Things TO AVOID

NEGATIVITY - In general, mentees will be more excited about their research and will work harder if you show that you are passionate about your research. It can be discouraging if they come into the lab, and their mentor hates what they do.

COMPLAINING - Avoid complaining about things constantly in front of your mentees, that could demotivate them to learn a certain technique or experiment. When you complain about something, try to also state something positive about it too, e.g. It takes me a long time to set up this experiment, but after I set it up, I can walk away and do other things which makes me feel productive.

PRESUMPTUOUSNESS - Avoid placing yourself above your mentee or making them feel inferior to you. Arrogance can be very off putting.

SUPERIORITY - Knowledge and learning should never be a one-way street. Seek the counsel of your mentee as well! Sometimes, a fresh opinion is just what is needed.

FLAWLESSNESS - Mentees will respond better if you show that you have weaknesses, that you make mistakes and that you sometimes struggle with your research. This will make you more approachable should they encounter any issues in the future. Also it's okay to not know everything. If a mentee asks you a question and you don't know the answer, it’s important to be honest about that. One useful solution can be to encourage the mentee to look up the answer and bring it back.

CONTRADICTORY MESSAGING - Avoid telling them: “do as I say, not as I do”. Example: If there is a written procedure and you are deviating from it, explain to your mentee why you are doing that. This specific example can give them an understanding that procedural approach can evolve, it is not permanent, which will teach them how to think critically.

UNCLEAR HIERARCHY - Explain to your mentees what is the chain of command: who is their first point of contact? do they first come to you or to your PI?

BUSY WORK - Avoid giving your mentees assignments just to keep them busy, explain to them why you asked them to do a certain task, and what they will gain from it. Something that can be useful, if you give them a reading assignment, tell them you will also complete the reading, and you can have a discussion, answer each other's questions, and compare notes.