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Building Highly Effective Professional Relationships March 4, 2015 Jennifer R. Cohen, Ph.D. j.renee.cohen@gmail.com @jreneecohen Tools For Building Highly Effective Professional Relationships Focus on reciprocal relationships Communicate to clarify expectations & progress Be a productive village member Create your Board of Directors Develop your mentor philosophy Recognize and respond to Pseudo-Mentors Mission Empower students to build effective mentoring relationships, lead discussion that creates a supportive learning environment, & help build a sense of community and collaboration. Goals: Start a conversation about mentoring & provide Tangible takeaways on how to participate in an effective mentoring relationship Tools for responding to Pseudo-Mentors Outline Define mentorship for ourselves Discuss mutual benefits Discuss components for effective mentoring relationships Discuss strategies for identifying and responding to Pseudo-Mentors Talk openly about questions/concerns How do you define mentorship? Concept of mentoring 1st introduced in Greek Mythology Ulysses entrusts his son under the care and direction of an old friend named Mentor Epic journey + wisdom = success Audience Poll: A mentor is _____ List some characteristics You are responsible for identifying mentors who: Promote mentee-driven progress Provide intuitive feedback Develop your capabilities Help you to problem solve and build self-reliance Promote you within their own networks Have track records for successful mentor-mentee relationships Mentors demystify the How and Why Provide advice, share knowledge and experiences How do I prepare for this class/ write a grant proposal? How can I make myself more marketable? How did you transition from student to young professional? Provide personal support navigating environments /cultures, use critical reflection to give feedback and develop strategies Why wasn’t my grant proposal successful? Why is the system this way? Mentoring relationships are dynamic Formal Often arranged by an organization Pre-articulated expectations Informal Often arranged by individuals to focus on specific needs Expectations articulated by the individuals Long term Often include regular meetings, updates Short term Project-specific mentors Transition mentors Reciprocity: Mentor Benefits Increased motivation and sense of achievement Opportunity to take time out/reflect Refined interpersonal skills Improved understanding of generational differences Revitalized interest in work Enhanced status Extended influence Satisfaction of seeing some one else grow Fulfillment of own developmental needs Reciprocity: Mentee Benefits Positive role model A source of guidance and perspective Increased responsibility for own training A safe space to try out ideas Increased motivation and achievement An opportunity for personal reflective space Personal growth and development A source of stretch and challenge Enhanced existing skills & opportunities to learn new skills Access to networks and other learning sources Components for creating effective mentoring relationships Preparation Setting Expectations Finding Common Ground Exploration Reflection Prepare yourself Know your personal / professional values What do you hope to gain? Strengths? Needs? Objectives? Prepare questions you want to ask them Mentor philosophy Management style Cultural environment What has helped them the most? Set Expectations Set and communicate expectations early Time commitment Meeting frequency Preferred learning/teaching styles Discuss limitations to the relationship Write a simple agreement Discuss built-in evaluation How will you know when the relationship is not working? Find Common Ground Look for ways to relate Discuss personal and professional interests Ask why mentoring appeals to them Discuss previous mentoring relationships and how they were helpful Interact in various environments Explore Consider topic-specific meetings Brainstorm on priorities Create realistic timelines Reflect Is the mentorship working? Take time to reflect after a meeting or interaction What did you learn? What was / was not helpful? What would you do differently next time? Long-term reflection on growth The Pseudo-Mentor Audience Poll: A mentor is NOT _____ It is important that you create a diverse Board of Directors Collect mentors, appreciate cross-racial/gender mentorship Do not rely on one person, too much is at risk Realize when you are not being mentored and fix it immediately You are accountable for what is AND is not on your resume Strategies for identifying and avoiding the Pseudo-Mentor WARNING! Pseudo-Mentors Give minimal investment, use toxic communication, known for having difficult personalities, have weak track records with student success Solicit agreement, intimidate, humiliate, appear distracted from your project, can be forceful with choices, create competition amongst peers Undermine your efforts, lack transparency, make you feel guilty, do not provide professional development opportunities, discourage extracurricular interests, allow conflicts to go unresolved … Strategies for identifying and avoiding the Pseudo-Mentor Small group discussion Share examples of strained mentoring relationships How did you handle / resolve it? One speaker/group will report back to the larger group Index Card feedback: What was the most useful part of the workshop? What do you wish faculty realized about mentorship? Tools For Building Highly Effective Professional Relationships Focus on reciprocal relationships Communicate to clarify expectations & progress Be a productive village member Create your Board of Directors Develop your mentor philosophy Recognize and respond to Pseudo-Mentors Thank you Feedback on index cards Questions or comments? j.renee.cohen@gmail.com @jreneecohen
