The 5 Stages of the Working Relationship: Frameworks & Tools
In all professional relationships (in the lab) between a mentee/trainee/employee and a mentor/(people) manager have 5 stages. They include:
A. Identifying Goals & Values (Preparation)
B. Positioning & Connecting (Interviewing)
C. Establishing Your Working Relationship (First 10%)
D. Workplace Navigation (Maintaining Momentum)
E. Ending Your Professional Relationship (Taking Stock)
We've designed this learning page to cluster useful benchmarks, frameworks, and tools by stage for both:
Mentees-Trainees - from our Workplace Navigation Training
Mentors-Managers - from our Inclusive Research Mentor-Manager Training
Interested in formattable/fillable tools, worksheets, and slide decks? Please reach out through our Training & Resources Request Form.
Stage A: Identifying Goals & Values (Preparing)
MENTEE-TRAINEE BENCHMARKS
STAGE A OVERALL LEARNING GOAL: Know yourself
Identify goals (technical skills, scientific concepts/ understanding, work experience in a particular area of research, career readiness)
Clarify your values, needs and workstyle preferences
MENTOR-MANAGER BENCHMARKS
STAGE A OVERALL LEARNING GOAL: Know yourself
Assess your skill level around the 7 supervisory responsibilities (of a people manager)
Clarify your goals, values, needs and workstyle preferences
Stage A: MENTEE-TRAINEE (WORKPLACE NAVIGATION TRAINING) RESOURCES
Outlining Your Goals: Career, Knowledge & Skills, Environment & Circle of Support
Workstyle Preferences: How do you do your best work? - Worksheet & 14 min Video
Define Your Core Values to navigate the interview and future workplace situations from a place of integrity
Stage A: MENTOR-MANAGER (INCLUSIVE RESEARCH MENTOR-MANAGER TRAINING) RESOURCES
Assess Yourself - 4 Benchmarks to be an Effective Mentor-(People) Manager-Leader (Module 1)
5 Pillars: Inclusivity is a design question (Module 1)
The Manager Protocol: 7 Responsibilities of a Supervisor (Module 2) - A protocol for when issues arise! Use our self-assessment worksheet & additional resources to determine where you may need to gain further skills.
Workstyle Preferences: How do you do your best work? (Module 3) - Worksheet & 14 min Video
Stage B: Positioning & Connecting (Interviewing)
MENTEE-TRAINEE BENCHMARKS
STAGE B OVERALL LEARNING GOAL: Know your options
Identify potential mentors and workplaces
Investigate and evaluate whether a position/workplace setting/mentor is a good fit for your goals, values, needs and preferences.
Early identification of growth areas for a given position
MENTOR-MANAGER BENCHMARKS
STAGE B OVERALL LEARNING GOAL: Know how to use inclusive practices to successfully select someone for your team
Identify and recruit potential trainees/employees
Utilize multiple inclusive strategies for each stage of the hiring process
Select candidates that you have the capacity to set up for success
Stage B: MENTEE-TRAINEE (WORKPLACE NAVIGATION TRAINING) RESOURCES
Using the interview to tell if the opportunity is toxic or a bad fit
Interview Game Plan: Look for consistency, not candor
Outlining Your Goals: Career, Knowledge & Skills, Environment & Circle of Support
Stage B: MENTOR-MANAGER (INCLUSIVE RESEARCH MENTOR-MANAGER TRAINING) RESOURCES
Design Your Hiring Assessment Tool (Module 8)
Building Your Interview Questions (Module 8)
Inclusivity Check: Writing a Position Description (Module 8)
Building a Training Plan: Backward Design from Expectations (Module 5) - develop in tandem with your hiring rubric
How mentor-managers and organizations (together) can make a difference
Stage C: Establishing Your Working Relationships (The First 10% of Your Time)
MENTEE-TRAINEE BENCHMARKS
STAGE C OVERALL LEARNING GOAL: Know how to assess your team and environment, and develop a plan (workplace navigation plan)
Scope your situation: Utilize an investigative (proactive) approach to assess the 4 key factors in your workplace: the work, your boss, the team, and the organization
Define the what: Work with your mentor-manager to define your goals
Define the how: negotiate how you'll engage with your mentor-manager - how frequently, what communication mediums, timeline of your relationship, workstyle preferences, etc.
Develop a strategic plan to achieve your work goals and relationship goals based on your discussions and assessments
MENTOR-MANAGER BENCHMARKS
STAGE C OVERALL LEARNING GOAL: Know how to structure a successful experience for a mentee/trainee/employee
Clarify and affirm goals with your mentee-trainee
Discuss the how: negotiate how you'll engage - how frequently, what communication mediums, timeline of your relationship, (preferences) etc.)
Begin to engage in all 7 supervisory responsibilities
Stage C: MENTEE-TRAINEE (WORKPLACE NAVIGATION TRAINING) RESOURCES
Assess Workplace Environment & Take Stock - 5 Facets of Initial Success: You, Your Boss, Your Team, Your Organization, The Work
Make sure you have the information you need to succeed: Tell-Know Check List
Workstyle Preferences: How do you do your best work? - Worksheet & 14 min Video
7 Responsibilities of a Supervisor - Review to determine if your mentor-manager is fulfilling their role (includes: 21 Questions to Assess your mentor-manager's supervisory abilities)
Utilize the On-boarding Map to identify gaps in your understanding of your new position
Utilize a Training Plan Template to Identify & Clarify Expectations
Language & Tips for Understanding & Managing Expectations and Feedback
Navigating workplace situations skillfully means engaging from a place of integrity: Defining Your Core Values
Distinguishing between an ethos of conformity versus an ethos of collaboration
What to do if you realize you've selected a toxic or bad fit position?
Stage C: MENTOR-MANAGER (INCLUSIVE RESEARCH MENTOR-MANAGER TRAINING) RESOURCES
Role Conflict for Research Mentors (Module 2)
The Manager Protocol: 7 Responsibilities of a Supervisor (Module 2) - Review to determine where you need to build skills (self-assessment worksheet & additional resources)
Workstyle Preferences: How do you do your best work? (Module 3) - Worksheet & 14 min Video
On-boarding Map - first step to building a training plan
Make sure you & your mentee-trainee have the information you both need to succeed: Tell-Know Check List
Setting Goals with Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) (Module 4)
Inclusivity Check: Setting Expectations (Module 4)
Building a Training Plan: Backward Design from Expectations (Module 5) - also check out our Expectation Clarity Tool for additional ideas around this approach
Inclusivity Check: Teaching & Training (Module 5)
Renninger's 4 Step Method for Feedback (Module 6)
Off-Ramping: 3 steps to take if the conversation takes an unexpected turn (Module 6)
CPR: Content, Pattern, Relationship - how repeated corrective feedback evolves
5 Step Feedback Loop (Module 6)
Delegation: Blanchard’s Model (Module 5)
Inclusivity Check: Meetings (Module 1) - practical steps to build inclusivity into meetings
Assessing the Issue: Problem Identification (Module 7)
Progressive & Productive Responses to Expectation Challenges (Module 7)
Responding from all your roles (Module 7)
Stage D: Workplace Navigation (Maintaining Momentum)
MENTEE-TRAINEE BENCHMARKS
STAGE D OVERALL LEARNING GOAL: Know how to use benchmarks to monitor progress, identify potential pitfalls and use strategies & tools to stay on track
Request, Receive & Respond to feedback to determine if you are meeting expected benchmarks within timelines.
Negotiate for what you need
Build and activate your circle of support for perspective and help (and mitigate the power differential).
MENTOR-MANAGER BENCHMARKS
STAGE D OVERALL LEARNING GOAL: Know how to use benchmarks to monitor progress, identify potential pitfalls and use strategies & tools to stay on track
Follow the Protocol & Stay Accountable: use benchmarks, timelines and the 7 supervisory responsibility guidelines to stay on track
Stage D: MENTEE-TRAINEE (WORKPLACE NAVIGATION TRAINING) RESOURCES
Revisit Tell-Know Checklist - ensure you've covered all aspects
Reflect on expectations & training plan progress - if your mentor-manager isn't doing this, complete the template for yourself and use it to identify what information you still need
Continue expectation conversations with your mentor-manager to make sure you're on track
Implement you proactive plan
21 Questions to Assess your mentor-manager's supervisory abilities
6 Stages of a Negotiation: Define, Describe, Prep, Articulate, Discuss & Consider
Assess: Are you having all 3 Types of Conversations-Negotiations with your mentor-manager?
Examples and tips for conversations-negotiations with your mentor-manager
Stage D: MENTOR-MANAGER (INCLUSIVE RESEARCH MENTOR-MANAGER TRAINING) RESOURCES
Revisit Tell-Know Checklist (Module 3) - ensure you've covered all aspects
Review your protocol: The Manager Protocol: 7 Responsibilities of a Supervisor (Module 2) any time there is an issue or challenge to ensure you're playing all your positions
Ongoing issue/challenge - did you Ignore the First Blip?
Renninger's 4 Step Method for Feedback (Module 6)
5 Step Feedback Loop (Module 6)
Inclusivity Check: Meetings (Module 1)
Inclusivity Check: Setting Expectations (Module 3)
Re-visit/Re-set Expectations: Building a Training Plan: Backward Design from Expectations (Module 5) - also check out our Expectation Clarity Tool for additional ideas around this approach
Inclusivity Check: Teaching & Training (Module 5)
Delegation: Blanchard’s Model (Module 5)
Assessing the Issue: Problem Identification (Module 7)
Progressive & Productive Responses to Expectation Challenges (Module 7)
Responding from all your roles (Module 7)
Change Management Principles (Module 1) - for when you plan to make a change in processes and procedures
Job Accommodation Network (Ask Jan) for resources related to inclusivity and disability accommodations
Stage E: Ending your Professional Relationship (Taking Stock)
MENTEE-TRAINEE BENCHMARKS
STAGE E OVERALL LEARNING GOAL: Know the steps to skillfully end your professional relationship
Recognize and celebrate achieved goals and progress
Express gratitude
Affirm with your mentor-manager what skills/knowledge you have obtained and how best to represent/communicate this when applying for new positions
Consider your ask (How do you want your relationship to evolve?)
Reflect on what you've learned about yourself: determining what you need and want from your next position
Say goodbye
MENTOR-MANAGER BENCHMARKS
STAGE E OVERALL LEARNING GOAL: Know the steps to skillfully end your professional relationship
Recognize and celebrate achieved goals and progress
Express gratitude
Consider your ask (How do you want your relationship to evolve?)
Reflect on what you've learned about yourself: determine what to keep & change for your next mentee-hire
Say goodbye
Stage E: MENTEE-TRAINEE RESOURCES (Coming in 2024!)
Reflect on your recent experience and your goals for your next position
Determining what needs to prioritized in the final weeks
Outlining future plans & communicating them to the mentor
Reflection on what skills/knowledge was obtained, how this experience informs what they want from their next workplace experience
Updating resume
Determining ability to obtain a letter of recommendation
Revisit "Identifying" Tasks in Preparation for Next Steps
Go back to Stage A: Identifying Goals & Values (Preparing)
Stage E: MENTOR-MANAGER RESOURCES (Coming in 2024!)
Clarifying priorities for final weeks
Reflection on what skills/tools were practiced & what to use/change in the future
Review/Reflect: What needs to be improved for future trainees?
Exit Evaluation/Discussion
Ending (revising) a professional relationship/succession planning
Revisit "Identifying" Tasks in Preparation for Next Steps
Go back to Stage A: Identifying Goals & Values (Preparing)