Institution news 25 May 2021 Institution News Team We have all had to adapt and update our communication skills over the past year. Mentors have found themselves dealing with the challenge of building rapport with mentees, in many cases, without the benefit of face to face meetings. At the May Mentor Forum, attendees enjoyed the varied agenda and gained tips on ‘Understanding and building rapport with Millennials and across the generations’ from Alison Roberts, Senior Programme Manager, Leadership and Management with IMechE’s L&D Team. She shared tips on the importance of adopting a coaching approach to leadership and communication, frequent two way feedback, reflecting and developing active listening skills. It is interesting to note that in a recent survey, Millennials say they are comfortable working with older generations and value mentors in particular. But there are signs of tensions, with 38% saying that older senior management do not relate to younger workers, and 34% saying that their personal drive was intimidating to other generations. The Mentor Forum helps Mentors to develop their skills, remaining relevant and valuable to Developing Engineers and the leaders of the future.