Structuring the mentoring relationship

Overview -

Planning, time management, goals, and expectations are components of research that must be explicit between a mentor and a mentee in order for the relationship and the work to flourish. This is most consistently provided in the form of regularly scheduled meetings, but it can also be contingently required, such as doing a check-in before doing any lab work or using an instrument or performing a particular procedure. The content of these meetings, check-ins, and progress reports are also essential considerations in making the mentoring relationship a success.

essential ingredients of structure

Below are recommendations from others based on what they found worked for them:

Establish a clear hierarchy from the start between the PI, mentor, and mentee so that the mentee understands who to report to for specific needs
Begin with establishing expectations and regularly review them, including the goals and activities of the project and the timeline for work. This facilitates planning and time management by the mentee.
Establishing a timeline is essential because otherwise the mentee really has no idea. From their perspective everything is new.
- Laying out a timeline increases the likelihood that results will be produced when they are needed.
- With this, the mentee will be better able to recognize when their efforts have become ineffectual and so reach out for help when needed.
- The mentee will also be able to self-manage which can free up more time and energy for the mentor than if the mentor outlines plans one step at a time.
- This practice helps mentees to learn how to prioritize experiments and to keep them from getting unfocused on unfruitful effort. It also helps them keep in mind the bigger picture.
- With this timeline it is also important to communicate what parts are flexible, to what extent variation from the timeline will work, and why that degree of flexibility or lack thereof is the case.
For first-time mentors, it is important for the PI to regularly meet with both the mentor and mentee.
- The purpose of these meetings would be:
  - Make sure the work is progressing at a reasonable pace
  - To keep things going in a productive direction
  - To be sure data analysis is drawing logical conclusions
  - To redirect as needed
  - To give the mentee a chance to practice to an understanding audience
- As much as possible the mentee should be the one reporting the results to the PI in these meetings to give the mentor a chance to verify that the mentee understands. (In industry, a mentee may be asked to present their results to management. In that case, the mentor's role would be to apprise their mentee of expectations for presentation and to otherwise help their mentee prepare to present.)
For a more experienced mentor who has become head of a project, for example:
- Their mentees can report results in group meetings where suggestions on next steps can be given by both the PI and group mates. Then the mentor can later help the mentee carry out those suggestions.
- Between group meetings, the mentor might also contact the PI if the mentor and mentee run into a particularly difficult challenge.
It is important that the mentee report to their mentor in their day-to-day work.
- This maintains consistency of communication. (Even if both the PI and the mentor are saying the same thing, the words may be interpreted differently if things are not stated the exact same way.)
- This also maintains the foundational engagement and motivation of the mentor to continue working on and remain committed to the mentoring relationship.

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