Being An Effective Mentor

This updated edition provides information on stages of teacher development, professional growth, assessment of student work, mentors within teacher induction programs, and components of successful mentoring initiatives.

Mentorship is a catalyst capable of unleashing one's potential for discovery, curiosity, and participation in STEMM and subsequently improving the training environment in which that STEMM potential is fostered. Mentoring relationships provide developmental spaces in which students' STEMM skills are honed and pathways into STEMM fields can be discovered. Because mentorship can be so influential in shaping the future STEMM workforce, its occurrence should not be left to chance or idiosyncratic implementation. There is a gap between what we know about effective mentoring and how it is practiced in higher education. The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM studies mentoring programs and practices at the undergraduate and graduate levels. It explores the importance of mentorship, the science of mentoring relationships, mentorship of underrepresented students in STEMM, mentorship structures and behaviors, and institutional cultures that support mentorship. This report and its complementary interactive guide present insights on effective programs and practices that can be adopted and adapted by institutions, departments, and individual faculty members.

On Being a Mentor is the definitive guide to the art and science of engaging students and faculty in effective mentoring relationships in all academic disciplines. Written with pithy clarity and rooted in the latest research on developmental relationships in higher educational settings, this essential primer reviews the strategies, guidelines, and best practices for those who want to excel as mentors. Evidence-based advice on the rules of engagement for mentoring, mentor functions, qualities of good mentors, and methods for forming and managing these relationships are provided. Summaries of mentorship relationship phases and guidance for adhering to ethical principles are reviewed along with guidance about mentoring specific populations and those who differ from the mentor in terms of sex and race. Advice about managing problem mentorships, selecting and training mentors, and measuring mentorship outcomes and recommendations for department chairs and deans on how to foster a culture of excellent mentoring in an academic community is provided. Chalk full of illustrative case-vignettes, this book is the ideal training tool for mentoring workshops. Highlights of the new edition include: Introduces a new model for conceptualizing mentoring relationships in the context of the various relationships professors typically develop with students and faculty (ch. 2). Provides guidance for creating a successful mentoring culture and structure within a department or institution (ch. 16). Now includes questions for reflection and discussion and recommended readings at the end of each chapter for those who wish to delve deeper into the content. Best Practices sections highlight the key takeaway messages. The latest research on mentoring in higher education throughout. Part I introduces mentoring in academia and distinguishes mentoring from other types of relationships. The nuts and bolts of good mentoring from the qualities of those who succeed as mentors to the common behaviors of outstanding mentors are the focus of Part II. Guidance in establishing mentorships with students and faculty, the common phases of mentorship, and the ethical principles governing the mentoring enterprise is also provided. Part III addresses the unique issues and answers to successfully mentoring undergraduates, graduate students, and junior faculty members and considers skills required of faculty who mentor across gender and race. Part IV addresses management of dysfunctional mentorships and the documentation of mentorship outcomes. The book concludes with a chapter designed to encourage academic leaders to make high quality mentorship a salient part of the culture in their institutions. Ideal for faculty or career development seminars and teaching and learning centers in colleges and universities, this practical primer is appreciated by professors, department chairs, deans, and graduate students in colleges, universities, and professional schools in all academic fields including the social and behavioral sciences, education, natural sciences, humanities, and business, legal, and medical schools.

Turn mentoring into PROFITS There’s no doubt that the concept of workplace mentoring is a hot-button issue facing management today. With managers under extraordinary pressure to cut costs, streamline operations, and increase productivity, the role of mentors has become more critical than ever—particularly since studies show leaders who mentor get promoted faster and earn significantly more than those who don’t. But as with any growing workplace trend, questions remain about how to utilize mentoring so you get tangible and profitable results. This book, from two of the world’s foremost experts on business learning and employee development, answers those questions. Becoming an Effective Mentoring Leader breaks down the essentials of mentoring, and shows you how to take advantage of this valuable new workplace dynamic. You’ll learn: The smartest way to incorporate mentoring into your day-to-day leadership role The fastest way to equip, inspire, and motivate your staff The differences between mentoring, coaching, and teaching How you as a leader can rate the mentors in your office – and assess the progress of mentees Using case studies, tools, and impactful learning concepts, the authors show you how to use mentoring’s “core skills” to create a winning approach tailored to your own style, be it the “reflective mentor,” the “storytelling mentor,” or “the example-based mentor.” The book also features several appendices and FAQs, handouts, and worksheets to gauge competencies among mentors and mentees, and a blueprint with steps to set up one’s own companywide program. As today’s biggest industry leaders continue to recognize the profound effect mentoring has on performance and profitability, there’s never been a better time to put this book’s essential tools to work for you.

This guide offers helpful advice on how teachers, administrators, and career advisers in science and engineering can become better mentors to their students. It starts with the premise that a successful mentor guides students in a variety of ways: by helping them get the most from their educational experience, by introducing them to and making them comfortable with a specific disciplinary culture, and by offering assistance with the search for suitable employment. Other topics covered in the guide include career planning, time management, writing development, and responsible scientific conduct. Also included is a valuable list of bibliographical and Internet resources on mentoring and related topics.

When it comes to mentoring, women face more barriers than men. Here's how men can help change that. Increasingly, new employees and junior members of any profession are encouraged—sometimes stridently—to "find a mentor!" Four decades of research reveals that the effects of mentorship can be profound and enduring; strong mentoring relationships have the capacity to transform individuals and entire organizations. But the mentoring landscape is unequal. Evidence consistently shows that women face more barriers in securing mentorships than men, and when they do find a mentor, they may reap a narrow range of both professional and psychological benefits. Athena Rising is a book for men about how to eliminate this problem by mentoring women deliberately and effectively. Traditional notions of mentoring are modeled on male-to-male relationships, yet women often report a desire for mentoring that addresses their interpersonal needs. Women want mentors who not only understand this, but truly honor it. Coauthors W. Brad Johnson and David G. Smith present a straightforward, no-nonsense manual for men working in all types of institutions, organizations, and businesses to become excellent mentors to women, because as women succeed, lean in, and assume leading roles in any organization or work context, the culture will become more egalitarian, effective, and prone to retaining top talent.

Mentoring is an intentional, developmental relationshiop in which a more experienced, more knowledgeable person nurtures the professional and personal life of a less experienced, less knowledgeable person. Both mentors and mentees realize many benefits from mentoring, as do organizations that encourage, structure, and support mentoring. Effective mentors develop the leadership capacity of their mentees while increasing their own skills. They transfer their knowledge and expertise back into their organizations. They nurture the alignment between employee aspirations and organizational imperatives, and they create depth and loyalty within their organizations. Leaders who take mentoring seriously and handle it effectively have a profound impact.

Amazing Benefits, Unique Risks A stellar mentor can change the trajectory of a career. And an enduring mentoring program can become an organization’s most powerful talent development tool. But fixing a “broken” mentoring program or developing a new program from scratch requires a unique process, not a standard training methodology. Over the course of her career, seasoned program development specialist Jenn Labin has encountered dozens of mentoring programs unable to stand the test of their organizations’ natural talent cycles. These programs applied a training methodology to a nontraining solution and were ineffective at best and poorly designed at worst. What’s needed is a solid planning framework developed from hands-on experimentation. And you’ll find it here. Mentoring Programs That Work is framed around Labin’s AXLES model—the first framework devoted to the unique challenges of a sustained learning process. This step-by-step approach will help you navigate the early phases of mentoring program alignment all the way through program launch and measurement. Whether your goal is to recruit and retain Millennials or deepen organizational commitment, it’s time to embrace mentoring as one of the most powerful tools of talent development. Mentoring Programs That Work will help your organization succeed by building mentoring programs that connect people and inspire learning transfer.