how to get the most out of your mentoring relationship amy paller and bethanee schlosser department...
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How to Get the Most Out of Your Mentoring Relationship
Amy Paller and Bethanee SchlosserDepartment of DermatologyFeinberg School of Medicine
Northwestern UniversityChicago, IL
Formal mentorship has been critical in our careers
• Being in the right place at the right time
• Knowing your strengths and preferences… and seeking an intentional mentor elsewhere
• Influencing decisions at those “forks in the road”
• Relations with mentors/mentees are often long-term• Being both a mentor and a mentee continues lifelong
The Importance of Mentors: Medical School
GO TO CHICAGO to train with Dr. Nan Esterly
Dr. Al Jacobs: StanfordDr. Diane Thiboutot: Penn State
• Get you “turned on to an area” and educate about options
CONSIDER DERM…and specialize in acne
The Importance of Mentors: Residency Training
• Teach clinical skills, modeling– Patient interaction– Documenting, photos– Questioning, discourse– Writing to share ideas
• Excitement about research– Considering the why– Posing hypotheses and experimentation
to prove them
• Team of mentors
Dr. Nan Esterly - Northwestern
Dr. Bob Swerlick - Emory
Dr. Ruth Freinkel - Northwestern
The Importance of Mentors: Fellowship Training and 1st Job
Dr. Al Briggiman - Univ. of North
Carolina
• Teach research skills
• Teach clinical expertise
• Career counseling
Dr. Libby Edwards – Southeast Vulvar
Dermatology Clinic
The Importance of Mentors:Decision-Making About Career Moves
• Team of 5 mentors: Chairs and Deans who were former chairs
• Within/outside of institution, academic and community practice
• All were generous with their time and guided decision-making
Still have mentors – sometimes confer daily
The Relationship
• Commitment of time and energy is 2-way• Both mentor and mentee must be enthusiastic
about the relationship• No conflict of interest• Possess the skills to mentor
– Listening– Managing time well– Being a role model– Knowing when to mentor and when to coach– Understanding when to stop or to change focus
The Many Hats of a Mentor…
Fan
Advisor
Role Model
Confidant
Match-maker
Cheer-leader
To be a successful mentor you must…
• Be accessible
• Make time for interactions: schedule them and prioritize them
• Know your mentee: recognize strengths and weaknesses; personality differences
• Nurture mentee strengths and creativity
• Expect excellence
• Be a sponsor
To be a successful mentor you must…
• Gain trust: confidential discussions
• Empathize and be able to show personal vulnerability
• Be a role model
• Teach but don’t preach: coaching
• Be a stabilizing influence during transitions (personal and career)
• Help to build a team of mentors, recognize your own limitations
Mentoring can take place anywhere
• Private formal meetings
– Have them frequently enough and for long enough duration to be meaningful
• Depends on needs of mentee (q wk to quarterly)
• More frequent meetings early in relationship
• Meetings are sacred
• Open-door policy for informal meetings
Structure of Formal Sessions• Cannot be short commitment: emphasize upfront need for
extended timeframe for growth• Important to get to know mentee, understand background
(personal and career) and goals– Get involved together in activities that promote mentee’s
development– If prior relationship that could detract, redefine new goals
of relationship upfront• Each session should have an agenda set by the mentee: What
has been accomplished? What are issues? What are goals before next session?
• Periodically review mentee portfolio• Keep record of discussion
Agenda items.. Specific issues and topics that promote mentee development
• What do I need for promotion?• How and when to say “no”• Finding a niche• Making changes along the way• There’s not enough time in the day!.. Juggling career and family• Personal issue
– Difficult relationships (diplomacy)
– Marital or family-related
– Emotional or psychological problem
– ------ may need referral to a professional
Mentoring Can Take Place Anywhere
• Local meetings– Encourage active role in grand rounds– Introduce and promote with colleagues in other
departments and with local societies– Early leadership responsibilities at local level
• National and international meetings– When introducing, say something memorable and
ideally that promotes career– Nominate to give talks, committees, promote
development (eg AAD Leadership and Mentorship)– Role as co-organizer in a meeting
Dos and Don’ts• Have a calm, positive session for junior faculty
mentee• Ask brief, open ended questions to engage and
gather facts• Be an “empathetic listener” in discussions• Establish trust and build self-confidence• Show enthusiasm; be a role model • Provide constructive, supportive feedback• Reveal vulnerability: discuss personal struggles and
solutions
Dos and Don’ts• Be quick to propose solutions; think together and
encourage mentee to problem solve• Shoot down ideas without careful thought• Set up a competition• Question the mentee’s judgment or experience• Confront or accuse• Try to tackle difficult personal problems that are
best handled by a psychologist or other professional
• Prolong an unsuccessful relationship: know limits
To be a successful mentee you must…
• Commit time, energy and effort
• Have determination to succeed: greater effort will likely lead to greater gains
• Be open to constructive criticism, alternative perspectives and approaches
• Have interpersonal maturity
• Be self-confident and willing to challenge yourself
How to Get Started• Find a mentor
• Clarify your values, find commonalities
• Define your mission
• Discuss immediate goals for mentee, mentor
• Set some ground rules – what is off limits?
• Set up a formal meeting schedule
Dr. Mary Maloney
Maximizing Your ADLP Experience
• “Meet” regularly – once a month
• Give your full attention – remove all distractions
• Have agenda of 1-2 items for each meeting
• Do your homework, follow-through
• Listen – to the good, the bad and
the ugly
• Deal with real-life issues
How to Recognize When Things Aren’t Going So Well…
• Missed meetings
• Lack of follow-through
• Nothing more to say
• Breach of confidentiality
• Crossing the line; off-limit topics
• Just not a great match
What NOT to do When Things Aren’t Going So Well…
What to DO When Things Aren’t Going So Well…
• Don’t ignore early warning signs
• Talk openly and honestly about what is not working
• Develop contract for change with timeline for re-evaluation
• Don’t fall off the face of the Earth
• End the relationship with good will
• Ask who might be a better match
Conclusions
• Getting the most out of mentorship means establishing a two-way commitment and clear goals from the start
• Ultimately, mentoring is a learning experience for both the mentor and the mentee
• ADLP participation provides opportunity for significant personal and professional growth