HOME > Mentors: How to be a mentor
Here are some guidelines for group mentoring, and mentoring in general. They are exerpted (generally verbatim) from the resources listed below.
Group Mentoring success specifics:
--Commitment of leadership
--Clear mentor – mentee expectations
--Clear objectives
--Training on role playing and behavior guidelines
--Peer mentoring can be as valuable as senior scientist mentoring
--Mentor needs to avoid: group dominated by a single personality, excessive repetition of topics.
--Mentor needs to: create a positive climate, active listening, avoid “should” statements, take risks (identify personal vulnerability)
Some Training comments:
What is a mentor? The Council of Graduate Schools (1995) cites Morris Zelditch's useful summary of a mentor's multiple roles: "Mentors are advisors, people with career experience willing to share their knowledge; supporters, people who give emotional and moral encouragement; tutors, people who give specific feedback on one's performance; masters, in the sense of employers to whom one is apprenticed; sponsors, sources of information about and aid in obtaining opportunities; models, of identity, of the kind of person one should be to be an academic." (NAP)
Why be a good mentor?: 1. Achieve satisfaction, 2. Attract good students, 3. Stay on top of your field, 4. Develop professional network, 5 extend your contribution to the field.
Qualities of a Mentor (Note: these are all quotes)
“a distinctive feature of a great mentor as opposed to a great supervisor seemed to be a special focus on helping to build the mentee's career” (Lee et al, 2007)
“Passion, enthusiasm and positivity were words dominating the majority of the mentee reports.” (Lee et al, 2007)
“When a student or colleague exhibits unusual behaviour or lack of progress there will be a reason. Mentors need to listen, hear and support. Also, many mentors were sensitive to mentees' needs that were not strictly professional, such as finding the right balance between work and family responsibilities; coping with cultural transitions after a move from a different part of the world; developing confidence in a culture that may not be welcoming; or opposing ethnic or gender bias if it arises.” (Lee et al, 2007)
“We are all different in how we work and in what motivates us. The mentees were clearly very appreciative of an ability to carefully craft development activities to enhance and extend personal strengths. Special effort is needed to try to understand all those in a team and deal with them differently.” (Lee et al, 2007)
"She treats her colleagues, regardless of whether they are doing a PhD or if they are a fellow professor, with the same high regard. In doing so, M inspires confidence in her collaborators." (Lee et al 2007)
“Availability is the standout quality appreciated by the mentees. Despite enormous workloads and responsibilities, the mentor was always there and the door was always open. They never failed to respond to an urgent request immediately. Mentees marvelled at e-mails answered in 20 minutes, responses made to drafts in two days and the willingness to listen to their problems.”(Lee et al 2007)
“The 'walk into the office dispirited/a failure/ miserable and yet walk out inspired and optimistic' phenomenon is a special feature of interaction with the great mentors. There were many comments similar to those above. Attributes that allowed the mentor to cause these almost spiritual experiences included: a broad vision of how science works, a big-picture view and a conviction that unexpected results are often the most interesting and point towards novel insight.”(Lee et al 2007)
“One of the strategies used in developmental workshops to help young academics become better small-group teachers is to practice answering students' questions with a question, in order to lead them towards both an answer and a better understanding of what they are learning. It is always easier to give the answer. The same is true when you start to mentor your PhD students and younger colleagues.”(Lee et al 2007)
“An enabler of good science is keeping abreast of the literature. A defining characteristic of many of the great mentors was wide reading outside their field. Mentees appreciated sharing in this reading, and also the deliberate strategy of using key papers as a base for discussion either at group or individual meetings or by the casual dropping of reprints as described above. Again, time-consuming but valued.”(Lee et al 2007)
“The importance of celebration and rewarding successes, large and small, is often neglected. Yet it can be highly encouraging to individuals and can contribute to the building of communities. It is a strategy that all mentors can introduce, although the extent of the celebration will vary depending on personalities and level of extroversion.”(Lee et al 2007)
“The successful mentors realized the need to build communities to create an environment where all under their care could flourish. They all had deliberate and varied strategies to build these communities.”(Lee et al 2007)
“Again some mentors' disposition might not always lead to easy support and nurturing of a social group. But there is no doubt about how much such social activities were valued.”(Lee et al 2007)
“It is clear that successful mentors work hard at developing the scientific skills of their charges. Again this depends on deliberate strategies and activities rather than leaving the outcome to chance.”(Lee et al 2007)
“All the mentors made special efforts to ensure that their charges were exposed and introduced to visitors who came into a laboratory. And they encouraged collaboration by introducing their mentees to potential collaborators. This was never left to chance but was planned.”(Lee et al 2007)
“Perhaps a defining feature of the Nature nominees was that the goal of networking was not simply linked to their own research progress, or to ensure that the PhD was successful, or that the work of the postdoc or research assistant moved their projects forward. Rather, there was evidence of extensive communication, discussion and negotiation behind the scenes to ensure that when the student or colleague left the group they could travel along a pathway that was most likely to set them on a successful career. All the supporting mentees had successful careers and in all cases their mentor had helped them with their career.”(Lee et al 2007)
“A good mentor is a good listener. Hear exactly what the student is trying to tell you—without first interpreting or judging. Pay attention to the "subtext" and undertones of the student's words, including tone, attitude, and body language. When you think you have understood a point, it might be helpful to repeat it to the student and ask whether you have understood correctly. Through careful listening, you convey your empathy for the student and your understanding of a student's challenges. When a student feels this empathy, the way is open for clear communication and more-effective mentoring.”(Lee et al 2007)
“You can be a powerful ally for students by helping them build their network of contacts and potential mentors. Advise them to begin with you, other faculty acquaintances, and off-campus people met through jobs, internships, or chapter meetings of professional societies. Building a professional network is a lifelong process that can be crucial in finding a satisfying position and career.”(Lee et al 2007)
“First and foremost, mentors in the sciences should help trainees develop as capable researchers. A mentor can contribute to the technical development of the trainee in many aspects of research, including methods, directions, creative thinking, completing academic or professional requirements, and scientific communication.” (RCR)
“A second essential need for trainees is career development and preparation for the job market. This includes an understanding of the current job market, opportunities to make contacts with leaders in the trainee's field of research, active introduction into the network of people working in his or her discipline, and an awareness of the range of career options. A mentor may also advise a new scientist on career moves in terms of applying for grants, what grants to apply for, and how to submit a strong grant proposal.” (RCR)
“Another focus of mentoring is the socialization of trainees. Such socialization should include guiding ethical development as well as fostering an understanding of the political, economic, and social elements of interacting within the academic community and instilling a sense of collegiality. This training includes promotion of skills for teaching, communication, working in teams, leadership, management of people, interacting with others, listening, expressing ideas, administration and planning, and budget management.” (RCR)
Group mentoring resources: “The Mentoring Co.” “Mentoring circles”
Other Resources on mentoring:
Nature 447, 791-797 (14 June 2007) | doi:10.1038/447791a, Nature's guide for mentors, Adrian Lee, Carina Dennis & Philip Campbell http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v447/n7146/full/447791a.html This resource compiles and organizes information on what comprises a good mentor based on the nominations for Nature's mentoring awards. An excellent read for an aspiring mentor.
http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/mentor/1.html This is a general discussion of what a mentor is and does.
http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/rcr/rcr_mentoring/introduction/ This site walks you through an online mentoring training program.