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Making The Most of Mentors PDF
Making The Most of Mentors PDF
Abstract
Effective mentorship is likely one of the settings both to promote effective, parties. The authors review the initiation
most important determinants of success successful mentoring and to make a and cultivation of a mentoring
in academic medicine and research. mentor’s job easier. Managing up relationship from the perspective of a
Many papers focus on mentoring from requires the mentee to take responsibility mentee at any stage (student through
the mentor’s perspective, but few give for his or her part in the collaborative junior faculty), and they propose specific
guidance to mentees forging these alliance and to be the leader of the strategies for mentee success.
critically important relationships. The relationship by guiding and facilitating
authors apply “managing up,” a the mentor’s efforts to create a satisfying Acad Med. 2009; 84:140–144.
corporate concept, to academic medical and productive relationship for both
faculty they already know both inside connecting a mentee to other prominent At the next meeting, the mentee can ask
and outside their department, school, scholars, providing research datasets, and for more advice. Finding a suitable
and/or hospital in order to talk about giving long-term career planning advice. mentor requires effort and persistence,
what guidance and support they seek and Multiple mentors are necessary to get allowing brief interactions to grow into
to get recommendations of potential needed guidance across the spectrum of learning partnerships and long-term
mentors who might be a “good fit.”10 In work and personal goals.5,10 Also, alliances.9,10
these meetings, a mentee should ask identifying and cultivating multiple
about potential mentors’ reputations and mentors is advantageous for the mentors
experiences mentoring successful because providing mentorship becomes Cultivation
mentees. Another strategy for identifying less demanding and time consuming, and Once a mentee has engaged a mentor, the
mentors suggests the mentee consider the mentor can keep focused on what he relationship needs cultivation. At this stage,
people who have positively impacted him or she knows and does best. Strategies for the mentoring dyad agrees on both
or her. The official mentoring making multiple mentors successful objectives and a relationship structure such
relationship can start positively if it is include clear roles and expectations as meeting frequency (e.g., often an hour
based on previously established for each mentor, a good relationship every two to four weeks), key
admiration, trust, and compatible among mentors, and mentors with responsibilities and needs of each party
background and interests. Once the complementary experience.18 Potential (such as the mentor’s availability outside of
mentee has a list of recommendations, he problems arise when there are unclear meetings, and networking opportunities for
or she should meet with the selected expectations, disagreement, or the mentee), mutual expectations and goals
faculty and conduct informational competition among mentors. A risk of (e.g., the mentor will review writing; the
interviews seeking compatible interests multiple mentors is erosion of a close mentee will ask for feedback), and concrete
and work styles. Finally, during these mentoring relationship because the dyad measures of progress and success (e.g., the
meetings, mentees should ask who else spends less time together. Cultivating the mentee will eventually present an abstract
the mentor might recommend to advise relationship and managing up, discussed at a meeting). It is important for each
them, and in this way the initial list grows in the next section, will help address these individual to make the relationship a
into a network of contacts. problems. priority, set aside time for the relationship,
and agree on confidentiality.4
One common difficulty during the Meeting for the first time
initiation stage is a perception by the When a mentee first meets with a Managing up
mentee that people are too busy or prospective mentor, whether chosen or Managing up is one way of cultivating the
unavailable to be mentors. Knowing that assigned, the mentee must have a plan.19 mentoring relationship.15 Managing up
mentoring is time- and energy-intensive Mentees should consider how to market means the mentee takes ownership of the
and that a potential mentor may say no, a themselves; with busy and relationship, letting the mentor know
mentee may be uncomfortable requesting overcommitted mentors, it helps if a what he or she needs and organizing
mentorship and fear rejection. One mentee can recruit a mentor. In fact, it information in the form the mentor
remedy for these difficulties is persistence may be best to schedule a brief meeting prefers. A mentee must express his or her
in approaching potential mentors. when considering a potential mentor, needs in a direct manner and take
Additionally, a mentee should be clear in and only after the mentee has engaged responsibility for setting and sticking to a
expressing needs, thus providing the potential mentor and demonstrated goal schedule. Managing up makes it
potential mentors a sense of the organization and ability should he or she easier for mentors to help a mentee, and
commitment sought. When people are formally ask whether a person will it makes the relationship more satisfying
too busy or overcommitted, they can mentor. The meeting may start with both and more successful for both parties
gracefully decline and suggest others for individuals sharing their backgrounds, because the mentor can target help and
the mentee to approach. Another followed by the mentee clearly the mentee gets exactly what he or she
impediment to approaching mentors, articulating his or her needs and values.20 needs most. A mentee must ask directly
even after considering needs and listing A mentee demonstrates early success to how the mentor will judge success and be
potential mentors, is that a mentee may prospective mentors by having predefined responsive to the mentor’s suggestions
be indecisive regarding his or her career goals and needs. Other tips for the initial and tasks. A mentee should be available
and, therefore, have difficulty knowing meeting include telling the mentor how he and flexible if a mentor’s time or
whom to approach.16 If a mentee does or she has already been helpful, asking for schedule changes. A mentee must
not yet have a clear career direction, he or feedback about a research idea, or communicate in a straightforward way by
she can seek out mentors who are good at specifically discussing how the mentor may addressing issues of potential conflict
guiding exploration of career options. be helpful. A mentee should ask the (e.g., authorship on a paper) as they arise
mentor’s permission to contact him or her and asking when he or she does not
Mentees should begin seeking mentoring for future guidance and explicitly state the understand something.
early and in multiple places. A mentee likely purpose. Finally, a mentee must be
benefits from cultivating mentors at both accountable to his or her prospective A mentee’s understanding of him- or
junior and senior levels. Junior-level mentor and should follow up with a thank- herself and the mentor is key to making
mentors complement senior faculty you note or e-mail summarizing the the relationship successful. The mentee
mentors because they may have more discussion and the mentee’s plans to must know the work styles and personal
time and are closer to the mentee’s career proceed, thereby keeping the mentor styles, strengths and weaknesses, blind
stage. Senior mentors are helpful in engaged. spots, and trigger points of both
participants.4,21 A mentee will observe considering time commitments, and personality.19 If a mentee is aware of
these over time, but he or she may also adequate, allowing them to reach their potential difficulties early, knows his or her
ask about them, either directly or intended goals. One suggested structure values and needs, and manages up, then
through other peers and supervisors. A for each mentoring meeting begins with a many of these problems can be avoided.12
mentee can use the information gleaned social opening, followed by agenda
from his or her own self-assessment to negotiation, goal setting, discussion of Long-distance mentoring relationships,
develop and manage a healthy working two to three topics, and a closing, becoming more common as both mentees
relationship compatible with each including a summary and plans for the and mentors move institutions or as a
person’s work style and expectations and, next two to four weeks.22 A mentee mentee seeks specific expertise, inspire their
most importantly, in a way that meets his should write an agenda for each meeting, own unique set of potential problems,
or her critical needs.21 even if it is simply for his or her own including ineffectiveness because there is no
personal organization, to keep track of direct observation or accountability, and
Managing up requires the mentee to take goals and progress. Some mentors may misunderstandings due to phone and
responsibility for managing information like to receive a written agenda and e-mail communications.18,23 Some ways
flow.15 A mentee should ask directly questions ahead of time; others just like to make long-distance mentoring more
about the mentor’s preferred to arrive and talk. At each meeting, a successful include establishing the
communication style—Does the mentor mentee should inform the mentor of his relationship in a face-to-face meeting and
like to know the detailed facts and or her progress since the last meeting and then continuing it at a distance, having
figures, or is a broad overview with ask what is expected in terms of tasks occasional face-time at conferences, and
specific problems better? Does the before the next meeting.4 A mentee having clear expectations set up about roles
mentor like to communicate by e-mail, should use a mentor’s time wisely by and goals.18
phone, or both? Is the mentor a “listener” keeping meetings as short as possible or
or a “reader”?21 If the mentor is a listener, cancelling an appointment in advance if
the mentee should provide a verbal brief there is neither anything new to report Separation
first and follow up with a short written nor new issues to discuss. Mentees should All relationships naturally change and
summary of the details. If the mentor is a keep in mind, however, that nothing new evolve, and this is true of mentoring.9
reader, than the mentee should provide to report can represent a road block they Ideally, there will be a planned separation
written material in advance and follow up have encountered, and mentors may be as mentees advance their careers, attain
by talking about the issues in person at able to help navigate this problem. their goals, and become more collegial
the arranged meeting. It is essential to with their mentors. Mentorship needs
communicate frequently and effectively Challenges evolve over time, and managing up helps
according to the mentor’s preferred Dissatisfaction and problems are common smooth the transition of ending the
format and frequency of information to every relationship, including mentoring relationship and moving
exchange.4 mentorships. Finding a successful toward more equal standing. Often, both
mentoring relationship is like dating: one the mentor and mentee recognize that
A mentee needs to ask questions to get new cannot expect a perfect fit every time, their mentoring relationship has fulfilled
insight, verify or clarify ideas, show interest, and a good relationship takes work. its purpose, and both are ready for a
and listen actively. Although a mentee Dissatisfaction may occur from a mismatch change. Occasionally an insurmountable
should put forth his or her own ideas, it is of goals, commitment, or expectations; problem may occur such as differences in
critical that he or she not get defensive from a reluctance of the mentee to own and communication, respect, or resource
or argumentative when the mentor pursue his or her own development; or use that leads to the sudden end of a
disagrees or provides constructive feedback. from a mentee’s reluctance to ask for mentoring relationship. Ideally, to
The relationship’s ultimate goal is to help personal help.5,13 There can be power issues promote productive future interactions,
the mentee succeed, and the mentor has the (over ownership of authorship or the mentor or mentee should directly
mentee’s best interests in mind. If a mentee resources), generational tensions (over address the transition, rather than letting
disagrees with a mentor, he or she should differences in work schedule expectations), the relationship dwindle away or
try to understand the mentor’s perspective or personality clashes (over differences in avoiding talking about a problem. Part of
but discuss both opinions because, communication or work style). the mentoring relationship is to
although the mentor has more experience Occasionally, a mentor enters a mentorship communicate about any issues so that, as
than the mentee, the mentee brings a new in search of a clone, encouraging mentees one mentoring relationship evolves, a
and potentially valuable view to a to be dependent rather than to cultivate mentee begins thinking about next steps
situation.4,12 If a mentee must disagree, he their own ideas.8 When problems occur, and potential future mentors, if needed.
or she should do so respectfully and start by either the mentee or mentor can suggest a
asking clarifying questions to find out more change, and the approach to the problem
about the basis for the mentor’s depends on the mentee’s and mentor’s In Sum
suggestions. When mentees learn from styles. Often, another person outside the Mentoring is an evolving relationship
disagreements, they grow. mentoring relationship can offer advice that requires time and attention to
about disagreements or concerns. develop and includes successes and
Mentees should take responsibility for Common mentor complaints are that the challenges. We outline the strategy,
managing the meetings. They should start mentee did not follow through, the mentee managing up, which may be helpful to
by agreeing with their mentors on a did not use the mentor’s time effectively, or improve mentoring relationships but that
regular schedule that is both feasible, there was a poor fit with work style and/or has not yet been empirically tested in