Transcript How to Communicate with Your Mentor, to Get the Most Our

How to Communicate with Your
Mentor, to Get the Most Our of Your
Relationship
Michael Rapoff, Ph.D.
Department of Pediatrics
Purpose
• To provide mentees tips for making a
mentoring relationship work for them.
• To discuss possible problems in the
mentoring relationship and how to address
these problems.
Mentoring Defined
“Mentoring involves a relationship in which
the mentor, usually a more experienced
individual, works closely with the protégé
for the purposes of teaching, guiding,
supporting and facilitating the professional
growth and development of a colleague.”
Taylor, Journal of Professional Nursing, 1992, 48: 48-55
Tips for Mentees
1. Choose your mentor wisely. Making sure
they have the knowledge, experience, and
skills in the areas of teaching, research,
professional service, and clinical service.
Tips for Mentees
2. Give the mentoring relationship a trial for
90 days and then re-evaluate. If the
relationship is not working at all, switch
mentors or if you need secondary or task
mentors, ask for them (not all mentors
excel in all areas of teaching, research,
professional and clinical service).
Tips for Mentees
3. Openness and non-defensiveness are
two key attributes for getting the most out
of feedback from your mentor. As Dr. John
Belmont would say “ better to hear things
from you friends than your critics”. Be
open to changing what you are doing,
saying, or writing.
Tips for Mentees
4. Making mentoring meetings work:
a. establish a schedule of regular
meetings
b. allow sufficient time to ask questions
and discuss issues openly
c. arrive promptly to all appointments
& don’t cancel meetings
d. have a specific, written agenda for
each meeting with your mentor
Tips for Mentees
5. Keep you mentor informed of your
academic progress or any difficulties you
have encountered. Let your mentor know if
you what to make a change in the
direction of your career (e.g., research
emphasis).
Tips for Mentees
6. Be prepared to ask about the life
experiences of your mentor and the
lessons learned, particularly the mistakes
they made in their careers and how you
can avoid them.
Tips for Mentees
7. Decide how much of your personal or
family life you want to share with your
mentor. You set the boundaries on what
you do or do not share with your mentor.
Tips for Mentees
8. Good answers require good questions. Some possible
questions to pose to your mentor:
Who can help clarify my department’s expectations?
How do I build a faculty portfolio?
How do I get a grant?
What departmental and SOM committees should I serve
on?
What type of peer review of teaching should I expect?
Should I seek additional feedback and resources?
How do I deal with conflict?
How do I balance my personal and professional life?
Who can I go to for personal problems?
Dealing with Potential Problems
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Don’t let your mentors make you a clone of
them (unless you want to be).
If you are feeling uncomfortable or having
difficulty communicating, raise this early in the
mentoring relationship.
If problems can not be resolved, ask for a third
party to intervene (division chief, chair)
If all else fails, then fire your mentor (or more
gently ask to switch to someone else).
Questions and Discussion