Successful MentoringSuccessful MentoringA Critical Element in Your Path A Critical Element in Your Path to Success in Academic to Success in Academic MedicineMedicine

William R. Hazzard MDWilliam R. Hazzard MDProfessor of MedicineProfessor of MedicineDivision of Gerontology and Geriatric Division of Gerontology and Geriatric MedicineMedicineVA Puget Sound Health Care SystemVA Puget Sound Health Care SystemSeattle, WA 98108Seattle, WA 98108

william.hazzard@va.govwilliam.hazzard@va.gov206-726-9380206-726-9380

July 10, 2008July 10, 2008

Who Was Mentor?Who Was Mentor?

Odysseus chose his friend Mentor Odysseus chose his friend Mentor to look after his son Telemachus to look after his son Telemachus during his 10-year odysseyduring his 10-year odyssey

Hence the word mentor: “a Hence the word mentor: “a trusted counselor or guide; tutor, trusted counselor or guide; tutor, coach” (Merriam-Webster’s coach” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10Collegiate Dictionary, 10thth ed.) ed.)

Currently especially in focus as a Currently especially in focus as a key feature of all paths of key feature of all paths of successful career development successful career development

Where does Mentoring fit into Where does Mentoring fit into your career development?your career development?

My advice: Take primary responsibility My advice: Take primary responsibility for your own career development --- for your own career development --- can you in effect largely be your own can you in effect largely be your own mentor?mentor?

Not entirely (confidence is one thing, Not entirely (confidence is one thing, but arrogance, its first cousin, is quite but arrogance, its first cousin, is quite another) --- your mentor should be another) --- your mentor should be your close external guide, advocate, your close external guide, advocate, and coach but not direct your and coach but not direct your development or do your work for you!!development or do your work for you!!

Begin the matching process Begin the matching process with your personal “SWOT” with your personal “SWOT” analysis: analysis: SStrengths/trengths/WWeaknesses/eaknesses/

OOpportunities/pportunities/TThreatshreats Who are you, what are your passions, what are Who are you, what are your passions, what are

your vulnerabilities, what are you made of?your vulnerabilities, what are you made of? Where are you in your personal life and career Where are you in your personal life and career

development and what are your needs now and development and what are your needs now and through the next few years?through the next few years?

Work to Find a Mentor (or team of mentors) who will Work to Find a Mentor (or team of mentors) who will complement your SWOT analysis and facilitate your complement your SWOT analysis and facilitate your professional and personal growth and developmentprofessional and personal growth and development

What are you looking What are you looking for in and from a for in and from a Mentor?Mentor? Technical/scientific/content instruction Technical/scientific/content instruction

and coaching at the bench, in data and coaching at the bench, in data analysis, in writing papers, in writing analysis, in writing papers, in writing grants?grants?

Career coaching and advice?Career coaching and advice? Advocacy and access to networks?Advocacy and access to networks? Personal counseling and support?Personal counseling and support? Senior wisdom and insight?Senior wisdom and insight? Someone who will put your career Someone who will put your career

development ahead of their own? development ahead of their own? All of the above?All of the above?

Think this through with care in choosing a Think this through with care in choosing a mentor!!! mentor!!!

Mentoring across a Professional Mentoring across a Professional Career in Academic Medicine ? Career in Academic Medicine ?

Match your mentor with your Match your mentor with your needs at your stage of career needs at your stage of career developmentdevelopment

Where will you be in …Where will you be in …– 2-3 years (at the end of research 2-3 years (at the end of research

fellowship)? fellowship)? – 5-7 years (during your K-award)?5-7 years (during your K-award)?– 10 years (Asst Prof with R-01)?10 years (Asst Prof with R-01)?– 20 years (Assoc/Full Prof/division or 20 years (Assoc/Full Prof/division or

dept head)?dept head)?– At the end of your career?At the end of your career?

For now focus on your For now focus on your present career stage: present career stage: research fellowshipresearch fellowship

Given all the requirements of effective Given all the requirements of effective mentoring to meet your needs, you mentoring to meet your needs, you may want to align yourself with a panel may want to align yourself with a panel or team of mentors; e.g., or team of mentors; e.g., – Technical and research design coach Technical and research design coach

or coachesor coaches– Career coach: especially if not closely Career coach: especially if not closely

aligned with your near term needsaligned with your near term needs

(Being explicit and credible about this is (Being explicit and credible about this is often crucial to acquiring extramural often crucial to acquiring extramural support for your fellowship or K-award)support for your fellowship or K-award)

What should you look What should you look for in a prospective for in a prospective mentor?mentor?

Generic Requirements Generic Requirements of an Effective Mentorof an Effective Mentor Ability to listenAbility to listen PatiencePatience MaturityMaturity Discipline: Discipline:

– of self, of self, – for mentee (including “tough love” as for mentee (including “tough love” as

appropriate & necessary)appropriate & necessary) Confidence: in self, in mentee, in the Confidence: in self, in mentee, in the

adult development processadult development process Energy & focusEnergy & focus TIME and ATTENTION!TIME and ATTENTION!

Specific Attributes of an Specific Attributes of an Effective Mentor to Focus Effective Mentor to Focus on on

Personal maturity & Personal maturity & comfort with selfcomfort with self

Success in own career and Success in own career and confidence in ability to confidence in ability to guide others toward similar guide others toward similar success without standing in success without standing in their waytheir way

Key Attributes of an Key Attributes of an Effective Mentor Effective Mentor (cont’d)(cont’d) Ability to translate lessons of his/her Ability to translate lessons of his/her

own experience & knowledge into own experience & knowledge into counsel tailored to the trainee (without counsel tailored to the trainee (without too many self-indulgent or “now in my too many self-indulgent or “now in my day” stories)day” stories)

Ability to derive great personal (albeit Ability to derive great personal (albeit largely vicarious) pleasure, satisfaction, largely vicarious) pleasure, satisfaction, & pride from mentee’s growth & & pride from mentee’s growth & progressprogress

Accepts inevitable “role model” label Accepts inevitable “role model” label and burden of its expectations (not do and burden of its expectations (not do as I say but not what I do)as I say but not what I do)

Above All ---Above All ---

Ability to place growth & Ability to place growth & welfare of mentee first, welfare of mentee first, above his/her ownabove his/her own

Empathy & Emotional Empathy & Emotional IntelligenceIntelligence

Generosity of spirit Generosity of spirit (MAGNANIMITY)(MAGNANIMITY)

Requirements of a Mentor Requirements of a Mentor from the Mentee’s from the Mentee’s PerspectivePerspective

Be available and accessibleBe available and accessible Keep your promisesKeep your promises Be responsive and reliable: Be responsive and reliable:

respect their time & obligations respect their time & obligations just as they respect yoursjust as they respect yours

Be honest, candid, and open – Be honest, candid, and open – supportive & nurturing but not supportive & nurturing but not too soft & forgivingtoo soft & forgiving

Requirements of a Requirements of a Mentor from the Mentor from the Mentee’s PerspectiveMentee’s Perspective Be sensitive to the balance between Be sensitive to the balance between

your needs for “service” & the your needs for “service” & the mentee’s needs for your leadership, mentee’s needs for your leadership, tutelage, & supporttutelage, & support

Be sensitive to the balance between Be sensitive to the balance between your own intellectual property & your own intellectual property & scientific program and mentee’s need scientific program and mentee’s need for growth, a niche, and a path to for growth, a niche, and a path to independenceindependence

Be mentee’s advocate as he/she grows Be mentee’s advocate as he/she grows --- genuine success is defined when --- genuine success is defined when they pass you in their professional they pass you in their professional development and recognition!development and recognition!

Requirements of a Mentee Requirements of a Mentee from the Mentor’s from the Mentor’s perspectiveperspective

Accept ultimate responsibility for Accept ultimate responsibility for your own career development: your own career development: seek out your mentor for seek out your mentor for guidance and advice but do not guidance and advice but do not expect to be spoon fedexpect to be spoon fed

Take the initiative: if anything, Take the initiative: if anything, risk being too assertive & risk being too assertive & aggressiveaggressive

Tell me when I’m wrong!Tell me when I’m wrong! Make me proud of you!Make me proud of you!

Requirements of a Requirements of a Mentee from the Mentee from the Mentor’s perspective Mentor’s perspective (cont’d)(cont’d) Push me (as your mentor) to keep Push me (as your mentor) to keep

up with you --- your growth & up with you --- your growth & stimulation from you are my stimulation from you are my reward for investment of my time & reward for investment of my time & attentionattention

Keep up with agreed-upon goals, Keep up with agreed-upon goals, work schedule & milestoneswork schedule & milestones

Come prepared & on time!Come prepared & on time! Do not whine!!Do not whine!!

Are there rules and boundaries Are there rules and boundaries in the mentor/mentee in the mentor/mentee matching game?matching game?

Age?Age? Gender?Gender? Potential conflicts of interest?Potential conflicts of interest?

– Boss vs. mentor?Boss vs. mentor? Discipline?Discipline? What about “chemistry”?What about “chemistry”?

Caveats …Caveats …

Trust your clinical intuition (you are a Trust your clinical intuition (you are a doctor, after all) --- is the chemistry doctor, after all) --- is the chemistry right? Does the balance of give and take right? Does the balance of give and take feel right? Is trust deep, mutual, and feel right? Is trust deep, mutual, and real?real?

Will your ambitions as mentee come in Will your ambitions as mentee come in conflict with your mentor’s and conflict with your mentor’s and jeopardize your development?jeopardize your development?

Is your prospective mentor too anxious Is your prospective mentor too anxious to recruit you to menteeship? (Is there to recruit you to menteeship? (Is there an implied or explicit devil’s bargain?)an implied or explicit devil’s bargain?)

What if this doesn’t What if this doesn’t work?work?

Mentorship is a dynamic concept and Mentorship is a dynamic concept and process: as your career develops, process: as your career develops, yours and your mentor’s should yours and your mentor’s should change pari passu as appropriate to change pari passu as appropriate to your respective stages of your respective stages of development and independencedevelopment and independence

Do not hesitate to re-negotiate the Do not hesitate to re-negotiate the relationship as you grow or relationship as you grow or terminate it (without procrastination) terminate it (without procrastination) if it is not working or is dysfunctionalif it is not working or is dysfunctional

What will be your What will be your index and reward for index and reward for being a successful being a successful mentee?mentee?You will be sought as a You will be sought as a MENTOR!!! --- this could MENTOR!!! --- this could happen sooner than you happen sooner than you think (students, next think (students, next year’s fellows, et al.)year’s fellows, et al.)

The need for mentorship The need for mentorship never ends ….never ends ….If you are fortunate, like If you are fortunate, like me at the end of your me at the end of your career you will have a career you will have a “wall of mentors” who “wall of mentors” who look down on you every look down on you every day in your officeday in your office

Mine includes ….Mine includes ….

Robert G. Petersdorf MD

Paul Beeson: Paul Beeson: “William Osler of the “William Osler of the latter 20latter 20thth Century” Century”

Dr. Paul Beeson: Dr. Paul Beeson: Distinguished Physician, SeattleDistinguished Physician, Seattle VA Medical Center 1908 - 2006VA Medical Center 1908 - 2006