1. Responsible Conduct of Research
Building Successful Mentoring Relationships
Robert Akins, PhD
ARB 279 X
May 13, 2015

2. What is Mentoring?
Mentoring is a formal or informal relationship between two people, usually a senior person (mentor) and a junior person (protégé) whose major function is to promote the protégé’s development in specific, agreed upon areas. US Office Personal Management, Best Practices: Mentoring, September, 2008
A formal mentor has been defined as “a person who oversees the career and development of another person, usually a junior, through teaching, counseling, and providing psychological support, protecting and at times promoting or sponsoring”.
Zey, Michael G. The Mentor Connection: Strategic Alliances in Corporate Life. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1991, pg 7

3. What is Mentoring?
Mentors provide advice, counsel, and coaching to help individuals realize their full potential.

4. What is Mentoring?
There is no standard mentoring method – one size does not fit all – each relationship is different.
Mentoring is NOT a cloning experiment.
A mentor is not a supervisor/sponsor, but a “wise and trusted professional friend” who may act as a role model, advisor, counselor, teacher, advocate, or protector.
Rank does not automatically mean effective mentoring.
Trainees must be committed to the achievement of their goals. They cannot be passive participants and should appropriately make known their satisfactions, dissatisfactions, and needs clearly and often.

5. Why Mentor? (Personal Benefits of the Mentoring Relationship)
The mentoring relationship benefits not only to the Mentee but also the Mentor. The majority of individuals who have served as a mentor identify the following personal benefits:
Renewed enthusiasm for being in the role of expert
Realized a greater understanding of the challenges faced by junior faculty
Enhanced skills in coaching, counseling, listening and modeling behaviors
Developed and practiced their personal style of leadership
Demonstrated expertise and shared knowledge
Increased their awareness of generational differences.
US Office Personal Management, Best Practices: Mentoring, September 2008

6. Stages of the Mentoring Relationship
The American College of Healthcare Executives describes the Mentoring relationship as a partnership consisting of several stages ACHE Leadership Mentoring Network Manual, Chicago, IL
Beginning Stage This stage is a period of building trust. There is usually anxiety and uncertainty as each partner learns what they can expect from the relationship. Mentors usually take the lead in this stage by sharing personal experiences and lessons while the Mentees offer explanations of situations and decisions that may challenge them.

7. Stages of the Mentoring Relationship
Honeymoon Stage This is the period of time when the relationship has been established and offers a forum for exploring issues, problems and possibilities. The exploration of options and alternatives occurs together. The Mentor and Mentee share the leader role during this stage. 
Relationship-Testing Stage During this third stage both the Mentor and Mentee are willing to address tough issues through courageous conversations. During this stage the Mentee should be assuming more responsibility for directing the agenda of the Mentoring relationship.

8. Stages of the Mentoring Relationship
Concluding Stage
This is the final stage of the relationship when the time is appropriate to end the relationship once the mentor has met the Mentee’s development objectives.
Periodic assessment of the objective will assist in monitoring progress.
Relationships that lose momentum characterized by less frequent and less meaningful contact are also appropriate to end.
The best way to end a relationship is to revisit its course and celebrate the achievements.

9. Progressing Through the Stages
Progressing through the stages should occur according to the Mentee’s readiness to move on.
There is no set time schedule for accomplishing the objectives of the relationship.
The judgment of the Mentor will be required to gauge the Mentee’s readiness.

10. Mentoring Domains (Nemours System)
Personal (Work/Life) Balance: Set a foundation to help take care of your life away from work so you can bring your best skills to your patients.
Leadership/Managerial Skill Development: Explore opportunities and develop leadership skills.
Educator Expertise: Enhance your knowledge base, teaching and presentation skills.
Technical Expertise: Acquire and practice new clinical and technical skills.
Research Expertise: Comprehensive research planning and activities.

11. Finding a Research Mentor: Three Key Cs
Competence
Professional and interpersonal skills, knowledge, expertise, and experience
Confidence
Shares network, shares credit
Commitment
Invests time, energy to mentoring and developing others

12. Finding a Research Mentor: NIH suggests …
Good ego-strength: What this means is that s/he does not get their feelings hurt easily and has no problem saying ‘no.’
Forward moving: Model of continuous learning
Positive: Hopeful and optimistic, sense of humor
Accessible: Has the time to take and can keep to scheduled meetings
Empathic: Ability to identify with the mentee, willing to disclose similar situations from their past
Open-mindedness: Willing to listen and not be judgmental or offended when mentees choose a different solution
Consistency: reliable source of information, communication, and availability

13. Finding a Research Mentor: NIH suggests …
Patience: Willing to work with the mentee during the development process and understands it will not happen overnight
Honest: Able to provide honest, accurate, appropriate feedback, and good ethical judgment. Trustworthy.
Savvy: Able to navigate through the political environment of the workplace and share this skill with the mentee.
Mature: Professional, yet approachable. Must be willing to share their knowledge, and should have a wide range of experience.
Open: Willing to share information and experiences openly
Expertise: Ability to fill technical and career gaps
Motivating: Encouraging, positive, and empowering
Good Communicator

14. Finding a Research Mentor: Where?
Recommendation of chief, chair, director, etc.
Faculty met at meetings, conferences, symposia, etc. (contact to get added to distribution lists for research meetings)
Search Institutions (e.g., SNAP Profiles)
Authors of relevant publications and journal articles
Google

15. Choosing a Research Mentor
“Interview” potential mentors
Ask about time, commitment, meetings
Prior mentees, experiences, problems, issues
Supervision style (micro, macro)
“Personality goes a long way …” do yours match?
Check the mentor’s record (CV)
Prior mentees, current positions
Publications with mentees as first-author
Robust grant support and publication record
Discuss with other faculty, prior mentees, current fellows, colleagues

16. Choosing a Research Mentor
Take the initiative
Think about and be able to articulate your expertise and what you might contribute
Focus on your interests and questions – science is driven by questions!
Set goals and timelines; follow them
Keep up your CV or biographical sketch
Keep up your Individual Development Plan (IDP)
Know thyself!!!

17. How to Work Effectively with a Research Mentor
Clarify expectations!!!
Be clear about meeting times, topics, goals.
Focus on your area of need
Use a Mentoring Plan
Use a Mentoring Compact
Do your homework between meetings, and provide materials (e.g., protocol, manuscript outline, data)
Update your IDP and discuss it
Keep good meeting notes and share them

18. How to Work Effectively with a Research Mentor
Use a mentoring compact (ACCEL or AAMC)
Use a Mentoring Plan (Nemours Performance Management; ACCEL)
Use an Individual Development Plan (IDP) (ACCEL or AAAS)

19. How to Work Effectively AS a Research Mentor: Key Areas
Communication
Content Mentoring – Research, Education, Clinical, Community Engagement
Career and Professional Development
Psychosocial Support

20. How to Work Effectively AS a Research Mentor: Key Areas
Communication
Establish expectations
Establish frequency of meetings
Develop listening skills (both parties)
Prompt feedback
Manage disagreements and conflict
Foster trust

21. How to Work Effectively AS a Research Mentor: Key Areas
Content Mentoring
Identify gaps in knowledge and skills
Identify training opportunities
Identify resources
Help formulate aims
Help design and develop plan to accomplish aims
Monitor progress
Step aside to allow independence

22. How to Work Effectively AS a Research Mentor: Key Areas
Career and Professional Development
Facilitate opportunities and connections
Promote mentee in and out of institution
Help understand promotion requirements and fiscal realities
Help ensure sufficient protected time
Help navigate the system
Model and instruct on ethical behavior

23. How to Work Effectively AS a Research Mentor: Key Areas
Psychosocial Support
Discuss work-life balance (VERY IMPORTANT!)
Emphasize effective time management
Demonstrate leadership skills
Be sensitive to cultural diversity
Encourage peer mentoring – often similar issues exist for colleagues at same level of training
Serve as role model

24. Changing Mentors
A Mentee and/or Mentor should consider ending the partnership if:
The Mentor and/or Mentee is clearly and consistently uninterested in the relationship
The Mentee is depressed by the Mentor’s undervaluing their abilities or by questioning their motives
If the Mentor displays any signs of undermining the relationship (e.g. racial, sexual, ethnic or other prejudice)
Simple incompatibility
The current Mentor consistently is unable to answer questions or offer advice (From the University of Oregon)

25. Barriers to Effective Mentoring
In The Protégé's Guide to Mentoring, Norman Cohen identifies several barriers to effective mentoring:
Inadequate level of commitment from Mentor to Mentee
Differing or contrasting personal values
Failure to fulfill expectations
Interpersonal styles that are fundamentally different
How the Mentor/Mentee communicate with one another
Lack of timely feedback
The Mentor’s need to control the relationship
Whether (and how) the Mentee pursues the suggestions of the Mentor
Mentee ignores the suggestions of the Mentor
Mentee begrudgingly follows the suggestion but with “attitude”

26. Barriers to Effective Mentoring
Larry Ambrose, identified three critical steps to help determine if the relationship is ending or should end in his 2002 article, “Transitioning the Mentoring Relationship.” I) Recognize the signs Part of the Mentor’s role is to recognize when the relationship is reaching a transitional stage. Be aware of these signs: The Mentor must take the lead to confront the transition issue. Let the Mentee know you have noticed and indicate a non- judgmental desire to deal with differences in the relationship.
Mentee is contacting you less often
Exhibits less appreciation for your input
Mentee exhibits less openness in communication
Indicates that the protégé can get help elsewhere

27. Barriers to Effective Mentoring
II) Asses the relationship
The Mentor and Mentee should assess their individual experiences in the relationship.
The Mentor and Mentee should meet to share those assessments and give each other feedback on how the relationship has progressed, whether it met expectations.
The Mentor should ask the Mentee to share current mentoring needs and decide together how best to meet those needs.

28. Barriers to Effective Mentoring
III) End the relationship
If your assessment results in a decision to end the partnership then recognize that letting go is rarely comfortable. It is necessary to let go so that your Mentee can flourish and continue to grow.
Have closure. Plan a celebration to mark the occasion such as meeting for lunch or coffee.
The last meeting is a great time to share stories and reflect on the relationship. The last meeting is also a good time for the Mentee to express appreciation.

29. Barriers to Effective Mentoring
IV) Remain in touch
Once the Mentor/Mentee relationship is over it is appropriate to remain in touch.
Mentor should resist the temptation to follow up with the individual right away; the Mentee needs time to establish independence.
It may be helpful to document your mentoring experience so you have a reference for your next mentoring relationship.

30. Resource Links
Register on the ACCEL CTR Web Site at and use the resources there – including research design and epi-biostats
Erin Riegel the Administrative Coordinator for the ACCEL Mentoring, Education, and Career Development Core) for help or to use the new MED-Zone.
Mentoring Plan Interface (
Individual Development Plan
ACCEL
AAAS
Nemours SNAP Profiles at