Responsible Conduct of Research
Building Successful Mentoring Relationships
Robert Akins, PhD
ARB 279
X53-6811
May 13, 2015
What is Mentoring?
 Mentoring is a formal or informal relationship between two
people, usually a senior person (mentor) and a junior person
(protégé) whose major function is to promote the protégé’s
development in specific, agreed upon areas.
US Office Personal Management, Best Practices: Mentoring, September,
2008
 A formal mentor has been defined as “a person who oversees
the career and development of another person, usually a
junior, through teaching, counseling, and providing
psychological support, protecting and at times promoting or
sponsoring”.
Zey, Michael G. The Mentor Connection: Strategic Alliances in Corporate
Life. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1991, pg 7
What is Mentoring?
Mentors provide advice, counsel,
and coaching to help individuals
realize their full potential.
What is Mentoring?
 There is no standard mentoring method – one size does not fit
all – each relationship is different.
 Mentoring is NOT a cloning experiment.
 A mentor is not a supervisor/sponsor, but a “wise and trusted
professional friend” who may act as a role model, advisor,
counselor, teacher, advocate, or protector.
 Rank does not automatically mean effective mentoring.
 Trainees must be committed to the achievement of their goals.
They cannot be passive participants and should appropriately
make known their satisfactions, dissatisfactions, and needs
clearly and often.
Why Mentor?
(Personal Benefits of the Mentoring Relationship)
The mentoring relationship benefits not only to the Mentee but also
the Mentor. The majority of individuals who have served as a
mentor identify the following personal benefits:
 Renewed enthusiasm for being in the role of expert
 Realized a greater understanding of the challenges faced by
junior faculty
 Enhanced skills in coaching, counseling, listening and
modeling behaviors
 Developed and practiced their personal style of leadership
 Demonstrated expertise and shared knowledge
 Increased their awareness of generational differences.
US Office Personal Management, Best Practices: Mentoring, September 2008
Stages of the Mentoring Relationship
The American College of Healthcare Executives describes the
Mentoring relationship as a partnership consisting of several
stages.
ACHE Leadership Mentoring Network Manual, Chicago, IL
Beginning Stage
This stage is a period of building trust. There is usually anxiety
and uncertainty as each partner learns what they can expect
from the relationship. Mentors usually take the lead in this stage
by sharing personal experiences and lessons while the Mentees
offer explanations of situations and decisions that may challenge
them.
Stages of the Mentoring Relationship
Honeymoon Stage
This is the period of time when the relationship has been
established and offers a forum for exploring issues, problems
and possibilities. The exploration of options and alternatives
occurs together. The Mentor and Mentee share the leader role
during this stage.
Relationship-Testing Stage
During this third stage both the Mentor and Mentee are willing to
address tough issues through courageous conversations. During
this stage the Mentee should be assuming more responsibility for
directing the agenda of the Mentoring relationship.
Stages of the Mentoring Relationship
Concluding Stage
 This is the final stage of the relationship when the time is
appropriate to end the relationship once the mentor has met the
Mentee’s development objectives.
 Periodic assessment of the objective will assist in monitoring
progress.
 Relationships that lose momentum characterized by less
frequent and less meaningful contact are also appropriate to end.
 The best way to end a relationship is to revisit its course and
celebrate the achievements.
Progressing Through the Stages
 Progressing through the stages should occur according
to the Mentee’s readiness to move on.
 There is no set time schedule for accomplishing the
objectives of the relationship.
 The judgment of the Mentor will be required to gauge the
Mentee’s readiness.
Mentoring Domains (Nemours System)
 Personal (Work/Life) Balance: Set a foundation to help take
care of your life away from work so you can bring your best skills
to your patients.
 Leadership/Managerial Skill Development: Explore
opportunities and develop leadership skills.
 Educator Expertise: Enhance your knowledge base, teaching
and presentation skills.
 Technical Expertise: Acquire and practice new clinical and
technical skills.
 Research Expertise: Comprehensive research planning and
activities.
Finding a Research Mentor: Three Key Cs
 Competence
– Professional and interpersonal skills, knowledge, expertise,
and experience
 Confidence
– Shares network, shares credit
 Commitment
– Invests time, energy to mentoring and developing others
Finding a Research Mentor: NIH suggests …
 Good ego-strength: What this means is that s/he does not get their
feelings hurt easily and has no problem saying ‘no.’
 Forward moving: Model of continuous learning
 Positive: Hopeful and optimistic, sense of humor
 Accessible: Has the time to take and can keep to scheduled
meetings
 Empathic: Ability to identify with the mentee, willing to disclose
similar situations from their past
 Open-mindedness: Willing to listen and not be judgmental or
offended when mentees choose a different solution
 Consistency: reliable source of information, communication, and
availability
Finding a Research Mentor: NIH suggests …
 Patience: Willing to work with the mentee during the development
process and understands it will not happen overnight
 Honest: Able to provide honest, accurate, appropriate feedback,
and good ethical judgment. Trustworthy.
 Savvy: Able to navigate through the political environment of the
workplace and share this skill with the mentee.
 Mature: Professional, yet approachable. Must be willing to share
their knowledge, and should have a wide range of experience.
 Open: Willing to share information and experiences openly
 Expertise: Ability to fill technical and career gaps
 Motivating: Encouraging, positive, and empowering
 Good Communicator
Finding a Research Mentor: Where?
 Recommendation of chief, chair, director, etc.
 Faculty met at meetings, conferences, symposia, etc. (contact
Erin.Riegel@Nemours.org to get added to distribution lists for
research meetings)
 Search Institutions (e.g., SNAP Profiles)
 Authors of relevant publications and journal articles
 Google
Choosing a Research Mentor
 “Interview” potential mentors
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Ask about time, commitment, meetings
Prior mentees, experiences, problems, issues
Supervision style (micro, macro)
“Personality goes a long way …” do yours match?
 Check the mentor’s record (CV)
– Prior mentees, current positions
– Publications with mentees as first-author
– Robust grant support and publication record
 Discuss with other faculty, prior mentees, current fellows,
colleagues
Choosing a Research Mentor
 Take the initiative
 Think about and be able to articulate your expertise and what you
might contribute
 Focus on your interests and questions – science is driven by
questions!
 Set goals and timelines; follow them
 Keep up your CV or biographical sketch
 Keep up your Individual Development Plan (IDP)
– Know thyself!!!
How to Work Effectively with a Research Mentor
 Clarify expectations!!!
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Be clear about meeting times, topics, goals.
Focus on your area of need
Use a Mentoring Plan
Use a Mentoring Compact
 Do your homework between meetings, and provide materials (e.g.,
protocol, manuscript outline, data)
 Update your IDP and discuss it
 Keep good meeting notes and share them
How to Work Effectively with a Research Mentor
 Use a mentoring compact (ACCEL or AAMC)
 Use a Mentoring Plan (Nemours Performance
Management; ACCEL)
 Use an Individual Development Plan (IDP) (ACCEL or
AAAS)
How to Work Effectively AS a Research Mentor:
Key Areas
 Communication
 Content Mentoring – Research, Education, Clinical, Community
Engagement
 Career and Professional Development
 Psychosocial Support
How to Work Effectively AS a Research Mentor:
Key Areas
 Communication
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Establish expectations
Establish frequency of meetings
Develop listening skills (both parties)
Prompt feedback
Manage disagreements and conflict
Foster trust
How to Work Effectively AS a Research Mentor:
Key Areas
 Content Mentoring
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Identify gaps in knowledge and skills
Identify training opportunities
Identify resources
Help formulate aims
Help design and develop plan to accomplish aims
Monitor progress
Step aside to allow independence
How to Work Effectively AS a Research Mentor:
Key Areas
 Career and Professional Development
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Facilitate opportunities and connections
Promote mentee in and out of institution
Help understand promotion requirements and fiscal realities
Help ensure sufficient protected time
Help navigate the system
Model and instruct on ethical behavior
How to Work Effectively AS a Research Mentor:
Key Areas
 Psychosocial Support
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Discuss work-life balance (VERY IMPORTANT!)
Emphasize effective time management
Demonstrate leadership skills
Be sensitive to cultural diversity
Encourage peer mentoring – often similar issues exist for
colleagues at same level of training
– Serve as role model
Changing Mentors
A Mentee and/or Mentor should consider ending the partnership if:
 The Mentor and/or Mentee is clearly and consistently
uninterested in the relationship
 The Mentee is depressed by the Mentor’s undervaluing their
abilities or by questioning their motives
 If the Mentor displays any signs of undermining the relationship
(e.g. racial, sexual, ethnic or other prejudice)
 Simple incompatibility
 The current Mentor consistently is unable to answer questions or
offer advice
(From the University of Oregon)
Barriers to Effective Mentoring
In The Protégé's Guide to Mentoring, Norman Cohen identifies several
barriers to effective mentoring:
 Inadequate level of commitment from Mentor to Mentee
– Differing or contrasting personal values
– Failure to fulfill expectations
 Interpersonal styles that are fundamentally different
– How the Mentor/Mentee communicate with one another
– Lack of timely feedback
– The Mentor’s need to control the relationship
 Whether (and how) the Mentee pursues the suggestions of the
Mentor
– Mentee ignores the suggestions of the Mentor
– Mentee begrudgingly follows the suggestion but with “attitude”
Barriers to Effective Mentoring
Larry Ambrose, identified three critical steps to help determine if the
relationship is ending or should end in his 2002 article, “Transitioning
the Mentoring Relationship.”
I) Recognize the signs
Part of the Mentor’s role is to recognize when the relationship is
reaching a transitional stage. Be aware of these signs:
Mentee is contacting you less often
Exhibits less appreciation for your input
Mentee exhibits less openness in
communication
Indicates that the protégé can get help
elsewhere
The Mentor must take the lead to confront the transition issue. Let the
Mentee know you have noticed and indicate a non- judgmental desire
to deal with differences in the relationship.
Barriers to Effective Mentoring
II) Asses the relationship
 The Mentor and Mentee should assess their individual experiences
in the relationship.
 The Mentor and Mentee should meet to share those assessments
and give each other feedback on how the relationship has
progressed, whether it met expectations.
 The Mentor should ask the Mentee to share current mentoring
needs and decide together how best to meet those needs.
Barriers to Effective Mentoring
III) End the relationship
 If your assessment results in a decision to end the partnership
then recognize that letting go is rarely comfortable. It is
necessary to let go so that your Mentee can flourish and
continue to grow.
 Have closure. Plan a celebration to mark the occasion such as
meeting for lunch or coffee.
 The last meeting is a great time to share stories and reflect on
the relationship. The last meeting is also a good time for the
Mentee to express appreciation.
Barriers to Effective Mentoring
IV) Remain in touch
 Once the Mentor/Mentee relationship is over it is
appropriate to remain in touch.
 Mentor should resist the temptation to follow up with the
individual right away; the Mentee needs time to establish
independence.
 It may be helpful to document your mentoring experience so
you have a reference for your next mentoring relationship.
Resource Links
 Register on the ACCEL CTR Web Site at https://de-ctr.org and use
the resources there – including research design and epi-biostats
 Erin Riegel (Erin.Riegel@Nemours.org; the Administrative
Coordinator for the ACCEL Mentoring, Education, and Career
Development Core) for help or to use the new MED-Zone.
 Mentoring Plan Interface (https://www.dectr.org/redcap/surveys/?s=TFyXuiC9rE)
 Individual Development Plan
– ACCEL https://www.de-ctr.org/redcap/surveys/?s=gnABSe7Gtv
– AAAS http://myidp.sciencecareers.org/
 Nemours SNAP Profiles at
https://www.nemoursresearch.org/snap/phonebook_list/all