_NthDegree) gained some support with his view that:

#WOL is an attitude or an approach not a thing. It means working in the visible space, sharing, learning, open & evolving to me #pkmchat

“Mentoring is a relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. The mentor may be older or younger than the person being mentored, but she or he must have a certain area of expertise.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentorship

When we chatted about mentoring PKM last week some of the discussion was about mentoring in general, and could be applied to mentoring someone on any specific area of expertise. Below are some of the points tweeted during the discussion so we don’t need to go over them again. These are all taken from the Chat recap:

Q1: Why would you mentor someone in PKM?

I would mentor someone if there was some mutual respect & a chance for us both to learn something Nigel Young

Mentoring is a two-way relationship. I’d mentor if someone needs it or asks for it. There is much to learn as a mentor too Taruna Goel

If it’s someone I really want to make a gift to and I think they could make value of it, mentoring takes times on both parties Bruno Winck

My answer is the same for any topic #pkm or otherwise: we would both benefit from the partnership & I had a perspective to share Chris Colandonato

Q2 When would you benefit from having a PKM mentor for yourself?

For me, a formal mentor relationship would be beneficial when I want to truly learn their thought process, ask questions. Chris Colandonato

I would benefit from mentoring when I need conversations that can help me reflect about my PKM strategy and approach Taruna Goel

I feel like right now I would benefit. I have fallen of the PKM practice wagon. It happens every few months Kate Pinner

Targeted mentoring on PKM would help me when I am consciously wanting to improve part of my practice Michelle Ockers

When I knew I needed to learn something or struggling being disciplined or being new to the subject being taken thru process Simon Fogg

Q3 What would you expect of your PKM mentor?

As a mentee, I would expect my PKM mentor to help me think about things I haven’t considered and respect what I know. Taruna Goel

Walking me through their processes, asking me questions that bring insight, suggesting who else I could learn from Michelle Ockers

Basically, walking next to me through exploration and curation and holding me accountable Gail Radecki

Someone who guides me to an answer, instead of just giving me the answer. Brett Miller

Accountability, questions, reflective thinking triggers, stimulis to try new ideas, new ways not necessarily pleasing Bruno Winck

time, input, encouragement, challenge, vision, assessment, role model Simon Fogg

We will discuss this topic from both the point of view of a mentor and a mentee. Adopting each perspective brings different insights, and will be valuable in informing us about how to get the most of being on either side of a WOL mentoring relationship.

Framing post #1

#PKMChat is about sharing how we manage personal knowledge.

Framing post #2 (after newbies post)

Working Out Loud #WOL is about making visible your work in progress and working processes https://thebryceswrite.com/2010/11/29/when-will-we-work-out-loud-soon/

Framing post #3

Mentoring is a relationship where a more experienced person guides a less experienced person

Framing post #4

Some of last week’s #PKMChat tweets about mentoring PKM also apply to mentoring WOL

Framing post #5

Today we chat about mentoring Working Out Loud #WOL

Ice Breaker post:

Q0 Give an example where you saw someone else show mastery in working out loud?

Q1 What reasons would you give to someone to start working out loud?

Q2 When would you advise someone to get started with WOL?

Q3 How would you advise someone to get started with WOL?

Q4 When would you advise someone not to Work Out Loud and why?

Q5 A Working Out Loud Circle is a peer support group. How does 1:1 mentoring compare with a Circle? http://workingoutloud.com/circle-guides/

Q6 When would you recommend joining a WOL Circle rather than 1:1 mentoring for WOL?

Q7 Could mentoring on WOL be unhelpful?

Q8 Why doesn’t everybody work out loud? What are the misconceptions and barriers?

PKMChat being about Personal Knowledge Management encompass Knowledge lifecycle in general. Our first chat was about learning, acquiring Knowledge. Our second is about sharing it. Week after weeks we will switch from one end of the lifecycle to another while exploring all the channels that could be used: social, formal, writing, videos. Feel free to suggest topics by tweeting to @pkmchat.