Just as a preface, I think it's fantastic you are looking for ways to improve your post BVR. I really do think that any user who wants to
learn how to ask better questions deserves respect. If the below post
comes across as harsh, it isn't intended as such, and I hope you won't
take personal offense (as it isn't intended in the slightest).
This question comes across as a rant to me.
- It assumes the mentor is the problem
- It offers no information on what solutions have been tried
- The answers would tell you what to try instead of how to solve the problem because of 1. and 2.
It seems to follow in the same vein as questions like:
It seems to be approaching critical mass of, How do I deal with the fact that I'm awesome and everyone around me sucks?
Unfortunately, as-is, these sorts of questions are a very poor fit for The Workplace based on past history. Rather than asking an open-ended question that complains about a person and essentially asks, "How can I fix them?", you should ask a different question that promotes strategies on how to deal with an aspect of the situation.
For instance:
I think my mentor is an introvert, how can I make it easier for him to mentor me?
I think my mentor is an introvert because he:
- Rarely engages in small chat with anyone in the office
- Prefers spending breaks and lunch alone
- Prefers dealing with technical issues rather than communicating
I am a new employee and have only been working with him for a week, so
I'd like to give my best shot working with him rather than asking for
a different mentor or going over his head. When dealing with a
technically competent coworker who is introverted, what can I do to
make it easier for him to teach me what he knows?
This question doesn't assume that this is a problem with him, it just explains that you think he is an introvert for reasons A, B, and C. Rather than saying, "How the heck can I fix him?" you're asking, "How can I make myself more approachable to an introvert?"
That makes the question a lot more answerable to a broader audience, because it allows people to provide information about introverts like this TED talk or this Atlantic article, as well as sharing personal anecdotes about how to best work with someone who is introverted (for instance, scheduling meetings ahead of time so that they know when it will end and can prepare themselves ahead of time, or setting aside a specific "mentoring time" to go over any and all problems in the day rather than interrupting when something comes up, etc.).
I am not saying that your question should be the one I drafted above, but rather the question should be about the problem and not about the person for us to be able to answer well.
Until it changes to be about the problem, I will refrain from voting to reopen.