Category Archives: Mentoring & Other Business

Sun’s SEED Engineering mentoring program offers monthly meetings as well as some
local events. Most of the monthly meetings are by phone. We are now planning
SEED’s annual MidTerm in-person meeting, to be on 11 April. We have confirmations
so far from the following speakers:

Jonathan Schwartz (Chief Executive Officer and President),

David Yen (Executive Vice President, Microelectronics), plus
Tiki Dare (Associate General Counsel). I am in discussions with other
potential presenters now.

SEED’s regular monthly meetings provide opportunities for current and alumni
program Participants, Managers, and Mentors to get to know each other, share
experiences, and talk with Sun executives and engineering leaders. Sometimes the
topics are very practical – such as an overview of intellectual property law or
how Sun’s engineering career paths work – but other talks are intended to broaden
awareness of technical or business potentials at Sun.

One of the local SEED events held here on Sun’s Menlo Park, CA campus is our
weekly tea during which we serve hot tea from all over the world, plus cookies,
and other goodies. The weekly tea offers an informal setting in which local
and visiting SEEDs who want to know other people in the program can drop by to
visit and chat. Tea is held in a library and casual meeting room in
Sun Labs called “The
Noosphere“.

At yesterday afternoon’s tea, I took some photos to brighten up the SEED
schedule web page. Here they are:

More information on the SEED worldwide Engineering mentoring program:

http://research.sun.com/SEED/

Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson

The PreSEED mentoring pilot program application web pages have been
available for use since last Sunday night (27 January). Today is the
deadline for applications

So far, we have:

• Applicants: 30
• Completed Applications: 28
• By Work Location:
• Central USA: 5 [ 17% ]
• China: 5 [ 17% ]
• Czech Republic: 1 [ 3% ]
• Eastern USA: 2 [ 7% ]
• France: 1 [ 3% ]
• India: 4 [ 13% ]
• United Kingdom: 1 [ 3% ]
• Western USA: 11 [ 37% ]

A complete web-based application includes 3-parts: the form, resume,
and Manager’s letter. The information in the application must pass
verification. We will accept up to fifty (50) complete and verified
applicants into the PreSEED pilot program.

PreSEED’s four General Selection Criteria are:

1. All Participants are in Engineering.
2. Only regular Sun employees may participate.
3. All annual performance ratings in the last 3 years must be “Sun
   Standard” (a 2) or better.
4. Manager support is required.

Tomorrow, we hand off the applicant information to HR for verification.

PreSEED is a pilot of the SEED worldwide Engineering mentoring program.
More information on SEED is available at

http://research.sun.com/SEED/

The PreSEED mentoring pilot program application web pages have been
available for use since Sunday night (27 January).

So far, we have:

• Applicants: 17
• Completed Applications: 6
• By Work Location:
• Central USA: 4 [ 24% ]
• China: 4 [ 24% ]
• Eastern USA: 2 [ 12% ]
• France: 1 [ 6% ]
• India: 2 [ 12% ]
• Western USA: 4 [ 24% ]

Application materials should be submitted as soon
as possible. The application period will close on 3 February 2008 (at
Midnight, Pacific Time), or as soon as 100 complete applications are received.
A complete web-based application includes 3-parts: the form, resume,
and Manager’s letter. The information in the application must pass
verification. The first fifty (50) complete and verified applicants will
be accepted into the PreSEED pilot program.

PreSEED’s four General Selection Criteria are:

1. All Participants are in Engineering.
2. Only regular Sun employees may participate.
3. All annual performance ratings in the last 3 years must be “Sun
   Standard” (a 2) or better.
4. Manager support is required.

Tomorrow morning is PreSEED’s world-wide phone-in discussion for
applicants and their managers.

PreSEED is a pilot of the SEED worldwide Engineering mentoring program.
More information on SEED is available at

http://research.sun.com/SEED/

The PreSEED mentoring pilot program application web pages are now
available for use. Application materials should be submitted as soon
as possible. The application period will close on 3 February 2008 (at
Midnight, Pacific Time), or as soon as 100 complete applications are received.
A complete web-based application includes 3-parts: the form, resume,
and Manager’s letter. The information in the application must pass
verification. The first fifty (50) complete and verified applicants will
be accepted into the PreSEED pilot program. For more on PreSEED, see
my

23 Jan 2008 blog entry.

It took me a while to get out this update. The San Francisco Bay Area
is in the middle of a week-long rainstorm. Today, a branch went through the
roof of our home internet provider’s transmitter. I finally gave up on them
and drove to Sun’s Campbell drop in center.

PreSEED’s four General Selection Criteria are:

1. All Participants are in Engineering.
2. Only regular Sun employees may participate.
3. All annual performance ratings in the last 3 years must be “Sun
   Standard” (a 2) or better.
4. Manager support is required.

PreSEED is a pilot of the SEED worldwide Engineering mentoring program.
More information on SEED is available at

http://research.sun.com/SEED/

All 50 of the SEED Engineering worldwide mentoring program participants
(mentees) were matched with mentors as of today (January-June 2008 Established
Staff Term). Some Metrics:

1. 86% of the newly-matched mentors are executives: 16 Vice Presidents
   (including 3 Fellows), 9 Distinguished
   Engineers, and 18 Directors (including Senior or Executive Directors).
2. It took 45 days to match the 50 mentoring pairs (10 December 2007 – 24 January
   2008). 78% were matched in the first ten days.
3. 82% of mentees were matched with one of their top four Mentor Wish List
   requests. Specifically: 56% were matched with their 1st or 2nd choice mentor.
   26% were matched with their 3rd or 4th choice mentor. 18% were matched with
   their 5th or lower priority mentor.
4. 64% of mentees were matched with mentors who do not work in the mentee’s
   local area.
   32% of the pairs include one or more person who works outside of the USA.
5. 20% of mentors are female. (18% of mentees are female.)

More information on the SEED Engineering mentoring program is available at

http://research.sun.com/SEED/

On 9 January 2008, the
American Heart Association
had a party for sponsors of its Silicon Valley Heart Walk 2007 event
(which was held on 16 September 2007 at De Anza in Cupertino, CA).

Sheri Kaneshiro represented Sun at the party and came home with
two awards. The two plaques are now in the Sun Menlo Park Fitness
Center. Sun’s CTO

Greg Papadopoulos sponsored our Heart Walk participation.
See my
Sun’s Heart Walk – Photos blog entry for more. The awards are:

• Heart Walk Silicon Valley 2007 – Top New Company – Sun Microsystems
• Heart Walk Silicon Valley – Super Star Area Sponsor – Sun Microsystems 2007

Two Heart Walk Plaques for Sun

Sheri Kaneshiro with Sun’s plaques

Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson

Tanya Jankot and I have been working for many months to develop a
new version of Sun’s popular worldwide Engineering mentoring program.
Yesterday, PreSEED was announced to the 5 Software Director groups which
will be in the pilot term! Hooray! PreSEED applications will be
accepted starting 27 January 2008. The web pages will be available for
review but not submission in advance of 27 January 2008. The first fifty
complete and verified applicants will be accepted.

Software Chief Technologists

Bob Brewin (Distinguished Engineer and Vice President) and

Tim Marsland (Fellow and Vice President) are PreSEED’s pilot term Champions.

Greg Papadopoulos (Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Research and Development) is the SEED
program executive sponsor.

What is PreSEED?

PreSEED is a new mentoring pilot program aimed at helping Sun
Engineering staff who have been getting almost all “Sun Standard” annual
performance ratings onto a path which may lead them to higher
engagement. One way to think of PreSEED is as a preliminary to the
successful SEED Engineering worldwide mentoring program. Since 2001,
the CTO-sponsored SEED program has a proven track record of strong
diversity, very high satisfaction, high regard by management, and high
retention. SEED participants as a group earn more promotions and higher
performance ratings than Sun overall. The first PreSEED pilot term
is March-September 2008.

PreSEED is not a rotation program, meaning that the participant
continues to report to their home manager throughout the program. During
the 6-month PreSEED term, Participants (Mentees) work with Mentors for
1 to 2 hours every two weeks (or more, they want).

Why create PreSEED?

Research indicates mentoring of “solid citizens” like Sun Standard
performers will have a greater advantage to Sun’s bottom line than
mentoring of the rising stars who are already the focus of SEED. The
SEED program staff regularly receives many suggestions for improvement
and expansion. PreSEED is being piloted to meet some of the most
common, long-standing, and energetic of these suggestions.

Selection

PreSEED’s four General Selection Criteria are:

1. All Participants are in Engineering.
2. Only regular Sun employees may participate.
3. All annual performance ratings in the last 3 years must be “Sun
   Standard” (a 2) or better.
4. Manager support is required.

More information on the SEED Engineering mentoring program is available at

http://research.sun.com/SEED/