This past week my wife, Kathy, and I were visiting a friend in Salinas, California, as he performed in a community theater production of “Fiddler on the Roof.” For an all-volunteer, community-level production it was very well done. I was impressed with the concept of the play that traditions change based on the necessity of life. It was interesting to see how the principles of this Broadway show relate to our tasks as Mentors.
I asked our friend, “how do you get 60 to 75 young people, all volunteers, ages 5-17, to respond to work in the theater and he said, “we give them a reason to love their parts, we set standards they are capable of performing and we encourage them to give their best.” Doesn’t seem like there is much difference from being a Mentor or an Actor, both seek change in their audiences.
As Mentors, we are faced with many traditions of our Mentored Partners. Some traditions don’t need to be changed, others adjusted slightly and some need to see the dust bin of time. But our responsibilities aren’t to change traditions but rather to relate to our mentored partner’s ability to change their future…today!
In Mentoring we recognize that change isn’t easy, it takes effort! Changing the way someone or an organization does things is an extremely hard challenge. We see that taking place in the American politics, business and even communities and homes that have been hit by recent challenges to our economy. Consider how much change we are being asked to help implement in the contract areas in which we work. We take people out of their comfort zone and expect them to adapt to new and demanding methods that are often unfamiliar and strange for them, a literal break from the traditions of the past.
There are three ways that can help the Mentor make the change a bit easier; they are:
1. Give our Mentored Partner’s a reason to make their current way of doing business better. This may be based on economics, operational necessity, resource constraints, command and control or a number of other reasons that demonstrate that change can be good. Remember at all times that any change will only be temporary if it violates a cultural norm.
2. Provide Standards that promote the reason for change. Telling someone to change something, just for the sake of change in not going to make it happen. In many of our situations, the change will occur as long as we bring the resources with the change, but as soon as we leave, there is a return to the previous methods of operation. Standards provide benchmarks that help our Mentored Partners to focus on needs and accomplishments that increase effectiveness and efficiency.
3. Encourage our Mentored Partner’s by accepting the best they can do. Remember that their background of experience, coupled with limited resources and cultural norms often limit what they can do, not what they want to do.
Mentors encourage change, but not just for change’s sake. We seek to help our Mentored Partners understand the nature of change and how it can impact in a highly positive way, the way we and they do business -- that affects everyone; today and tomorrow. .
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Mentoring...Making the Difficult, Doable!
Mentoring isn’t the easiest job in the world, but it is very rewarding. A mentor’s task is to help their partner see things differently, do things differently and experience different results. Mentoring is a common sense approach to change. It is the opposite of Einstein’s definition of insanity, which is……”doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Mentoring is taking the comfort out of comfortable and making the difficult doable!
Many of our mentors work in environments that are so totally different from their previous work experiences that it is almost surreal in many ways. Mentor’s face challenges of language, customs, culture, traditions, religion, experience, expertise, methodology of operations and many other elements that would disrupt the life of the most prepared individual.
Added to those challenges is the element of having limited to no control over the partner’s efforts or the end result that is incurred. Yet, there is also the inevitable demand of the contract regarding time, resources and effectiveness that is judged each and every day.
So what do we do when given a proverbial jig-saw puzzle with a thousand pieces that all appear to look alike? We look for corners and straight edges to outline the size of the puzzle we face, then start matching colors and shades that seem to go together, and finally start finding the shapes that seem to fit and make sense.
After a bit of trial and error, we find the colors and shapes that seem to fit and through effort and patience, the puzzle gradually comes together. Clearly doable, even if it started out as a difficult task.
Mentoring is just like a jig saw puzzle. We need to find the borders of capability, the colors of intent and then the shapes of experience that will result in successful completion of each contract.
Making the difficult task of change happen is the responsibility of our partners, but helping them see that these difficult tasks are indeed doable is the responsibility of the Mentor.
Many of our mentors work in environments that are so totally different from their previous work experiences that it is almost surreal in many ways. Mentor’s face challenges of language, customs, culture, traditions, religion, experience, expertise, methodology of operations and many other elements that would disrupt the life of the most prepared individual.
Added to those challenges is the element of having limited to no control over the partner’s efforts or the end result that is incurred. Yet, there is also the inevitable demand of the contract regarding time, resources and effectiveness that is judged each and every day.
So what do we do when given a proverbial jig-saw puzzle with a thousand pieces that all appear to look alike? We look for corners and straight edges to outline the size of the puzzle we face, then start matching colors and shades that seem to go together, and finally start finding the shapes that seem to fit and make sense.
After a bit of trial and error, we find the colors and shapes that seem to fit and through effort and patience, the puzzle gradually comes together. Clearly doable, even if it started out as a difficult task.
Mentoring is just like a jig saw puzzle. We need to find the borders of capability, the colors of intent and then the shapes of experience that will result in successful completion of each contract.
Making the difficult task of change happen is the responsibility of our partners, but helping them see that these difficult tasks are indeed doable is the responsibility of the Mentor.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Measuring Mentoring Effectiveness
In 2006, I was in a meeting with senior US military leaders and the question came up of how they were measuring the effectiveness of their efforts in working with the Host Nation. The commanding officer asked the question, “How are we measuring their progress and success?”
There was an obvious silence in the room and then the responses started coming from the gathered staff and key principles. Basically, the response was “we don’t have time to measure their effectiveness because there is so much work that we have to do to get things done!”
The commanding officer then said, “we can’t do everything for them, but we can’t let them fail.” His guidance was to develop methods to measure their performance and their effectiveness over time to ensure they were progressing to the point that they could sustain and transition themselves to full ownership of their future, without constant involvement by US military personnel. This is basically the prime directive in all of our contracts!
Sadly, based on the many survey comments we have received over the past three years, we are still seeing limited measuring of effectiveness, often because of the demand by the US military personnel to accomplish their mission today so that they can leave tomorrow. The problem is that without standards that demonstrate effective progress there will be a constant “reinvention of the wheel” by US elements. It then becomes a waiting game with the Host Nation so that they can go back to doing what they have always done, doing things the same way and obtaining the same end-results.
Our mentoring goal has always been to help our mentored partners become self-sufficient and fully capable of performing their assigned functional tasks. This is accomplished by helping our mentored partners learn new skills or enhance current skills to become more efficient and effective. Without the personal involvement of our mentored partners in identifying necessary functional skills, developing organizations and implementing processes and procedures there is no change or progress toward sustainment or transition.
Determining the effectiveness of our mentoring is found in a consistent, continuous review of mentored partner capabilities. Some of the tools that we use to measure that effectiveness are the periodic, 60-day, 7-month and 12-month surveys. These provide immediate feedback of the mentoring situation on the ground. The survey’s are heavily weighted toward the mentor’s perception of mentored partner capabilities.
Other measures are found in the mentoring process of; assessing, planning, actioning and evaluation from the start of our mentoring effort, through completion. Another tool is the MASK inventory that assess and evaluates the mentor and the mentored partner’s motivation, ability, support and knowledge. This provides essential details on attitude and aptitude in the mentoring process. And finally, feedback from the field mentors to the program managers, on a regular basis helps us to assure we understand the nature of the mission and the specific requirements for contract completion.
These tools for measuring mentoring effectiveness are based on the primary elements of mentoring with our mentored partners; mentoring readiness, establishment of goals and outcomes; defining roles and communicating. By accomplishing these elements of successful mentoring we are also being able to measure progress, effectiveness and identification of areas that need work.
As Lewis Carroll wrote in this classic phrase: “One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. Which road do I take? she asked. Where do you want to go? was his response. I don't know, Alice answered. Then, said the cat, it doesn't matter.”
Mentoring helps determine the road to take, so that we can effectively mentor and then help measure our mentored partner’s future.
There was an obvious silence in the room and then the responses started coming from the gathered staff and key principles. Basically, the response was “we don’t have time to measure their effectiveness because there is so much work that we have to do to get things done!”
The commanding officer then said, “we can’t do everything for them, but we can’t let them fail.” His guidance was to develop methods to measure their performance and their effectiveness over time to ensure they were progressing to the point that they could sustain and transition themselves to full ownership of their future, without constant involvement by US military personnel. This is basically the prime directive in all of our contracts!
Sadly, based on the many survey comments we have received over the past three years, we are still seeing limited measuring of effectiveness, often because of the demand by the US military personnel to accomplish their mission today so that they can leave tomorrow. The problem is that without standards that demonstrate effective progress there will be a constant “reinvention of the wheel” by US elements. It then becomes a waiting game with the Host Nation so that they can go back to doing what they have always done, doing things the same way and obtaining the same end-results.
Our mentoring goal has always been to help our mentored partners become self-sufficient and fully capable of performing their assigned functional tasks. This is accomplished by helping our mentored partners learn new skills or enhance current skills to become more efficient and effective. Without the personal involvement of our mentored partners in identifying necessary functional skills, developing organizations and implementing processes and procedures there is no change or progress toward sustainment or transition.
Determining the effectiveness of our mentoring is found in a consistent, continuous review of mentored partner capabilities. Some of the tools that we use to measure that effectiveness are the periodic, 60-day, 7-month and 12-month surveys. These provide immediate feedback of the mentoring situation on the ground. The survey’s are heavily weighted toward the mentor’s perception of mentored partner capabilities.
Other measures are found in the mentoring process of; assessing, planning, actioning and evaluation from the start of our mentoring effort, through completion. Another tool is the MASK inventory that assess and evaluates the mentor and the mentored partner’s motivation, ability, support and knowledge. This provides essential details on attitude and aptitude in the mentoring process. And finally, feedback from the field mentors to the program managers, on a regular basis helps us to assure we understand the nature of the mission and the specific requirements for contract completion.
These tools for measuring mentoring effectiveness are based on the primary elements of mentoring with our mentored partners; mentoring readiness, establishment of goals and outcomes; defining roles and communicating. By accomplishing these elements of successful mentoring we are also being able to measure progress, effectiveness and identification of areas that need work.
As Lewis Carroll wrote in this classic phrase: “One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. Which road do I take? she asked. Where do you want to go? was his response. I don't know, Alice answered. Then, said the cat, it doesn't matter.”
Mentoring helps determine the road to take, so that we can effectively mentor and then help measure our mentored partner’s future.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Mentoring In Diverse Cultural and Political Environments
Our Mentoring assignments are often accomplished in cultural and political environments that are very diverse from what we are used to at “home!” This diversity can often cause us a degree of discomfort as we attempt to bring, hopefully, more efficiency and effectiveness to our Host Nation Partners. In some cases, it is even working with the “familiar” culture of our American counterparts that can cause us that discomfort.
Even though many of us are former US military personnel, today’s military has changed unbelievably fast since we left the service. Much of the change is due to the demand for increased op-tempo and much has been brought about by technology, lessons learned and sheer “seat of the pants” initiatives.
Our greatest mentoring challenge isn’t the transfer of information, we do that very well. It is the demand and need to understand and become assimilated and acculturated into the environment we work. This allows us to be trusted, credible and effective partners in a highly demanding cultural and political environment.
A recent RFP (Request for Proposal) from a Government Contracting Office required that all assigned mentors become familiar with the cultural and political environments in which they will work. This doesn’t mean a PhD level of understanding, but rather a basic, common-sense approach to the diverse nature of the mentoring task so that our interpersonal skills will be magnified in our mentoring assignment.
Every culture is different, every political demand is different; however, here are a few essential elements of information that can make the mentoring task more effective in working in diverse cultural and political environments.
1. Don’t assume anything! Make sure that all communication is open and honest – never argumentative!
2. Be conscious of the cultural differences of age, religion, experience, education and traditions.
3. Be willing to learn as much as mentor. Ask questions; get input and insight from your partner.
4. Your cultural background may not be the standard by which your partner works!
5. Get to know, and use, the local customs that promote trust and respect between you and your partner.
6. Never, never, disparage the partner, the culture, the politics or the traditions…in any language!
7. Remember, a successful mentor helps meet the needs of the partner, not fulfill the mentor’s needs!
In Memoriam - Jim McLaughlin
On April 27th L-3 MPRI lost Jim McLaughlin, a dedicated employee while in service to L3 and our country in Afghanistan. As this day started, Jim and his teammates gathered at the Afghan Air Force Headquarters to begin their mentoring duties. For reasons unknown to us, an Afghan Air Force officer shot and killed 9 US personnel. Jim McLaughlin paid the ultimate price for his service to this company and our country.
Jim was a valued member of the NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan (NATC-A) task order under the War Fighter Focus Contract. As a mentor to the Afghan Air Force, Jim’s duties included daily contact with his Afghan counterparts and sharing his vast aviation knowledge. Jim was both a military and civilian rotary and fixed wing pilot and had been part of L-3 MPRI since 2008.
Chris Campbell (PM, NATC-A) said the following: “As you can well imagine our Team suffered a tragic loss yesterday at the Afghan Air Force base, Kabul. Mr. Jim McLaughlin, our Afghan Air Force Air Command and Control Mentor, was killed along with eight USAF airmen. This loss has been devastating to our Team and to the NATC-A community and command. But we WILL recover and we WILL ensure that those service members (ALL) are remembered for their contributions to our nation.”
(Reprinted from MPRI Intranet Newsletter, May, 2011)
Jim was one of our first Certified Mentors and provided tremendous field support to the Mentoring Program. His certification paper was entitled “Strategic Mentoring” and described the challenges and positive changes in the Afghan Partners and the NATC-A through effective mentoring. His legacy will always be the standard he helped establish in promoting the quality and effectiveness of mentoring with those he worked. – Joe Allred
LESSONS FROM THE FIELD - Share your mentoring ideas, experiences and PHOTOS with other MPRI mentors or send email address corrections to joseph.allred@L-3com.com. Past issues of the Mentoring Memo can be found on www.mpri.com/bulletin/forms, or on http://mentorpartner.blogspot.com.
Even though many of us are former US military personnel, today’s military has changed unbelievably fast since we left the service. Much of the change is due to the demand for increased op-tempo and much has been brought about by technology, lessons learned and sheer “seat of the pants” initiatives.
Our greatest mentoring challenge isn’t the transfer of information, we do that very well. It is the demand and need to understand and become assimilated and acculturated into the environment we work. This allows us to be trusted, credible and effective partners in a highly demanding cultural and political environment.
A recent RFP (Request for Proposal) from a Government Contracting Office required that all assigned mentors become familiar with the cultural and political environments in which they will work. This doesn’t mean a PhD level of understanding, but rather a basic, common-sense approach to the diverse nature of the mentoring task so that our interpersonal skills will be magnified in our mentoring assignment.
Every culture is different, every political demand is different; however, here are a few essential elements of information that can make the mentoring task more effective in working in diverse cultural and political environments.
1. Don’t assume anything! Make sure that all communication is open and honest – never argumentative!
2. Be conscious of the cultural differences of age, religion, experience, education and traditions.
3. Be willing to learn as much as mentor. Ask questions; get input and insight from your partner.
4. Your cultural background may not be the standard by which your partner works!
5. Get to know, and use, the local customs that promote trust and respect between you and your partner.
6. Never, never, disparage the partner, the culture, the politics or the traditions…in any language!
7. Remember, a successful mentor helps meet the needs of the partner, not fulfill the mentor’s needs!
In Memoriam - Jim McLaughlin
On April 27th L-3 MPRI lost Jim McLaughlin, a dedicated employee while in service to L3 and our country in Afghanistan. As this day started, Jim and his teammates gathered at the Afghan Air Force Headquarters to begin their mentoring duties. For reasons unknown to us, an Afghan Air Force officer shot and killed 9 US personnel. Jim McLaughlin paid the ultimate price for his service to this company and our country.
Jim was a valued member of the NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan (NATC-A) task order under the War Fighter Focus Contract. As a mentor to the Afghan Air Force, Jim’s duties included daily contact with his Afghan counterparts and sharing his vast aviation knowledge. Jim was both a military and civilian rotary and fixed wing pilot and had been part of L-3 MPRI since 2008.
Chris Campbell (PM, NATC-A) said the following: “As you can well imagine our Team suffered a tragic loss yesterday at the Afghan Air Force base, Kabul. Mr. Jim McLaughlin, our Afghan Air Force Air Command and Control Mentor, was killed along with eight USAF airmen. This loss has been devastating to our Team and to the NATC-A community and command. But we WILL recover and we WILL ensure that those service members (ALL) are remembered for their contributions to our nation.”
(Reprinted from MPRI Intranet Newsletter, May, 2011)
Jim was one of our first Certified Mentors and provided tremendous field support to the Mentoring Program. His certification paper was entitled “Strategic Mentoring” and described the challenges and positive changes in the Afghan Partners and the NATC-A through effective mentoring. His legacy will always be the standard he helped establish in promoting the quality and effectiveness of mentoring with those he worked. – Joe Allred
LESSONS FROM THE FIELD - Share your mentoring ideas, experiences and PHOTOS with other MPRI mentors or send email address corrections to joseph.allred@L-3com.com. Past issues of the Mentoring Memo can be found on www.mpri.com/bulletin/forms, or on http://mentorpartner.blogspot.com.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Placing a Value on Mentoring!
Frustration can be experienced in every aspect of life! Is there frustration related to our mentoring efforts? Is this frustration worth it?
These questions often come up as we attempt to mentor our partners. Mentoring, in the contract environment, is not an easy task in that our primary directive is to accomplish the contract deliverables. In addition to that directive we each experience increasing pressure to accomplish various additional mandates, requirements, changes of direction, changes of leadership, changes of personnel and a host of other challenges on a daily basis.
Often the greatest challenge for contract mentors is trying to meet the needs of our partners and adapt our skills and capabilities to their missions and immediate tasks. We literally are a group of “Houdini’s” out there trying to escape the water chamber in a timely and effective manner and hopefully only get a bit wet!
However, in reality and retrospect, mentoring is a significant key to long-term change, not just short-term necessity. Probably the most important single element of mentoring isn’t what we provide to our partners, but rather, what changes they make both professionally and organizationally that will increase their capability and capacity to grow. To make these professional and organizational changes effective, they must be based on changes in individuals.
A wise man once said that before an organization can change, the people must change and they must change by behavior, or they will revert to doing what was done in the past with the same results, which negates any increase in effectiveness or efficiency.
When we get frustrated in our mentoring efforts, remember that the primary directive can only be accomplished with our partner’s participation. It cannot be accomplished for the long-run if we do it for them. Paraphrasing T.E. Lawrence, he said that it was “better for (them) to do it imperfectly, that for us to do it perfectly!” The results are indicative of change.
Another element of dealing with frustration in our mentoring is to remember that we are there to help our partners get better in what they are assigned to do.
Finally, it is important to remember that change only occurs in any culture, when that change is not in violation of that culture. Trying to obtain a solution that is not compatible with culture, resources or capabilities is not going to succeed if it comes into conflict with the partner’s deeply held values.
So, in response to the initial questions – Yes, there is frustration in our mentoring efforts, and Yes, it can be worth it to change a small part of the world…one person at a time! That is what is valuable about mentoring and gives mentoring its great value!
These questions often come up as we attempt to mentor our partners. Mentoring, in the contract environment, is not an easy task in that our primary directive is to accomplish the contract deliverables. In addition to that directive we each experience increasing pressure to accomplish various additional mandates, requirements, changes of direction, changes of leadership, changes of personnel and a host of other challenges on a daily basis.
Often the greatest challenge for contract mentors is trying to meet the needs of our partners and adapt our skills and capabilities to their missions and immediate tasks. We literally are a group of “Houdini’s” out there trying to escape the water chamber in a timely and effective manner and hopefully only get a bit wet!
However, in reality and retrospect, mentoring is a significant key to long-term change, not just short-term necessity. Probably the most important single element of mentoring isn’t what we provide to our partners, but rather, what changes they make both professionally and organizationally that will increase their capability and capacity to grow. To make these professional and organizational changes effective, they must be based on changes in individuals.
A wise man once said that before an organization can change, the people must change and they must change by behavior, or they will revert to doing what was done in the past with the same results, which negates any increase in effectiveness or efficiency.
When we get frustrated in our mentoring efforts, remember that the primary directive can only be accomplished with our partner’s participation. It cannot be accomplished for the long-run if we do it for them. Paraphrasing T.E. Lawrence, he said that it was “better for (them) to do it imperfectly, that for us to do it perfectly!” The results are indicative of change.
Another element of dealing with frustration in our mentoring is to remember that we are there to help our partners get better in what they are assigned to do.
Finally, it is important to remember that change only occurs in any culture, when that change is not in violation of that culture. Trying to obtain a solution that is not compatible with culture, resources or capabilities is not going to succeed if it comes into conflict with the partner’s deeply held values.
So, in response to the initial questions – Yes, there is frustration in our mentoring efforts, and Yes, it can be worth it to change a small part of the world…one person at a time! That is what is valuable about mentoring and gives mentoring its great value!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Mentoring Human Needs - March 2011
Mentors are faced with unique challenges every day!
As a mentor, we often are placed in positions where, based on our experience and expertise, we can quickly identify a problem and the solution – given that resources and capabilities are available to resolve the issue. However, in most cases, we have neither the authority nor the capability to change the outcome of events, except through persuasion and mentoring our partners - as they have the power to recommend, initiate, or even apply change.
Effective mentoring shouldn’t be seen as “just a job” because, in reality, mentoring is the impetus to provide meaningful change to our partner’s and their organizations.
To provide the best mentoring, a mentor works within the partner’s current system. That is why the assessment is so important. Mentor’s determine what is currently available to the partner and how the partner’s current system can be benefited by focusing efforts on the partner’s needs. Needs which the partner has identified with the mentor’s assistance..
Much of the effort we make, as mentors, is best done through human nature. It is not effective to force issues on our partners that might be seen as counter-culture, counter-tradition or even counter-system.
Many of us are familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs. This psychological framework is a working model that can impact each of our partner’s and their organizations, no matter where we are serving. Maslow's hierarchy is one of the first theories taught in marketing classes as a basis for understanding consumers' motives for action.
Let’s briefly show the relationship between Maslow’s Hierarchy and our mentored partners needs, to identify how our mentoring program can have a positive impact. For purpose of illustration, I will reverse the traditional profile of the pyramid
Maslow's Needs Mentored Partner's Needs
Level 1: Physical Needs Physical capability to perform assigned tasks.
Level 2: Security Needs Work environment that promotes task accomplishment.
Level 3: Association Needs Part of a team that supports planning and execution.
Level 4: Confidence Needs Participation in discussions and recommendations.
Level 5: Mastery Needs Makes decisions that positively impact the organization.
As mentors it is our responsibility to help our mentored partners increase their skills to deal with their individual needs. This will increase their personal and professional capabilities as well and building organizational capacity.
As a mentor, we often are placed in positions where, based on our experience and expertise, we can quickly identify a problem and the solution – given that resources and capabilities are available to resolve the issue. However, in most cases, we have neither the authority nor the capability to change the outcome of events, except through persuasion and mentoring our partners - as they have the power to recommend, initiate, or even apply change.
Effective mentoring shouldn’t be seen as “just a job” because, in reality, mentoring is the impetus to provide meaningful change to our partner’s and their organizations.
To provide the best mentoring, a mentor works within the partner’s current system. That is why the assessment is so important. Mentor’s determine what is currently available to the partner and how the partner’s current system can be benefited by focusing efforts on the partner’s needs. Needs which the partner has identified with the mentor’s assistance..
Much of the effort we make, as mentors, is best done through human nature. It is not effective to force issues on our partners that might be seen as counter-culture, counter-tradition or even counter-system.
Many of us are familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs. This psychological framework is a working model that can impact each of our partner’s and their organizations, no matter where we are serving. Maslow's hierarchy is one of the first theories taught in marketing classes as a basis for understanding consumers' motives for action.
Let’s briefly show the relationship between Maslow’s Hierarchy and our mentored partners needs, to identify how our mentoring program can have a positive impact. For purpose of illustration, I will reverse the traditional profile of the pyramid
Maslow's Needs Mentored Partner's Needs
Level 1: Physical Needs Physical capability to perform assigned tasks.
Level 2: Security Needs Work environment that promotes task accomplishment.
Level 3: Association Needs Part of a team that supports planning and execution.
Level 4: Confidence Needs Participation in discussions and recommendations.
Level 5: Mastery Needs Makes decisions that positively impact the organization.
As mentors it is our responsibility to help our mentored partners increase their skills to deal with their individual needs. This will increase their personal and professional capabilities as well and building organizational capacity.
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