Optimizing the Practice of Mentoring

Activity 1

Now that you’ve explored some of the different career-enhancing roles that research mentors can play, let’s focus on just one: fostering independence.

Below we provide two examples of skills that a research mentee may need to acquire. For each, we ask you to first define some indicators of independence for that skill, then suggest strategies for helping a mentee become independent in that area.

Creating, Managing, and Leading Research Teams
Starting Point: Low Independence End Point: High Independence

Your mentee is a junior faculty member who has little or no experience creating, managing, and leading research teams.

List some characteristics of a high level of independence in this skill area. Type your thoughts below, then click Submit. After completing this step, you’ll see how the course authors responded to this activity.

Your mentee:

  • Assembles study teams with appropriate content expertise and training levels
  • Is adept at engaging team members in setting goals, dividing responsibilities, and following through on assigned roles
  • Successfully resolves conflicts among team members.
Submit
Strategies for achieving independence...

What mentoring strategies could you use to foster a high level of independence in creating, managing, and leading research teams? Type your thoughts below, then click Submit.

  • Include your mentee in meetings with your research group, during which you role model management and leadership behaviors.
  • Refer your mentee to books and other resources about management skills, team building, motivation, and leadership.
  • Share your successful approaches and lessons learned related to staffing, developing collaborations, and leading teams.
  • Role-play relevant conversations with your mentee, taking turns in the role of team leader and team member.
  • Provide an opportunity for your mentee to co-supervise a student, fellow, or technician.
  • Alert your mentee to conflict resolution workshops offered by your institution’s office of human resources.
Submit
Developing Research Questions and Identifying Appropriate Methods for Answering Them
Starting Point: Low Independence End Point: High Independence

Your mentee is a beginning graduate student who has little or no experience developing research questions and identifying appropriate methods for answering them.

List some characteristics of a high level of independence in this skill area. Type your thoughts below, then click Submit.

Your mentee:

  • Has a good command of the background literature
  • Successfully identifies important knowledge gaps
  • Formulates focused research questions and testable hypotheses aimed at filling knowledge gaps
  • Designs well-controlled experiments to answer each question
  • Applies state-of-the art methods and considers alternative, innovative approaches
  • Properly analyzes and interprets data.
Submit
Strategies for achieving independence...

What mentoring strategies could you use to foster a high level of independence in developing research questions and identifying appropriate methods for answering them? Type your thoughts below, then click Submit.

  • Ask your mentee to conduct a critical analysis of publications in reputable journals in the field to outline the stages of planning and executing such studies.
  • Guide your mentee to complete appropriate coursework on experimental design and statistical analysis.
  • Resist directing the mentee to their next experiment. Ask the mentee to make suggestions and justify their selection of experiments.
  • Ask your mentee to derive multiple interpretations of their data and to design experiments to differentiate among those possibilities.
  • Offer advice in the form of suggestions rather than directives. When a mentee’s idea is not successful, compliment their creativity and encourage learning from mistakes instead of imposing harsh judgment.
Submit