Mentoring: Capitalizing on Diverse Personalities Cathy Quiñones Associate Director Center for Science Education Emory University

Mentoring vs. managing What is diversity? – Often discussed in terms of gender, race, ethnicity but we also need to be aware of differences in personality, generational cohort, culture, developmental / life stage, etc. The importance of creating an environment of trust

Diversity People want to be recognized as individuals Human desire for – Dignity – Fairness – Have contributions recognized – Operate in an environment of trust

“No man is an island…” … so let’s talk about icebergs instead.

What we can only learn in the context of a relationship: All of the above plus religion; values and views (personal, political); sexual orientation; world view; and much more What our senses tell us (or… the assumptions we make?): hair, eye color; gender; ethnicity; age; dialect; socioeconomic status; marital status; health…

Diversity Generational Personality Cultural Individual – disabilities – special needs – performance issues – preferences & worldviews

Diverse Generations See Table entitled “Personal and Lifestyle Characteristics by Generation” From: G. Hammill. “Mixing and Managing Four Generations of Employees.” FDU Magazine Online (Winter/Spring 2005)

See Table entitled “Workplace Characterists” From: G. Hammill. “Mixing and Managing Four Generations of Employees.” FDU Magazine Online (Winter/Spring 2005)

Diverse Personality Myers-Briggs, Keirsey and other inventories describe an individual’s native tendencies: – Abstract vs. concrete – Cooperative vs. utilitarian (degree of focus on others’ views) – Directive vs. informative (how info is conveyed) – Expressive vs. reserved (introvert/extrovert)

Diverse Personalities (continued) Response under stress: externalized vs. withdrawal (anger vs. coldness/avoidance) How do you mentor different types? How do you encourage development outside a comfort zone? How do you get them to play nicely together?

Cultural, Individual Differences in Mentoring Cultural norms may clash with those of working or learning environment Worldview: personal understanding of an individual’s role in society and workplace (manifested as religious, political views) Do you foster an environment of trust where diverse views are respected? Are some stereotypes allowed?? Hmmm…

Mentor to all Have a sincere desire to help someone else reach their potential Be aware of your own blind spots; teach your mentees they need multiple mentors Make time to manage your team and be a mentor: it takes time, planning, and effort. Key ingredients: fairness, trust, mutual respect, recognition of success, clear expectations = communication (vs. just talking). Don’t forget mentors need mentors too.