2012 USC Mellon Mentoring Forum

EMPOWERING YOUR MENTORING PROGRAM WITH TRAINING FOR MENTORSHIP

JOAN M. LAKOSKI, [email protected] VICE CHANCELLOR FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION OUTREACHUNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, HEALTH SCIENCESMARCH 28, 2012

2012 USC Mellon Mentoring Forum

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO STIMULATEGOOD MENTEE – MENTOR RELATIONSHIPS?


WHAT ARE EFFECTIVE APPROACHES TO STIMULATE AND SUSTAINGOOD MENTEE – MENTOR RELATIONSHIPS?


Consider the importance of “setting the stage” in a new mentoring relationship

Discuss the role of providing training to mentees and mentors regarding their respective roles and responsibilities

Explore the importance of establishing goals and expectations among all parties

Consider strategies to encourage effective communication among all parties

What we hope you will learn from this session

Who are the parties in a mentoring program?

Mentees Mentors Mentoring Program

Director Program staff/administrators Departments/Centers/

Institutes University Public

Careers in academic institution areincreasingly difficult to navigate

And why does mentoring matter?

Careers as a exciting rollercoaster rideHighs, lows, twists and turns

The old linear model of academiaThe old linear model of academia

The new dynamic model of academiaThe new dynamic model of academia

Junior faculty face complex issues navigating the labyrinth of an

academic career

Where to I want to go?

How to I find the right path?

Who will help me make the best choices?

Will my organization help me meet my goals?

Mentoring is a partnership agreement between individuals sharing

experiences and expertise to help with personal and professional growth

A multidimensional social process

Empowers individuals to capitalize their personal and professional strengths

Gives support and guidance so individuals challenge themselves and take risks in their career paths

Mentoring Functions

Career Functions“Learning the ropes” Individual advancementSponsorshipExposure & visibilityCoachingProtectionChallenging assignments

Psychosocial FunctionsEstablishment of professional identityRole modelingAcceptance & confirmationCounselingFriendship

DON’T WE KNOW WHO TO TURN DON’T WE KNOW WHO TO TURN TO FOR ADVICE AND GUIDANCE?TO FOR ADVICE AND GUIDANCE?

Mentors

AND DON’T WE KNOW WHO TO AVOID IN

A MENTORING RELATIONSHIP?

Good Mentors

For mentees – the challenge is to learn from both

TormentorsTormentors

Negative mentoring experiences are possibleMentoring versus “cloning”Unethical behaviorBoundary violations

Acknowledgement: Audrey J. Murrell, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Business Administration

University of Pittsburgh

Caution: Mentoring is not a panacea

Careers in academic institutions are increasingly difficult to navigate

They may need multiple mentors

As your mentees establish their faculty identity …

LAUNCHING A NEW MENTORING RELATIONSHIP

THE IMPORTANCE OF “SETTING THE STAGE”


Dr. Regino is a talented early stage career investigator in the field of aging research now going into his 3rd year of his appointment as tenure track Assistant Professor. He joined the PATHS Mentoring Program (see handout) and met with his mentor Dr. Sally for the first several months. Lately, however, Dr. Sally has not seen or heard from her mentee…

Case Study: The missing mentee

Discussion (In Small Groups)Please refer to the PATHS Mentoring Expectations document

What should Dr. Sally do?What obligations does Dr. Sally have?What are Dr. Regino’s obligations?How might the Mentoring Program Director assist?What is the impact of false assumptions?

Case Study: The missing mentee

As Directors of Mentoring Programs what activities are essential to launch a new mentee-mentor pair or mentoring team?

“Setting the stage” at the beginning


HOW DO MENTEES AND MENTORS LEARN THEIR RESPECTIVE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES?


Roles and responsibilities that contribute to an effective

mentoring relationship

Mentees

- Set goals and identify needs

- Seek guidance and feedback

- Accept feedback

- Be open to new skills and

approaches

- Accept responsibility for actions

- Maintain confidentiality

- Maintain regular contact

Mentors- Facilitate mentee’s learning

and growth- Provide skills and make

needed resources available- Provide guidance- Provide feedback- Evaluate the mentee’s

plans- Maintain confidentiality- Maintain regular contact

Attributes and habits that make for an effective mentoring relationship

Come prepared to meetings Respect each other’s time Follow through and accept

responsibility Demonstrate foresight and self-

knowledge Come with solutions, not just problems Seek clarification in communications Give, request and accept feedback

Mentors can have multiple roles in a

mentoring relationship

Information broker

Coach Guide Ally Advocate Reality check Fan club Wisdom keeper

Mentor as Guide

- Imparts professional skills- Encourages strategic thinking- Helps mentee reflect on behaviors that help or hinder success and how to learn from failures

Mentor as Ally

- Provides a safe place where mentee can ask questions and share difficulties- Helps mentee see how other perceive them- Offers specific feedback to support mentee’s growth

Mentor as Advocate

-Champion mentee to increase visibility

-Open doors to new learning experiences

- Connect mentee to others who can be of benefit

Mentors can ask great questions:

What are your immediate goals?Where do you want to be in the next 2

years?What do you want to accomplish in 10 years?Have you considered personal issues,

including work-life balance?Do you have a written plan?

Mentors can assist with timelines and goals

Formal training for mentors is emerging

- TEAM at University of Pittsburgh

So how do we teach mentoring?

Fill out the Mentoring Challenge Form From TEAM at the University of Pittsburgh

Find a partner and compare results

Exercise: Learning to be mentor

Learning to be a mentor

DiscussionDiscussion

What worked well?What worked well? What was difficult?What was difficult? Advantages to this form?Advantages to this form? Disadvantages to this form?Disadvantages to this form? How might this activity support your role How might this activity support your role

as Director of a Mentoring Program?as Director of a Mentoring Program? How might mentor training encourage How might mentor training encourage

and/or discourage new mentors?and/or discourage new mentors?


ESTABLISHING GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS


To Be Effective Mentees and

Mentors . . . Build an understanding of your personal Build an understanding of your personal

goals and expectations for this mentoring goals and expectations for this mentoring relationshiprelationship

Begin a dialogue to share goals and Begin a dialogue to share goals and expectations expectations

Need a partner One to be the mentee and one to the mentor

Each needs a 4x 6” card

Exercise: Setting goals and expectations

Developing a mutual understanding of goals and

expectations

Individually list 3 goals and 3 expectations for your Individually list 3 goals and 3 expectations for your mentoring relationship mentoring relationship

Share your goals and expectations for this Share your goals and expectations for this mentoring relationship seeking to understand mentoring relationship seeking to understand respective view points respective view points

Have you identified areas that will require Have you identified areas that will require additional reflection and discussionadditional reflection and discussion??


expectations


What worked well?What worked well? What was difficult?What was difficult? Advantages to this interaction?Advantages to this interaction? Disadvantages to this interaction?Disadvantages to this interaction? How might this support your role asHow might this support your role as

Director of a Mentoring Program?Director of a Mentoring Program?

Need a partner (find a new partner) One to be the mentee and one to the mentor

Each pair needs a Mentoring Agreement Form

Exercise: Use of mentoring agreement

for setting goals and expectations


expectations


What worked well?What worked well? What was difficult?What was difficult? Advantages to this interaction?Advantages to this interaction? Disadvantages to this interaction?Disadvantages to this interaction? How might this support your role as How might this support your role as Director of a Mentoring Program?Director of a Mentoring Program? What is the impact of having a signed What is the impact of having a signed

agreement?agreement?

SUSTAINING A NEW MENTORING RELATIONSHIP

ENCOURAGING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION


Mentoring thrives on communication

Clear communication is vital to keeping a mentoring relationship on

track

Consider a balance between virtual and face to face meetings

Mentor Program Directors can review the frequency of meetings

To Be Effective

Mentees and Mentors . . . Build trust and solve problems

through effective interaction Effective listening and dialogue are

essential

Develop a written action plan for your mentoring relationship

Goal setting can be helpful Recognize short term versus

longer term goals Establish milestones for future

review Write it downPeriodic review and assessment of the

mentoring relationship can be useful

What can derail a mentoring relationship?

Lack of effective communication

Need to access frequency of interactionsTypes of communication

Make time for face to face discussions when either party is not satisfied with

progressBe patient but don’t wait….

So if your next career steps seem like a rollercoaster ride…

Academic careers can be a great ride to share

with family, friends and colleaguesGood luck with your mentoring programs!

2012 USC Mellon Mentoring Forum

Documents

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