Mr Jos Finer, University of St Andrews Dr Emma Compton-Daw, University of St Andrews Making the most of mentoring Briefing session for the Early Career Academics’ Mentoring Scheme

Objectives By the end of this session you will: Be familiar with the background and characteristics of the cross- institutional Early Career Academics’ Mentoring Scheme Be aware of key characteristics of mentoring as a developmental partnership and of the underlying principles of successful mentoring Be familiar with mentoring agreements and with a range of mentor/mentee expectations Be aware of the stages of mentoring partnerships and the structure for a typical meeting.

What is mentoring? Card sort exercise and discussion  ? Accept Reject No consensus

What is mentoring? Directive (advice given) Solutions focused The mentors and the mentee may hold the answers Based in present and future Commitment to specific actions Uses questioning, reflecting and clarifying skills Developmental relationships: Mentoring Coaching Counselling

Mentoring partnership stages Provisional matching Confirmed matching Briefing/ training Mentoring begins Application Scheme published Mentoring develops Mentoring ends Evaluation

Underlying principles Voluntary Mentee driven Personal responsibility Trust & confidentiality Developmental & collaborative Protected time Finite Outside line management

Mentor roles Sounding board Supporter Coach Advisor. Critical friend Networker Teacher

Mentoring skills Active listening & questioning Analysing & problem solving Reflecting & summarising Giving feedback Supporting and challenging

A mentor can help a mentee to Set realistic targets Clarify/express ideas about career development Plan own personal and career development Reflect on performance Learn from experience Apply learning from other activities Develop specific skills Become more self- confident Expand networks

“Still keep in touch with mentee … share contacts and helped promote her research on BBC” – 2006 Mentor “Experience had a very favourable impact on my career” – 2011 Mentee “After months of rejection my mentor helped me tailor my CV to academic positions, now a teaching fellow… very happy” Mentee “Mentor recommended some conferences that I didn’t even know existed, met many useful contacts” – 2006 Mentee Quotes taken from Longitudinal Mentoring Evaluation Report. Daniel O’Hara 2013

Break

Mentoring partnership stages Provisional matching Confirmed matching Briefing/ training Mentoring begins Application Scheme published Mentoring develops Mentoring ends Evaluation

Get to know each other Check expectations Put at ease Discuss mentoring agreement Mentoring begins: Introductory stage

Mentoring agreements They’re not legally binding but they are useful

Your expectations Mentors: what do you expect from your mentee? Mentees: what do you expect from your mentor? “Mentee expected me to solve all his problems, he had many issues beyond the scope of the scheme” Mentor

Mentor: Lorna Stevenson Co Head of School of Management Reader in Accounting Co-director, Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research School of Management University of St Andrews Mentee: Dr Lewis Dean Research Fellow School of Psychology and Neuroscience University of St Andrews

Mentoring Develops: Main stage

Agenda Review actions from last Move forward – new business Agree actions Agree next meeting A typical mentoring meeting

Review process Celebrate success Explore concerns and problems Review progress Feedback: support and challenge What’s new? Mentoring Develops: Main stage

Reflect on process Discuss and agree future contact Review progress against objectives Re-assess long term goals Highlight achievements Areas for further attention Mentoring Ends: Closing stage

I can speak openly to her… She has been very supportive. I think that I have given her quite a lot to do… Thank you for matching me with her. Feedback from participants... I found the experience very rewarding, it made me think about what I want to achieve in my work and ideas about work/life I immediately felt completely at ease with my mentor. He gave me excellent advice in how to advance my research profile. This is exactly what I wanted from the mentoring scheme My mentor is just the sort of person I was hoping for, with plenty of experience and suggestions for ways for me to develop as an academic My experience was very positive – very focused on me as a mentee. My mentor is very professional, but has also put me at ease One of the most precious experiences I had since I have joined the University

Support Mentoring Scheme coordinators Dundee Sandra Oza (OPD) St Andrews Emma Compton-Daw

Thanks very much!