Mentoring

Excellent mentoring can be instrumental to research productivity, engagement in work, and career advancement. 

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs advocates for a “multiple mentors” approach to postdoctoral career support and use of the OPA IDP. Here’s a visualization of a well-rounded mentor “constellation” or, more traditionally, “network”:For a guide on mentoring postdocs at Penn State, including insights on “multiple mentors” and use of the OPA IDP, email the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs Director at postdoc@psu.edu.

Mentoring Language and Tools Defined:

• Mentoring Behaviors are listed in this peer-reviewed article (see Table 1): Defining Attributes and Metrics of Effective Research Mentoring Relationships
• “Feedforward”: a forward-looking, developmental form of guidance that emphasizes future actions and opportunities for improvement (see Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback).  This recommendation for practice is supported by evidence that feedforward can positively influence student performance and engagement, suggesting transferability to mentoring and training postdocs.
• Mentoring Plans are structured frameworks to support the professional development of postdocs. They may outline specific goals, activities, and timelines, focusing on skill acquisition, career advancement, and the transition to research independence.
• Mentoring Compacts take this a step further by formalizing expectations in writing. These agreements cover communication preferences, research goals, and professional development activities. By clearly defining these elements and encouraging the postdoc voice and perspective in related discussion, compacts help prevent conflict by establishing trust, respect, and accountability.  See AAMC example.
• Individual Development Plans (IDPs) are career planning tools that offer a structure for career goal setting, identifying skill gaps, and clarifying steps for growth relevant to chosen paths. Mentors may guide IDP progress, offering feedback and support aligned with a postdoc’s career goals. They are often in the best position to suggest additional mentor recommendations for a constellation of support.

Aligning Expectations for Effective Mentoring

A successful mentoring relationship is built on a foundation of aligned expectations between mentor and postdoc. (Refer to the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research for context.)

Aligning expectations includes sharing priorities and establishing a regular meeting schedule. By defining parameters and understanding one another early, mentors and postdocs can more easily work toward a shared vision and set of objectives, minimizing misunderstandings and fostering a supportive research environment.

If the faculty mentor needs to leave for extended travel, it is important that the postdoc be assigned an on-site mentor for continued support.

Effective Communication in Mentoring

Communication is, of course, at the center of successful mentoring. Faculty mentors should always communicate respectfully, helping postdocs feel valued and heard.

• Regular Check-ins: Regularly scheduled meetings support progress tracking, ongoing feedback, and the adjustment of goals as needed. These meetings should be consistent and predictable, offering a safe space for discussing challenges and successes.
• Active Listening: Mentors should engage in active listening by giving their full attention to the postdoc during conversations, minimizing distractions, and making eye contact to demonstrate focus. It helps to paraphrase key points, loop back to confirm understanding, and ask clarifying questions to explore deeper concerns as needed. Care and sensitivity make a positive difference. It is also best to avoid interrupting, allowing postdocs the space to fully articulate thoughts before giving advice.
• Constructive Feedback: Feedback should be specific, actionable, and delivered in a way that encourages growth. Strong feedback is balanced, including both strengths and areas for improvement.

Cultivating an Inclusive Mentoring Environment

Faculty mentors across disciplines at Penn State recognize and appreciate their multicultural research groups. By fostering an inclusive atmosphere that celebrates differences, mentors create an environment where individuals feel valued and respected, enhancing collaboration and innovation.

• Cultural Awareness: Effective mentors actively seek to understand cultural contexts that shape postdocs’ experiences and perspectives. Developing this understanding enables mentors to identify and mitigate barriers that hinder individual or group progress.
• Addressing Bias: Unconscious bias can undermine positive intent in mentoring relationships, making it all the more important for faculty mentors to engage in ongoing self-reflection and training to recognize and mitigate biases that negatively influence their interactions with postdocs. Mentoring and restorative practices programs are valuable tools throughout a faculty mentor’s career to ensure that conditions are met for inclusive, equitable, and productive research environments.
• Promoting Well-being: Effective mentors promote a healthy work-life balance, stay attentive to signs of stress or burnout, and guide postdocs to appropriate support resources. The “multiple mentors” model contributes to well-being because postdocs have more options for a trusted confidant to talk through specific interests and concerns, and the burden on a primary faculty mentor could potentially be reduced.

Enhancing Professional Development

Faculty mentors actively support postdocs in building the knowledge, skills, and attributes necessary for future careers, including participation in relevant programming provided by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the Penn State Postdoctoral Society.

• Career Exploration: In today’s competitive, ever-changing job market, mentors can be especially helpful in guiding postdocs to explore different career paths and build the skills and networks needed for success within or beyond academia. This might include introducing postdocs to colleagues in different fields, supporting their attendance at conferences, or connecting them with alumni who have career trajectories of interest.
• Skill Development: Postdocs benefit from developing in-demand skills, depending on their goals, such as grant writing, teaching, leadership, project management, data science, statistical analysis, and research communication. Faculty mentors can draw from their deep institutional awareness and extensive network to help postdocs identify and pursue opportunities for further skill development.
• Mentoring Up: Postdocs benefit from developing their mentoring skills, a practice known as ‘mentoring up,’ which can be encouraged by faculty mentors. This proactive approach encourages postdocs to take an active role in shaping their mentoring relationships by setting clear meeting agendas, requesting targeted feedback, and seeking out additional mentors when needed. By mentoring up, postdocs gain greater agency in their professional development and foster more productive, collaborative mentoring experiences.

Reflecting on the Mentoring Relationship

Both mentors and postdocs benefit from engaging in self-reflection and seeking constructive feedback to ensure that the mentoring relationship remains productive and aligned with shared research goals.  In considering the overlap between “mentoring” and “coaching,” mentors are encouraged to read the Chronicle’s How to Mentor Like a Coach.

• Self-Assessment: Mentors can improve by thoughtfully reflecting on their mentoring style, communication strategies, and ways in which they’re meeting the postdoc’s needs.
• Cultural Competence: With the unique blend of cultural differences within every research group, reflecting on “cultural competence” or “cultural agility” may strengthen communication. Culturally aware mentors co-create an inclusive environment that enhances collaboration, drives innovation, and supports the growth of both the postdoc and the research team.
• Boundary Setting: It’s important for mentors to establish and maintain appropriate boundaries, ensuring a professional arrangement. 
• Change Agility: As postdocs progress through their appointments at Penn State, their needs and goals evolve with time. Mentors may need to adjust their approach and advice. This could involve shifting focus from research guidance to career planning at a regularly scheduled meeting or expanding the mentoring team to include more perspectives.

Penn State’s Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is here to support faculty mentors, too!

For more information or to schedule a consultation, please contact postdoc@psu.edu.