Category Archives: For Mentees

Mentoring Compacts Can Be Useful Tools for Research Supervisors

Argonne’s Postdoctoral Mentoring Program is unique in that postdoctoral researchers report to a supervisor or line manager for their research and employment functions, and have a third party mentor outside of line management. This structure is to ensure that every postdoc … Read More »

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Profiles in Mentoring with Sibendu Som

Award winners share their thoughts on mentoring and supervision Excellent mentors contribute not only to the development of those they mentor, but also to the success of the entire laboratory. This is why Argonne is committed to fostering a mentoring … Read More »

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National Mentoring Month and #ThankYourMentor Day

January is National Mentoring Month. As noted in the Presidential Proclamation, this month is a time to “reflect on the transformative role mentorship can play and acknowledge the many ways that mentors have helped our next generation of leaders and innovators grow.” … Read More »

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Questions and Points to Ponder for Mentors and Mentees

At  last month’s Making Mentoring Meaningful Workshop, facilitated by the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), we discussed ways mentors and mentees can foster a relationship that is equally rewarding to both. Participants were asked to write down one question … Read More »

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What’s a Mentor/ee to Do?

Recently, a colleague reached out to me for advice on how to get started in a mentoring relationship. He had been asked to mentor a junior employee and wanted to make sure he was approaching this new role in the … Read More »

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On Giving and Being Present

It’s safe to say that the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is the unofficial “season of giving.” It’s a time when we naturally make an extra effort to say thanks to those who have given of themselves in … Read More »

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Mentoring as a Dialogue

“It seemed rather incongruous that in a society of super sophisticated communication, we often suffer from a shortage of listeners.”—Erma Bombeck  Lizabeth, a postdoctoral researcher in a molecular biology lab, was tasked with mentoring Susan, an undergraduate student, through her honors research … Read More »

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When You Think of Mentoring, Do You Think of Safety?

My undergraduate Biochemistry professor was a stickler for proper, safe laboratory technique. It was impossible to get through her lab course without paying attention to detail and being aware of your surroundings while conducting experiments. Everything had to be in its … Read More »

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It’s the 4th Quarter. What’s Your Game Plan?

The fourth quarter of the fiscal year can bring many challenges. You may find yourself working feverishly to finish program deliverables or finalize budget requests. Supervisors may be thinking ahead to performance discussions with employees. Postdocs are gearing up for … Read More »

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Miss the Mentoring Basics JumpStart Presentation?

What’s a person to do when asked to be a mentor? What does it mean to be a mentor? What are the benefits of mentoring? What responsibilities does a mentee have? These are just a few questions we discussed at the … Read More »

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