Talk to Me: Automation Transformation through Mentorship

Summary

Automation and control professionals are technologists with unique responsibilities. As author and industry veteran Dean Ford puts it in “The Importance of Fundamentals” article, “We must never lose sight of a critical distinction between our work and the work of other programmers and technology professionals: Our work controls things in the field. Our work makes things move….”

That means automation professionals are responsible for both processes and people, both operations and safety, in ways that other technology pros may not be. Ford uses that that fact to make the case for understanding the basics so you can correctly implement the new and improved. I want to use it to encourage ISA members to join the ISA Mentor Program.

This member benefit, started last year, is a professional development opportunity that helps build connections by matching professionals early in their careers with seasoned industry leaders. Patrick Corbett, an automation engineer with PepsiCo International out of Ireland, is an ISA member who’s active in the ISA Young Professionals (YP) and Standards committees. He told me his experience with ISA’s mentoring program surpassed his expectations in every way.

“I gained invaluable insights into a different area of automation and a whole new approach to looking at problems. This was because my background has always been on the OT [operational technology] side, while my mentor had several years’ experience in instrumentation and control. He shared with me documentation on how he approached projects within the instrumentation domain, which gave me a whole new mindset to approaching projects with application or server upgrades,” Corbett said.

Corbett added, “The mentoring program has been a transformative experience as it has increased my confidence in my career decisions because I was able to receive guidance and reassurance from an experienced mentor. I wholeheartedly endorse it for anyone seeking a profound impact on their personal and professional journey.”

More than 100 automation professionals around the world have offered to be mentors by adding their information to the ISA Mentor Directory in ISA Connect. They choose to become mentors to share their hard-won knowledge and to coach and inspire the next generation of professionals. Mentors also say they get a lot out of interacting with the up-and-coming leaders of tomorrow. That’s a win all around.

The authors in this February issue of InTech volunteer to teach, coach and inspire in a different way: through books, articles and other publications. Automation may make things move, but automation professionals can be moved, transformed and uplifted by the people of ISA. If that’s been your experience, talk to me about it. I’d love to hear your story.

_{This column originally appeared in the February 2024 issue of InTech digital magazine.}