Key Strategies for Mentoring: Part I

Worksop Presentation: High quality mentoring is an important predictor of persistence for researchers pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields and can influence the confidence of historically underrepresented trainees' ability to successfully conduct research. Despite this, mentors typically do not receive any training on how to optimize their mentoring relationships. In this interactive workshop, mentors will engage in case studies, activities and small-group discussions aimed to accelerate the acquisition of the mentoring skills and insights needed to cultivate effective mentee-mentor relationships. In part I of this interactive workshop, mentors will discuss the challenges of misaligned expectations and explore the use of mentoring compacts to convey expectations in a transparent and equitable manner. Mentors will also complete a communication style inventory and explore ways to optimize communication in their mentoring relationships. Through the workshop, participating mentors will learn new approaches from each other as they work through mentoring challenges, reflect upon their mentoring experiences, and refine their individual approaches to mentoring. Workshop leaders will provide concrete tools and strategies mentors can incorporate into their practice and extrapolate to their own context. Through this process, participants are expected to gain confidence in proactively working with students from diverse backgrounds.