1. Building Effective Mentoring Relationships
Dennis R. Durbin, MD, MSCE
Professor of Pediatrics,
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Director, Office of Clinical and Translational Research

2. Overview of Presentation
Define various roles in career development
Learn approaches to develop specific mentoring skills
Enhancing communications skills
Establishing and aligning expectations
Promoting professional development
Work/life integration
Identify resources to enhance your mentoring practice

3. What is Mentoring?

4. What is Mentoring?
A dynamic reciprocal relationship in a work environment between an advanced career incumbent (mentor) and a less experienced professional (protégé) aimed at promoting the development and fulfillment of both.
Mentoring is a social relationship that occurs within a given social context among a specified group of people with diverse individual attributes (Eby, Rhodes, & Allen, 2007). The mentoring relationship is an agent of socialization (Margolis & Romero, 2001) such that the mentored research experience serves as a significant introduction and orientation of mentees to the scientific research enterprise.
Healy CC. Educ Res 1990:

5. What is Mentoring? Informal Formal Less Strategic More Strategic
Not tied to specific objectives
Matches based on similarity/ attraction
No defined timeline
No training
More Strategic
Tied to personal and organizational objectives
Specific success metrics
Matches based on developmental goals
Has defined timeline
May involve training

6. Determinants of Success Individual
Education
Level, quality,
Prior research/work experience
Intelligence/ability
Personality traits
Motivation, focus, autonomy, determination, creativity, resourcefulness, social interaction, leadership
Personal circumstance
Competing interests - family, financial
Demographics
Age, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status
Meagher E,. Clin Transl Sci Oct;4(5):353-8.

7. Determinants of Success Environmental
Mentoring
Structured approach
Train the mentor
Funding / Market forces
Protect time
Provide training
Infrastructure and culture
Enabling
Integration / Collaboration
Academic promotion, mentoring policies
Meagher E,. Clin Transl Sci Oct;4(5):353-8.

8. Who is involved in career development?
Complementary Roles in Career Development
Mentor
Focused on career development
Tension created by reliance on mentee
Department Chair/ Division Chief
Provides opportunities, resources
Has overall mission of a group in mind
Advisor
May be more “technical” in nature
Neutral third party focused solely on development of advisee
Collaborator/ Co-Investigator
Unique expertise to learn from
Focused on a work product or project
Comment on how these individuals often work together as part of a team

9. Who is involved in career development?
Peer Mentors
Complementary to role of a more senior professional
Critical in environments with limited access to more senior mentors
Advantage of current experience
More tactical in focus

10. Assembling a Mentoring Team
Mentee
National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity:

11. Assembling a Mentoring Team
Ideal Situation (rare)
Combination of dyadic and group mentoring
Accessible senior faculty
Committed peers
Focus on development of individual in the context of an organizational mission
May involve remote team members (SAVIR program)

12. Evaluating Mentoring Effectiveness
Assessing the mentoring relationship
Professional Development
Role of mentor
Characteristics of a “good mentor”
Mentee outcomes of mentoring relationship
Contact frequency
Critiques work
Provides support
Research activity
Mode of communication
Mentor facilitates opportunities
Treated as a colleague
Grants
Publications
Presentations
Length of relationship
Serves as resource
Cares about mentee as a person
Academic appointments
Accessibility
Makes connections
Active listening skills
Promotion
Mentee satisfaction
Provides guidance and support
Responsive
National recognition
Meagher E, Clin Transl Sci Oct;4(5):353-8.

13. Research Mentor Training Topics
Research Mentor Training Program
Research Mentor Training Topics
Enhancing Communications
Aligning Expectations
Assessing Understanding
Equity & Inclusion
Fostering Independence
Promoting Professional Development
Work/Life Integration
Evaluated in a 16-center RCT (Acad Med 2014;89: )

14. Metrics of Effective Mentoring
26 specific skills identified
Measured by
Self-assessment
Mentee assessment
Available at:

15. Metrics of Effective Mentoring
Active listening
Constructive feedback
Builds trusting relationship
Accommodates various communications styles
Coordinates with other mentors
Sets clear expectations
Aligns expectations
Accounts for biases
Assists with acquiring resources
Sets goals and develops strategies
Assesses knowledge/ understanding
Stimulates creativity
Negotiates path to independence
Acknowledges differences
Facilitates networking
Integrates work and personal life

16. Research Mentor Training Topics
Research Mentor Training Program
Research Mentor Training Topics
Enhancing Communications
Aligning Expectations
Assessing Understanding
Equity & Inclusion
Fostering Independence
Promoting Professional Development
Work/Life Integration

17. Enhancing Communications
Ineffective communications at the root of many mentoring problems
Must recognize your own communications style and that of your mentee
Adapt your style as needed to ensure most effective communications

18. Enhancing Communications http://www.whecare.com/images/form.pdf

19. Enhancing Communications
Likely validating for what you already know
May vary under different circumstances
Home
Work
Meant to raise awareness of your “go to” style
Provides language to discuss challenges with mentee

20. Research Mentor Training Topics
Research Mentor Training Program
Research Mentor Training Topics
Enhancing Communications
Aligning Expectations
Assessing Understanding
Equity & Inclusion
Fostering Independence
Promoting Professional Development
Work/Life Integration

21. Aligning Expectations
Shared understanding of what both the mentor and mentee want from the relationship
Frequently not clearly stated or aligned at start of relationship
Who is “in charge” of career development?

22. Aligning Expectations Early conversations
Topics to discuss
Short and long-term goals
Areas of interest
Communications styles
Meeting schedules
Timeline and milestones
Identifying others involved
Additional education/training needed
Professional networking
Developing a career development plan
Work/life integration

23. Aligning Expectations Mentor-mentee compacts
Various formats
Checklist
Set of common expectations
“I promise” statements

24. Aligning Expectations Mentor-mentee compacts

25. Aligning Expectations
Suggested Guide for Early/Initial Conversation
Our goals for this mentoring relationship
Our expectations for how we will achieve these goals
Our meeting times (frequency and duration) and our means of communication
How we will monitor and record our progress

26. Research Mentor Training Topics
Research Mentor Training Program
Research Mentor Training Topics
Enhancing Communications
Aligning Expectations
Assessing Understanding
Equity & Inclusion
Fostering Independence
Promoting Professional Development
Work/Life Integration

27. Promoting Professional Development Individual Development Plans (IDP)
Tool designed to assist (postdoctoral) career planning
Foster professional development
Identify professional goals and objectives
Assess an individual’s skill set relative to their career and goals
Develop a plan to acquire the skills and competencies needed to achieve short- and long-term career objectives
Serves as both a planning and communication tool

28. Individual Development Plan http://myidp.sciencecareers.org/
SMART goals: specific, measureable, action oriented, realistic, time-bound (deadline)
American Association for the Advancement of Science

29. Individual Development Plan

30. Individual Development Plan
Based on assessments, specific development activities are suggested
Living document to be revisited with mentor
Does not assume a single career path

31. Research Mentor Training Topics
Research Mentor Training Program
Research Mentor Training Topics
Enhancing Communications
Aligning Expectations
Assessing Understanding
Equity & Inclusion
Fostering Independence
Promoting Professional Development
Work/Life Integration

32. Work-life Integration
Goals
Direct benefit to mentor in training program
Practical experience with program
Means by which mentors can model this behavior
Provides structure/resources to raise and address work/life issues with mentees

33. Work-life Integration Module Clinical Trial Data
Mentee’s knowledge of
Mentor’s Personal Life
Mentor’s knowledge of
Mentee’s Personal Life

34. Work-life Integration Module Clinical Trial Data
Mentees who have mentors who know about their personal life are more likely to provide high rating of work/life satisfaction

35. Not work/life “balance” but “integration”
Current Situation
Family
Work
Self
Community
Goal for the Future
Work
Family
Self
Community
Not “Balance” but “Integration”
Professional / economic results
Increased attraction/retention of talent
Productivity gains and cost reductions
Enhanced engagement and resilience
Greater focus on results that matter
Greater commitment to organization
Improved leadership skills
Increased confidence and competence in creating sustainable change
Stronger connections in networks
Better reputation via community impact
Personal results
Fewer conflict-ridden tradeoffs
Greater sense of control
Improved health and wellness
Lower stress, more energy
More satisfied with personal growth, job/career, family

36. The Program
BEGIN
BE REAL
BE WHOLE
BE INNOVATIVE
REFLECT & GROW
Act with creativity
Act with integrity
Act with authenticity
Be real: act with authenticity by clarifying what’s important
Personal vision statement
Conduct a 4-way assessment
Be whole: act with integrity by respecting all your people
Conduct stakeholder interviews
define and articulate a vision that embraces diverse values and lifestyles
fit your actions with personal values and with core values of your business
know your priorities and strengths via continual observation and reflection
strive to increase commitment to shared goals through genuine dialogue
tell your story to the people about whom your care most, in all parts of life
hold your self and others accountable for pursuing valued goals
Be innovative: act with creativity by experimenting
Design and conduct an experiment
Work in groups of 3 to provide coaching and support

37. The four-way assessment Assess importance, focus, satisfaction and performance in each domain
1=not at all …10=fully
Performance
1=poor …10=excellent
Work / Career %
Home / Family
Community / Society
Self: Mind, Body, Spirit
Overall
100 %

38. Results: (N>300) © Total Leadership. All rights reserved.
Importance (%)
Pre Post
Attention (%)
Pre Post
Δ Satisfaction (%)
Pre to Post
Δ Performance (%)
Work / Career 21 8
Home / Family 27 14
Community / Society 31 11
Self: mind, body, spirit 39 22
What’s important doesn’t change much over four months.
 But focus of time and energy shifts from Work to other domains…
 …as satisfaction increases in all domains, especially Self...
…and performance increases in all domains, too.
© Total Leadership. All rights reserved.

39. Experiments: Innovative actions to produce four-way wins
Concrete, implementable, important step toward vision
Impacts (directly or indirectly) all 4 domains
“Small wins”
Find new ways of creating mutual value among domains
Mutual coaching within small group to problem-solve, encourage and hold accountable

40. Experience to Date Session Format Participants Spring, 2011
2- day workshop
85 faculty
45 trainees
Spring, 2012
67 faculty
83 trainees
Fall, 2012
4 two-hour sessions
32 faculty
Spring, 2013
5 two-hour sessions
10 faculty
Spring, 2014
6 two-hour sessions
12-15 faculty
Spring, 2015
14 faculty

41. Evaluation and Feedback
N= 52 participants in
52% male, 48% female
Average mentoring experience= 9.2 years

42. Evaluation and Feedback
85% would recommend the training to a colleague
94% thought the training was a valuable use of their time
Mentoring competency assessment scores (1- 7 scale):

43. Timeline for development in an academic research setting
Early Assistant Professor
PI of study
Supervising study staff
Mentoring students or fellows
Service on research-oriented (divisional) committees
Membership on local committees

44. Timeline for development in an academic research setting
Late Assistant/ Early Associate Professor
Supervising research program and staff
Assist with coordinating research activities for a division/ center
Mentoring trainees and junior faculty
Service on departmental or institutional committees
Possible chair person role
Service on national committees
Consider number and type of committees

45. Timeline for development in an academic research setting
Associate and Full Professor
Directing/ overseeing research group/ center
Active mentoring of faculty
Chairing departmental or institutional committees
Chairing national committees
Memberships on specialized panels or groups
Orientation toward developing others

46. Summary: Be more intentional!
Focus on role clarity
Be more structured
Regular standing meetings
Standing agenda controlled by mentee
Use tools/ discussion guides

47. Visit the SAVIR website for more information: