Finding and being a mentorMargaret Fraiser, UW-MilwaukeeJennifer Wenner, UW Oshkosh

Preparing for an Academic Career workshop, May 31- June 3, 2015

Content heavily borrowed from presentation by R. O’Brien and B. Walker at the Academic Career workshop 2014

Definition of a mentor

A wise guide

Someone who sees potential in another person and encourages human growth

Definition of a mentee

A motivated seeker

Someone who gains skills, insight, and/or growth from a relationship with another person

Benefits of mentoringFor the mentor:

Personally rewarding

Interpersonal skill development

Improved advising skills

Gain new collaborators

For the mentee:Career selectionGoal clarificationExpansion of

one’s networkBetter

understanding of the discipline’s culture/norms

Reflect on your mentors.

What is/was their relationship to you?

What, specifically, did they provide you?

How, exactly, did they accomplish this?

Reflect on your mentors. What is/was their relationship to you?

Who might serve as a mentor? Parent or other family member Religious leader (priest, rabbi, imam) Coach or teammate Teacher Graduate student and/or lab manager Colleague

Reflect on your mentors.

What, specifically, did they provide you?

What does mentoring produce? Sharpened skills Honed thinking and creation of meaning Expanded awareness, insight, and

perspective Increased self-confidence Professional and/or personal productivity “Safe space” to offer and exchange ideas

Reflect on your mentors.

How, exactly, did they accomplish this?

What constitutes mentoring? Respectful listening and/or observation Objective feedback Providing appropriate information at an

opportune time Empowering someone to create a change Encouraging exploration of options

What does a mentor do? Makes observations Answers questions Provides prompts, with an eye toward “next

steps” Introduces the mentee to others and helps

expand his/her network

What defines this type of relationship?

Mutual respect and trust Commitment to regular communication Constructive exploration and reflection Duration: months to decades Structure: formal or informal

Communication Regular (not rushed) Substantive (goes beyond “updates”) Follow-through on promises (both sides) Confidential

Finding a mentor Identify the type of guidance you are seeking

(research, teaching, work-life balance, etc.) Use your professional and social network to

identify prospective mentors. Choose someone with whom you are

comfortable speaking openly.

Mentoring your students Some students may seek you out as a

mentor. Other times, you may identify particular students as prospective mentees.

Be prepared to mentor about academic and non-academic issues

A mentor is not a therapist or an advice columnist.

The goal of mentoring isn’t to produce a clone of yourself.

What might be some challenges to finding an effective mentor?

What might be some challenges to serving as an effective mentor?