EMPOWERING YOUR
MENTORING PROGRAM
WITH TRAINING FOR
MENTORSHIP
JOAN M. LAKOSKI, PH.D.
JML27@PITT.EDU
ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION OUTREACH
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, HEALTH SCIENCES
MARCH 28, 2012
2012 USC Mellon Mentoring Forum
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY
TO STIMULATE
GOOD MENTEE – MENTOR
RELATIONSHIPS?
2012 USC Mellon Mentoring Forum
WHAT ARE EFFECTIVE
APPROACHES
TO STIMULATE AND SUSTAIN
GOOD MENTEE – MENTOR
RELATIONSHIPS?
2012 USC Mellon Mentoring Forum
What we hope you will learn from this session




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
Who are the parties in a mentoring program?







Mentees
Mentors
Mentoring Program Director
Program staff/administrators
Departments/Centers/Institutes
University
Public
And why does mentoring matter?
Careers in academic institution are
increasingly difficult to navigate
Careers as a exciting rollercoaster ride
Highs, lows, twists and turns
The old linear model of academia
The 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
advancement
 Sponsorship
 Exposure & visibility
 Coaching
 Protection
 Challenging
assignments

Psychosocial Functions
Establishment of
professional identity
 Role modeling
 Acceptance &
confirmation
 Counseling
 Friendship
DON’T WE KNOW WHO TO TURN TO
FOR ADVICE AND GUIDANCE?
Mentors
AND DON’T WE KNOW
WHO TO AVOID IN
A MENTORING RELATIONSHIP?
Good Mentors
Tormentors
For mentees – the challenge is to learn from both
Caution: Mentoring is not a panacea
Negative mentoring experiences are possible
Mentoring versus “cloning”
Unethical behavior
Boundary violations
Acknowledgement: Audrey
J. Murrell, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Business Administration
University of Pittsburgh
As your mentees establish their faculty identity …
Careers in academic institutions are
increasingly difficult to navigate
They may need multiple mentors
LAUNCHING A NEW
MENTORING RELATIONSHIP
THE IMPORTANCE OF
“SETTING THE STAGE”
2012 USC Mellon Mentoring Forum
Case Study: The missing mentee
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?
“Setting the stage” at the beginning
As Directors of Mentoring Programs what
activities are essential to launch a new
mentee-mentor pair or mentoring team?
LAUNCHING A NEW
MENTORING RELATIONSHIP
HOW DO MENTEES AND
MENTORS LEARN THEIR
RESPECTIVE ROLES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES?
2012 USC Mellon Mentoring Forum
Roles and responsibilities that contribute to
an effective mentoring relationship

Mentees
 Mentors
- Facilitate mentee’s learning
- Set goals and identify needs
and growth
- Seek guidance and feedback
- Provide skills and make
- Accept feedback
needed resources available
- Be open to new skills and
- Provide guidance
approaches
- Provide feedback
- Accept responsibility for
- Evaluate the mentee’s plans
actions
- Maintain confidentiality
- Maintain confidentiality
- Maintain regular contact
- 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
Mentor as Guide
 Information broker
-Mentor
Impartsas
professional
skills
Ally
- Encourages strategic thinking
 Coach
--Mentor
Helps
mentee
reflect
Provides
as aAdvocate
safe
placeon
where
 Guide
behaviors
that
or
mentee can
askhelp
questions
hinder
success
andto
-Champion
and share
difficulties
mentee
 Ally
tomentee
learn from
failures
- how
Helps
increase
see
visibility
how other
perceive them
 Advocate
--Open
Offersdoors
specific
to new
feedback
learning
to
 Reality check
supportexperiences
mentee’s growth
 Fan club
- Connect mentee to others
who can be of benefit
 Wisdom keeper
Mentors can assist with timelines and goals
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?
So how do we teach mentoring?
Formal training for mentors is emerging
- TEAM at University of Pittsburgh
Exercise: Learning to be mentor
 Fill out the Mentoring Challenge Form

From TEAM at the University of Pittsburgh
 Find a partner and compare results
Learning to be a mentor
Discussion






What worked well?
What was difficult?
Advantages to this form?
Disadvantages to this form?
How might this activity support your role
as Director of a Mentoring Program?
How might mentor training encourage
and/or discourage new mentors?
LAUNCHING A NEW
MENTORING RELATIONSHIP
ESTABLISHING GOALS AND
EXPECTATIONS
2012 USC Mellon Mentoring Forum
To Be Effective Mentees and Mentors . . .


Build an understanding of your personal
goals and expectations for this mentoring
relationship
Begin a dialogue to share goals and
expectations
Exercise: Setting goals and expectations
 Need a partner

One to be the mentee and one to the mentor
 Each needs a 4x 6” card
Developing a mutual understanding of
goals and expectations

Individually list 3 goals and 3 expectations for your
mentoring relationship

Share your goals and expectations for this
mentoring relationship seeking to understand
respective view points

Have you identified areas that will require
additional reflection and discussion?
Developing a mutual understanding of
goals and expectations
Discussion





What worked well?
What was difficult?
Advantages to this interaction?
Disadvantages to this interaction?
How might this support your role as
Director of a Mentoring Program?
Exercise: Use of mentoring agreement
for setting goals and expectations
 Need a partner (find a new partner)

One to be the mentee and one to the mentor
 Each pair needs a Mentoring Agreement Form
Developing a mutual understanding of
goals and expectations
Discussion






What worked well?
What was difficult?
Advantages to this interaction?
Disadvantages to this interaction?
How might this support your role as
Director of a Mentoring Program?
What is the impact of having a signed
agreement?
SUSTAINING A NEW
MENTORING RELATIONSHIP
ENCOURAGING EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
2012 USC Mellon Mentoring Forum
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 down
Periodic 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 interactions
Types of communication
Make time for face to face discussions when either
party is not satisfied with progress
Be 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 colleagues
Good luck with your mentoring programs!