A Model for Strengthening Mentors: Frames and Practices

Abstract

The extensive body of literature on mentoring has largely ignored the developmental needs of mentors themselves. This conceptual and practice-oriented paper asks mentors and others to consider the needs of mentors who may or may not arrive ready to deal with the challenges of being effective mentors. The authors ask: how should mentors think about their own growth and development? Drawing on a broad spectrum of academic literatures, three frames are proposed for guiding mentors’ thinking about themselves and four practices to spur their continuous improvement. The three frames are a simultaneous dual focus on people and tasks as mentors exercise leadership; an inclusive mind-set that works across the multidimensionality of identities in others and themselves; and a keen sense of the threats and rewards of managing the perceptions of others. We recommend the use of four practices for self-examination: engage in structured self-reflection; participate in standardized assessments to see others and one’s self differently; build peer support among colleagues; and ask for feedback in concrete terms. We conclude by offering the benefits and challenges as mentors engage in the difficult work of acquiring in-depth self-awareness.

Toward Allyship and Mentorship: Recognition, Relatability, and Respect

“…Effective mentorship occurs when mentors and mentees engage with one another in a safe, trustworthy fashion, and are therefore able to share concerns, empathize freely, and engage authentically. 1 “Interpersonal comfort,” or the ability to speak freely and express opinions without reprisal or judgment, is another commonly used term for this kind of relationship. Research has shown that the more alike mentees and mentors appear, and the more experiences they share, the more their relationship is associated with interpersonal comfort, which, in turn, predicts the provision and receipt of psychosocial and career (instrumental and networking) support.…”

Ten simple rules for establishing a mentorship programme

“…With this in mind, and for the programme to effectively achieve its intended outcomes [ 15 ], a set of activities should be designed to support effective mentor–mentee engagements. These activities can supplement mentor–mentee interactions and should provide further opportunities for professional development for both mentors and mentees (see [ 7 , 26 ] for a discussion on the growth and development of mentors).…”

“…Mentorship programmes that rely exclusively on remote interactions should carefully consider which activities will support the development of a positive and constructive relationship between a mentor and mentee, and appropriate technology choices need to be made to facilitate this (discussed in Rule 7). Programme activities could also include growth opportunities for mentors to improve their mentoring skills (see [ 7 , 26 ] and the OLS case study in Rule 5 ).…”

“…Mentors will require different levels of support and capacity development as advanced expertise does not always directly translate to the ability to communicate with and guide a mentee productively. Therefore, the professional development of mentors should not be ignored [ 6 , 7 , 16 , 26 ], and, as discussed in Rule 3, activities should be designed to promote mentor growth and development. Furthermore, co-mentoring of a mentee provides mentors with the opportunity to learn from each other and could be considered as part of the mentor–mentee matching strategy (elaborated on in Rule 6).…”

Developing Deeper Student Mentoring Relationships: Black Engineering Faculty Translating their Mentee Experiences to Students (Research)

“…McCloughen et al (2013) found mentors often mentor the way they were mentored, which means effective and non-effective mentoring experiences have long-term effects on how mentees mentor in the future. Thus, it is not surprising that mentoring motivations and practices evolve through mentors' careers (Bettis et al, 2019;Blake-Beard et al, 2021;Lunsford, 2014;McBride et al, 2019). Faculty motivations to mentor range from a desire to help develop the upcoming generation of scholars (Southern, 2007;Tran, 2022), to improve their reputation (Duntley-Matos, 2014), and to transform institutional norms (Ruiz-Cantisani et al, 2021).…”