Navigating Expectations: Cultivating Mentoring Relationships of Value
As junior faculty, we have the privilege of providing mentorship in different areas when it comes to students.
Class Advisement
Career
Research
We are going to discuss some way to structure your experience so that you and your mentees are getting their needs met.
First let's look at common expectations from the mentors perspective.
As a mentor, the first thing you may be concerned with is the END GOAL. What do I mean.... Well you want to be clear on what your mentee would like to gain from the relationship. Does it align with your personal values? Does it connect with what you view as impact?
Second, you want to be clear of the MOTIVE behind the person asking. This will also help to bring clarity to the end goal. It will also help you to make the final decision on whether or not to pursue the relationship.
Third, you want to have a clear understanding of the SKILL SET they bring. You also want to be clear about the value you bring to the table. Then you can provide a space for your mentee to make a better-informed decision.
Fourth, you want to focus on two areas. What is their level of PASSION about the information they are seeking from you? You want someone who feels like your value will propel them to the next level. On the other hand, you want to make sure given your time constraints and personality that you and your mentee are COMPATIBLE.
Lastly, when you decide to work with a person you want to create a SHARED STRUCTURE for how your relationship will work. You also want to ensure that it benefits both parties.
Remember as mentors we are guides. We are also in the place to lay the foundation to build people up. In turn, we hope to see them take action as a result of the value added to them through the mentorship process.
Now let's look at the expectations from a mentee’s perspective
The first expectation should be MENTORING STYLE. Does this style align with your personality and with how you operate?
The second expectation might be ACCESS. Especially if the person you reach out to is very busy. When we seek out mentors we want to know how often can you meet or engage with them.
The third expectation is VALUE. What will we actually gain from working with this person? What specific skills or information will I gather from this relationship?
If you evaluate where you are right now at this very moment will this person guide me in meeting a current goal or milestone?
As a mentee, you should remain open to receive feedback, trust the process, communicate, and work to develop a plan that meets your needs.
Keeping clear expectations will allow you as the mentor to invest in fertile ground and as a mentee receive a plentiful harvest.
Happy cultivating!
If you want to learn more sign up for "The Early Career Webinar Series" by clicking on the link below. I share different topics for early career faculty to have a successful third year review.
