For Mentees – Page 4 – Argonne Mentoring

February 4, 2016February 4, 2016

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 right way. Most individuals who enter into a mentoring relationship, whether it is the mentor or mentee, have the same question—what are we supposed to do?

That’s great question!

Understanding roles and establishing goals are key to productive and rewarding mentoring. Here are some questions a mentor/mentee pair should ask as they get started.

Why are you seeking mentorship?

Do you hope to build specific skills? Looking to expand your knowledge of the lab? Do you have personal or professional development goals you’d like to work toward? If you were paired with a mentor through a more structured program such as the Postdoctoral Mentoring Program, one of the goals is to expand your network. The outcomes from this type of mentoring relationship may include diversifying your advisor base, extending your network beyond your immediate group and broadening your outlook on career development and work/life balance. Whether you are a researcher, technical staff or mission support staff, the first step in mentoring should be thinking about what you hope to gain from the relationship.

What is expected of a mentor? What is expected of a mentee?

There is a surprising degree of overlap in expectations for mentors and mentees. Beyond articulating goals, both should commit to maintaining open lines of communication, following up with each other on a regular basis and cultivating the relationship through periodic assessment of initial goals. If the mentoring relationship was initiated to meet specific development outcomes, both parties should assess when to bring closure to the relationship or transition the mentee to a new mentor who can further advance progress towards goals.

What are some examples of things I should do as a mentor?

Introduce yourself to your mentee

What does your career path look like?
What has been your experience at Argonne?
What can you share that you wish you would have known when you first got started in your career?

Set boundaries, expectations and discuss your style

When are you available?
What topics are you comfortable discussing?
What will you expect from your mentee in terms of accountability?
What are the benefits you hope to gain from mentoring?
Acknowledge that sometimes you will not have the answers and may need to reach out to colleagues to help you better advise your mentee.

Little things mean a lot

Check in on your mentee in between meetings.
Simply ask, “How are you doing?”
Share opportunities that your mentee might find interesting—funding, seminars, lab social events, conferences, etc.
Demonstrate active listening by clarifying what your mentee says through repetition.

What are some examples of things I should do as a mentee?

Do a self-assessment to help establish mentoring goals

What are your long-term career goals?
What are your immediate development needs?
What are your goals for personal growth—building confidence, improving communication, and navigating the workplace, for example?
Use this annotated conversation planner to start.

Set boundaries, expectations and discuss your style

How will mentoring supplement expectations from your supervisor?
If you have a timeline for meeting goals, clarify it with your mentor.
Do you learn best by listening, doing or through specific examples?
How do you intend to act on your mentor’s advice?
Are you comfortable receiving (and giving) feedback?

Little things mean a lot

Take the lead in arranging meetings with your mentor.
If a meeting with your mentor resulted in action items, let your mentor know the outcomes.
Simply ask, “How are you doing?”
Demonstrate active listening by asking your mentor to share his/her story and ask follow up questions.

Are there tools mentors and mentees can use to foster an effective mentoring relationship?

Absolutely! Take a look at some resources around the web. Keep in mind that the fundamental elements of effective mentoring are the same regardless of your career, role or discipline. Adapt these tools to fit your needs.

UCSF Accelerate Mentor Development Program

This is a comprehensive resource for checklists, background and further reading on all things mentoring.

Sample resource—One minute mentor checklist

University of Wisconsin Research Mentor Training

Walks through the basic elements of effective mentoring, with links tailored for mentors and mentees.

Sample resource—Initial mentoring conversation guide

Management Mentors

Articles, podcasts and mentoring tip sheets from corporate perspective.

Sample resource—How to Prepare for Your Mentor Meeting

Catalyst

Leadership development, mentoring and coaching with an emphasis on inclusion.

Sample resource—Coaches, Mentors and Sponsor—Understanding the Differences

December 18, 2015

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 some way or another. Oftentimes, we are taken aback or humbled by expressions of gratitude. This past Thanksgiving was no exception for me.

Out of the blue, I received a card in the mail from a former summer student I mentored as a postdoc in the Biosciences Division. This student is now in graduate school, looking to tackle the grand challenges of remediating polluted environments. She credits her time at Argonne with providing the motivation to endeavor down this path.

The work we did was a bit of an art more than a science. We made “maps” of proteins expressed by bacteria exposed to metals. The techniques we used were delicate and there was always a bit of pride when our maps came out unbroken, distinct, perfect. Along with the card, she shared a photo she had taken of part of the process in which we froze long, thin tube gels of separated proteins in dyed buffer. With an artistic flair, she reminded me of just how beautiful science is.

Gels — Vials of frozen tube gels of proteins in dyed buffer–photo by Elise Wall.

As mentors, we are often asked, “What is the benefit of mentoring?” For me, the experience of mentoring a student that summer forced me to stay on my toes and really understand the fundamental reasons why we do the work we do–from why we use one buffer and not another to what is the ultimate outcome of research. Now, through staying in touch, I get to learn about new fields and new questions. In a way, mentoring keeps my curiosity sparked.

This unexpected gift further reminded me of how important it is to be present as a mentor. I can think of my own mentors and how they had the presence of mind to challenge my thinking and motivate me to push harder, to do better. Sometimes this motivation came in the form of constructive criticism, which can be difficult to accept.

This is where the importance of giving and being present come into play. Whether you are mentoring or being mentored, it is crucial to a productive mentoring experience to have the presence of mind to listen, reflect on what we hear and give feedback in a way that encourages progress.

There are tools to foster effective communications in mentoring relationships. In the new year, I hope we can build on some of the best practices that other institutions have found useful, such as this resource guide.

In the meantime, in the spirit of giving and being present, pay it forward and #ThankAMentor.

November 1, 2015November 1, 2015

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 project. Laboratory procedures where the two worked included a mixture of ready-made kits from industry suppliers and old-fashioned methods adapted over the years from classical protocols from the literature. It was not uncommon to see a research bench covered with home-made reagents in old bottles amidst new, pre-made mixtures from manufacturers. To keep methods straight, protocols had to be neatly documented in research notebooks.

A month into her research project, Susan began having difficulties with what should have been an easy, straightforward DNA extraction method. She would often stop at Lizabeth’s bench for help with trouble shooting. Lizabeth would ask the same questions each time—did you follow the steps of the protocol; did you add Reagent A first; did you wash the cell pellet; are you sure? These conversations often took place while Lizabeth continued working at her bench. The last time, Lizabeth finally put down her pipet, stopped work, and followed Susan to her bench so she could walk her through the procedures. It quickly became apparent from Susan’s notes that she had combined two protocols in the hopes that she could obtain greater yields. As a novice, she did not realize incompatible reagents rendered the whole method ineffective. After three weeks of unsuccessful attempts at repeating the initial procedure, Susan started from scratch, following the correct protocol. This time, her efforts yielded the DNA she needed for the next experiment and she was able to move her project forward.

Lizabeth and Susan could have averted hitting this roadblock if they had only practiced a fundamental skill of mentoring—effective communication.

As the mentor, Lizabeth failed by not actively listening to her mentee. Rather than stop work or schedule a better time to talk, she kept working while Susan recounted her issues with her experiments. While it is possible to multitask in some situations, mentoring discussions require the full attention of both the mentor and mentee. When you are distracted, you send the message that your mentee’s issues are not a priority and you risk missing important nonverbal cues that might otherwise prompt further questions to get at the heart of the matter.

It is impossible to actively listen if you are actively doing something else. If the time is not right for a discussion, explain this to your mentee and schedule a better time. Reassure your mentee that their issues are important and you want to make sure you can give them the attention they deserve.

As the mentee, Susan failed by not being honest from the outset with her mentor. Only after walking through her experiment with Lizabeth did it become apparent she had combined two incompatible protocols. There is no way Lizabeth could help her trouble shoot the experiment without the whole story. On the contrary, having only part of the story may lead to wrong assumptions and poor advice.

A good mentor has many qualities, but reading minds is not one of them. For a mentoring discussion to have value, mentees should communicate their needs clearly. This is especially important if the goal of the discussion is to seek advice from the mentor on a specific situation. Both the mentor and mentee should be prepared to listen, consider the information being communicated and give and receive feedback.

Mentoring involves a dialogue between the mentor and mentee and a dialogue is a two-way street by definition. For mentoring to be effective, both parties must learn to maintain effective communication. Below are a few resources to get you started on assessing and developing communication skills in a mentoring relationship.

National Postdoctoral Association Beyond Mentoring Toolkit:

http://www.nationalpostdoc.org/general/custom.asp?page=beyond_mentoring

NOTE—you must log in as an NPA member. Argonne National Laboratory is a sustaining member of the NPA, which means our staff and postdocs can establish a free, affiliate membership that will allow access to member resources.

University of Wisconsin Research Mentor Training Mentoring Resources:

https://mentoringresources.ictr.wisc.edu/MentoringResources

NOTE—mentoring basics apply to any mentoring relationship. While these resources are geared towards mentoring in a research setting, the skills required are the same in any professional setting.

September 25, 2015September 25, 2015

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 place, with no solution or reagent left open or unaccounted for. And by all means, you had better know if you were using a blow-out pipette or a to-deliver pipette!

By the time I had reached graduate school, I already had acquired a proclivity for safe laboratory practices. This is why I was quite taken aback during my first lab rotation, when the advising professor chided me for my reluctance to mouth pipette.

Um, no.

Although we were working with bacterial cultures attenuated in virulence, I was not going chance getting sick. I took my chiding and joined another lab.

Thinking back on this experience reminded me of how different cultures are from one institution to the next. Even in an academic setting, the expectations and standard operating procedures were vastly different between these two professors. When I joined Argonne as a postdoc, I felt prepared to embrace a safety culture, but still had much to learn.

When starting a new job or working in a new environment, there is a fresh energy that makes one want to get research projects off and running as quickly as possible. It is up to us to embrace this enthusiasm, while ensuring new group members and colleagues understand how to work productively and safely, and that the two are not mutually exclusive.

This is where a little bit of mentoring can go a long way. When you have conversations with your mentors or mentees, do you discuss safety? Would you think to bring safety into the conversation? Consider looking out for new employees and help them acclimate to a safe work environment. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about how to perform new tasks or procedures safely. Make sure new group members know their way around the lab and how to find the right contacts. This will not only build a safety culture, it will help them be more productive in making progress on their research.

For more on this topic, see this quick post by the Dow Lab Safety Academy at the C&EN Safety Zone.

August 7, 2015August 7, 2015

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 the academic search season. For mentors and supervisors, this is also a prime time for writing letters of recommendation. Parents may be saying goodbye to children as they head off to college or school for the first time.

While the fall can bring a sense of relaxation with the change in colors and cool breezes, managing all of the year-end tasks can be stressful. Now is the time to be reaching out to mentors, supervisors and colleagues to make sure you stay on track.

One question I often hear from staff and postdocs who are new to mentoring is, “What should we talk about?” While there is no one right answer to this question, here are some tips that may help get the conversation going.

Are you skittish about advocating for yourself? (Don’t worry, most of us are.) Not sure how to articulate your strengths? Ask a trusted colleague or friend to re-write your resume. What would they say about you? Second opinions can be a valuable tool in answering the question, “What are your strengths?”
Stuck on a research problem? Ask your mentor to meet for coffee or lunch and talk it out. Just having a sounding board can generate new ideas and lead to breakthroughs.
Nervous about your performance discussion? Practice with a friend.
Are you a supervisor who will be having performance discussions with employees for the first time? Not sure where to start? Ask a more experienced colleague for advice.
Applying for a faculty position and want some insider tips? Peruse the Postdoc Blog for articles featuring alumni, guest columns from academics and other resources.
Are you supervising or mentoring a postdocs and want to equip yourself with resources to point them in the right direction? Check out the resources on the Postdoctoral Program Website.

Think about your immediate needs and your long-term goals. Think about who in your network is best poised to maximize success. Prioritize topics for discussion and take that first step. Which reminds me, Argonne is a remarkably scenic campus. Why not take that first step outside?

June 19, 2015June 19, 2015

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 Mentoring Basics JumpStart meeting on June 18th.

Miss the discussion and want to host it in your division or for your group? Contact Tina Henne with the Argonne Leadership Institute. Preview the slides here.

In the meantime, check out some resources available to you.

For more on Postdoc Mentoring–for both postdocs and mentors-visit the National Postdoctoral Association Website for mentoring toolkits. As a sustaining member of the NPA, Argonne staff and postdocs can join as an affiliate member for free, when registering with your Argonne email.

Got a story about mentoring to share? Let’s talk!

March 17, 2015July 1, 2015

The Gender Bias Calculator – and Other Things I Learned About Career Advancement at the NPA Annual Meeting

DEP Portraits I never considered the word “research” to be gendered. Yet, there on a big projected PowerPoint slide under the heading “Male Associated Words” was “research,” along with related terms data, result, finding, publish, among others.

The setting was a workshop called “Branding Yourself: Developing Your Communications Strategy” that covered job-seeking topics from CV and resume writing to the benefits (and risks) of social media to how to coach your letter-writers on writing good recommendations. Co-presenter Cindy Simpson, Chief Business Development Officer for the Association for Women In Science (AWIS), summarized research findings that compared word usage in letters of recommendation for female versus male job candidates. It was found that letters for male candidates include “standout” words—brilliant, unparalleled, superb—more often than letters for female candidates. Letters for male candidates also tend to describe research abilities and results more often than letters for female candidates, which tend to emphasize work ethic (“grindstone” words) and social/citizenship qualities (“teaching” words).

This kernel of implicit bias knowledge wasn’t the only thing I learned at the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore from March 13-15, 2015. This year’s conference had several engaging sessions on diversity and inclusion and the importance of mentoring in career advancement. Many were directly relevant to women, which is quite timely as we celebrate Women’s History Month. Presented here are a few nuggets I learned from my colleagues and distinguished presenters.

Be Direct and Directional. This is the “help me help you” concept that Jerry Maguire made famous. You can help your letter-writers by stating explicitly what you need and when you need it. Provide them with an updated CV or summary of your accomplishments. Ask for a letter well in advance of the deadline. Alert your letter-writers to the research on gender-biased terminology and the importance of using definitive words. This is just one example where “mentoring up” can lead to better outcomes and provide greater meaning than taking a passive approach to mentoring relationships.

There’s an App for That. If you want to assess your own letters for the presence of
male- or female- associated words, try using the Gender Bias Calculator. This online tool analyzes a letter and produces a list of potential male- and female-associated words. Additionally, you could recommend this tool to your letter-writers as a way to assess for gender-bias terms.

Your Social Network Goes Beyond Facebook. In the same plenary, Dr. Audrey Murrell, Associate Dean of the School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh, encouraged women to “borrow” social networks of men, referencing work by Ronald Burt that showed that women who did so were promoted more quickly than those who did not. At the heart of this assertion is the need to form a whole network of mentors. The more you grow your network, the greater the chance you will connect with influential people. When women grew their networks strategically, rather than trying to meet individuals on their own, they were more successful at meeting their career goals.

About the author

Kristene “Tina” Henne is Argonne’s Postdoctoral Program Lead. In this role, she enables early-career Ph.D. scientists and engineers to kickstart their careers by facilitating the postdoc appointment process, postdoc career development, and advising the Postdoctoral Society of Argonne.

Henne has a Ph.D. in biological sciences from Purdue University, a B.S. in biology from Governors State University, and an A.A.S. in radiography from Kankakee Community College. She came to Argonne as a postdoctoral researcher in the Biosciences Division in 2009 and became a program coordinator in 2011.

March 12, 2015June 19, 2015

Mentoring and Networking for Career Success

The workshop is free, registration is required

Argonne’s Women in Science and Technology (WIST) Program presents a “Mentoring and Networking for Career Success” Workshop Friday, March 20, 2015, from 9 a.m. to noon, at Bldg. 240, Rooms 1404/1405.

Registration

Abstract

Mentoring and networking go hand-in-hand in making a successful career in any discipline, particularly in science. Both are known to have a very powerful positive impact on the careers at any level. Mentoring can be an equally valuable and rewarding experience for the mentor who seeks to aid others in career advancement as well as the mentee who benefits from this effort. However, as researchers we often have limited exposure to effective mentoring and networking practices and techniques.

Through a series of exercises and role playing scenarios, this workshop provides training in mentoring techniques that are proven to be effective. It also provides guidelines on networking and the different types of networks that are essential for career advancement at all career levels and aspirations.

A COACh Facilitated Workshop

This Workshop will be taught by COACh professional facilitators Geraldine Richmond and Laura Greene. COACh is an organization assisting in the success and impact of women scientists, engineers and researchers.

November 5, 2014June 16, 2015

AWIS-Chicago Networkathon on November 20

All genders are invited and welcome!

Join the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) Chicago Chapter for their Fall Kickoff Networkathon on Thursday, November 20, 2014, from 6-8PM at D4 Irish Pub & Cafe!

Expand your network of Chicagoland STEM professionals in a speed networking format with topics including academia, industry, outreach, and science writing.

The cost is just $5 for AWIS members and $10 for non-members and includes food and non-alcoholic refreshments.

If you are interested in joining AWIS, attend to learn what AWIS-Chicago is all about and deduct the $10 ticket from your membership dues.

August 14, 2014June 16, 2015

Video of August 5 Professional Development Armchair Conversation w/Director Peter Littlewood

On August 5, 2014, Argonne’s Mentoring Exchange hosted An Armchair Conversation About Professional Development Opportunities and Challenges with a group of 50 employees from across the laboratory.

The conversation featured Laboratory Director Peter Littlewood, Senior Organizational Development Specialist Laura Altergott (HR), Program Leader and Senior Advisor for National and Global Security Programs and recipient of Argonne’s inaugural Outstanding Staff Mentor Award Keith Bradley (EESA), and Postdoctoral Program Coordinator Tina Henne (CEPA). Gender Diversity Specialist Erin Thomas (OTD) moderated the discussion, which explored recent successes and future challenges to developing an organizational infrastructure for robust and quality mentoring and professional development.

If you missed the conversation or would like to experience it again, full video of the event may be found here.

About the Mentoring Exchange

Argonne’s Mentoring Exchange brings together programmatic and operations staff from all five directorates to workshop best mentoring practices and advise senior management on professional development challenges and opportunities. For more information, please email [email protected] and stay tuned to Argonne Today for future event announcements.