1 / 28

Management and Mentorship in a Research Environment

Management and Mentorship in a Research Environment. Mary Lucero, Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program Director June 5, 2007. This powerpoint was adapted from the following sources: Craig S. Wilcox, University of Pittsburg and. The Graduate School Michigan State University 2005 and

devin
Download Presentation

Management and Mentorship in a Research Environment

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Management and Mentorship in a Research Environment Mary Lucero, Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program Director June 5, 2007 This powerpoint was adapted from the following sources: Craig S. Wilcox, University of Pittsburg and The Graduate SchoolMichigan State University 2005 and http://www.rackham.umich.edu/StudentInfo/Publications/FacultyMentoring/Fmentor.pdf

  2. Introduction • Worthy Objectives • The goal of a good manager is to create and maintain an effective, productive, and loyal group. • The goal of a good mentor is to enhance the professional development of a selected individual.

  3. What do mentors do? • Teaching, running a lab, job training, and group meetings/discussions are not mentorship activities - these are management actions. • Management is… • For the purpose of group achievement. • Methods are best applied consistently to all. • Mentorship is… • For a single individual • Methods are chosen to meet that person’s needs

  4. What do mentors do? • Mentors • Evaluate skills • Encourage growth • Offer opportunities for improvement • Offer professional career advice • Share their thoughts and professional values • Express and act on their commitment to mentoring

  5. Benefits of Mentoringto Graduate Students • students who have mentoring relationships have • higher productivity levels, • a higher level of involvement with their departments, and • greater satisfaction with their programs (Green & Bauer, 1995)

  6. Benefits of Mentoringto Faculty • keeping abreast of new knowledge and techniques • gaining collaborators for current or future projects • having research assistants whose work is critical to the completion of a research grant • gaining increased professional stature by sending new scholars into the field • experiencing the personal joys and satisfactions inherent in mentoring relationships

  7. Before You Start • What kind of mentoring did you have? • What did you like and not like about the mentoring you received? • How well did your mentors help you progress through your graduate program? • How well did your mentors prepare you for your academic career? • What did you not receive in the way of mentoring which would have been helpful to you?

  8. The Basics of Good Mentorship • Engage Graduate Students in Ongoing Conversations • Demystify Graduate School • Provide Constructive and Supportive Feedback • Provide Encouragement and Support • Help Foster Networks • Look Out for the Student’s Interests • Treat Students with Respect

  9. At the First Meetings‘talking points’ • What are the student’s goals for graduate school and beyond? • What are the student’s strengths and weaknesses? • What is the student’s work style?

  10. Setting Expectations:Implicit Expectations • Implicit Expectations: Not stated and rarely understood. • “What didn’t you understand about what I didn’t tell you?” • “What part of my silence didn’t you understand?” The Graduate SchoolMichigan State University 2005

  11. Explicit Expectations • Explicit Expectations: • Clearly Stated (verbally or in written form) • Checked for understanding • Unilaterally or jointly set The Graduate SchoolMichigan State University 2005

  12. Clarifying Expectations • Goals: Have your student provide • short-term and long-term goals • the timeframe for reaching those goals. • Revise goals periodically, • revisit goals with students on a yearly basis

  13. Clarifying Expectations • Meetings: Inform students about • how frequently you will be able to meet with them • Be explicit if you have • a heavy travel schedule, • are about to take a sabbatical, • will be assuming an administrative position • If you will not be able to meet often enough to satisfy some students’ needs, discuss alternative means of communication such as e-mail, and remind them of others with whom they can consult.

  14. Window of “Negotiable” Expectations Explicit Implicit Joint Unilateral The Graduate SchoolMichigan State University 2005

  15. Research mentorship • This is about the student’s best interests. • You are not creating a clone. • More than one mentor may be needed. • It’s a demanding job. • It can bring great rewards.

  16. The mentor’s toolbox • A partial list… • Great generosity • Patience • Perseverance • Joy and enthusiasm • Confidence • Thoughtful planning • Willingness to study and spend time to identify the needs of the student/trainee.

  17. Mentoring activities • Encourage broad growth. • Evaluate skills. • Technical • Intellectual • Interpersonal • Communication • Teaching • Workspace organization • Creativity&innovation

  18. Mentoring activities • Offer opportunities to improve skills. • Take advantage of existing programs on survival skills and ethics. • Talk about your viewpoints. • Research conduct • Ethics and values • Professional standards • Your vision of the discipline and enterprise • Repeat your best advice and insights

  19. What do managers do? • Plan • objectives, strategies, procedures, policies, budget • Direct • delegate, coordinate, motivate • Decide • defining issues, gathering information, making choices • Control • ensure timely action, evaluate performance, set reporting procedures, identify any need for correction, reward performance • Communicate • knowledge, ideas, plans, check feedback and response

  20. Managed groups • Two-way principles for managed groups. • The manager and the student must: • Use meetings wisely: • Prepare for meetings • Record points of agreement and action plans. • Stay on-topic • Plan and review at appropriate intervals • Discuss goals, strategies, and timetables • Define mutual expectations • Listen carefully. • Be considerate of each team member’s time.

  21. Managed groups • Advice for being a good boss • Share credit and joy in success. • Say “thank you”. • Criticize in private. Praise in public. • Show confidence and enthusiasm. • Share your vision and thoughts. • Make decisions promptly. • Delegate whenever appropriate.

  22. Additional considerations • Be aware of cultural differences. • Adjust your own methods • Help the trainee to adjust • Look for results of stress. • Eating, sleeping, mood, affect • Help the trainee with difficult decisions. • Adjust to each person’s needs. • Lowering standards or ignoring limitations is not a kindness.

  23. Managing graduate students • Review the notebook and written work often. • Positive feedback, encouragement, advice • Provide good examples. • Respond quickly to requests/initiatives. • Have consistently high standards. • Accommodate needs. • Respect their time. • Ask their advice. • Give them responsibility and resources.

  24. Helping yourself manage • Keep a file on each student/trainee. • A. Work product • B. Correspondence • Keep notes on meetings. • Follow up on action plans. • Decide where to draw the line, and be consistent. • Professional standards • Social interactions

  25. Helping yourself manage • Documented written communication is critical. • It supports decision making. • It clarifies the outcome of discussion. • It may be required for some actions. • Be familiar with Neuroscience Program’s policies and procedures. • Ask peers and colleagues for advice. • Organize your workspace.

  26. Dealing with conflict • Communicate clearly to avoid conflict. • How will performance be assessed? • What are the resources/budget? • Who has authority? • Commitment to equity and fairness • Evaluate lab members judiciously • Be aware of hidden agendas • Recognize competitive spirit • Discuss the need for cooperative behavior • Help group members find appropriate roles

  27. Summary • Your goal in managing is an effective, productive, and loyal lab group. • Your goal as a mentor is to optimize the professional development of an individual. • These goals are worthy of thoughtful planning. • Even the smallest effort can have wonderful consequences!

  28. Resources • Mentorship • “Adviser, Teacher, Role Model, Friend: On Being a Mentor to Students in Science and Engineering” • National Academy of Sciences • http://www.nap.edu/catalog/5789.html • Management • “The Time Trap” • R. Alec Mackenzie, McGraw-Hill, New York: 1975, 1997. • Truth and Consequences 1 SEPTEMBER 2006 313: 1222SCIENCEwww.sciencemag.org The Graduate SchoolMichigan State University 2005 and http://www.rackham.umich.edu/StudentInfo/Publications/FacultyMentoring/Fmentor.pdf

More Related