Be a Mentor Who Matters

Far from being an additional chore, mentoring younger scientists can be extremely rewarding.

AsianScientist (Sep. 25, 2017) – These are some of the things I remember about my Masters research project: scribbling dilution calculations in my notebook, labelling countless eppendorf tubes, waiting for the indicator dye to turn pink signalling a positive reaction… and Linda.

Slim-built with shoulder-length straw blond hair, Linda was the supervisor assigned to me during my placement at the Forensic Science Service in London. My time there is colored by my memory of her—listening attentively as I described what was happening in the lab, smiling as I talked about my plans for the summer. Linda made the research seem surmountable, and made me feel like I was capable of carrying it out and getting results to boot.

Yet it’s only years later, as I’m writing this column, that I’ve stopped to consider what made Linda more than just a supervisor to me, to reflect on the qualities she possessed that transformed her into a good, if not great, mentor.

Guiding younger and more inexperienced lab members is one of the many roles scientists assume as they move up the ranks. Far from being another responsibility to bear, mentoring is an experience many senior scientists embrace and find meaning in. This month, I explore how to be a good mentor, and speak to engineering researcher Dr. Yu Xia, winner of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research’s (A*STAR) Most Inspiring Mentor Award in 2015.

Whether you’ve been mentoring for years, or are just about to take on your first student, consider these top tips:

  1. Start on the right foot
  2. Apart from working out the logistics of where and when to meet, and how frequently to do so, it’s important to take time to talk about your mentee’s expectations. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of Science, recommends setting aside time from the outset to discuss boundaries and goals. Goals can be broad and expansive (such as how your student hopes her career will develop), or narrower (like how she can go about completing specific science-related tasks in the lab).

    Starting off with the right project is also crucial to building later success.

    “This is where your wisdom and experience come into play,” writes the AAAS, because finding the right project can “build your mentee’s confidence… while preparing her with skills for the longer-term research studies that may be both riskier and more difficult.”

    By setting the stage for some early wins, you can help sustain confidence and interest over the long run.

  3. Create a safe space for growth
  4. Part of being a mentor means serving as a role model for your student. Professionalism is important—keep all discussions with your mentee confidential. You want her to feel comfortable sharing a unprecedented new idea, expressing concern over experimental roadblocks and the like in a way that she wouldn’t otherwise be able to a larger setting of scientists. Your office, or wherever your meetings occur, should be a safe place where your mentee can feel free to ask questions and discuss doubts, without fear of reprisal or judgement.

    Helping a student grow into a capable and confident researcher requires is a delicate balance. On the one hand, you need to provide guidance by sharing your expertise in the field—Yu describes this as “providing technical advice with academic soundness”—but at the same time, you don’t want to mollycoddle them.

    Resist the urge to jump in and make decisions for your mentee. Instead, ask probing questions, challenge ideas, inculcate persistence, encourage innovative solutions and responsible risk-taking. Give young researchers the freedom to pursue ideas, but gently rein them in when they are off track.

  5. Be interested, be a friend
  6. A key aspect to being a good mentor, says Yu, is to ask yourself whether you are willing to “spend personal time on mentorship as it requires lots of patience.” Beyond caring about their work and results in the lab, it’s important to take a genuine interest in their lives beyond the bench. A mentee’s productivity may be affected by many factors may outside the lab, issues such as finding a work-life balance, fitting in and coping with a new culture following an international move.

    “A good mentor is a good listener… cares about every member’s ups and downs, and helps them as a friend,” says Yu.

    Keep the lines of communications open—email, SMS, Whatsapp, etc. provide many options nowadays—even if you can’t meet face to face, she says.

    So be more than a boss, be a friend. Speak to your mentee about her interests, ask her about her dreams, help her celebrate successes in and out of the lab. Let her know you have her back. Many a times, mentees grow to be become valued colleagues and collaborators as their careers progress, and many will remain lifelong friends even after they leave your lab.

  7. Share your network
  8. Science seeks to tackle many complex problems—innovation and breakthroughs are often a team effort, with collaborations a crucial step to accessing technologies and expertise beyond one’s lab. Many a time it’s who you know in the business, and helping your mentee expand her professional network can be a massive career boost.

    Introduce young researchers to visitors who come to your lab and give them the opportunity to talk about their work. Facilitate meetings with other scientists who you think might be valuable resources or potential collaborators. Invite mentees along for informal meals with colleagues. Encourage them to speak at seminars, propose conference sessions for them to participate in. Use your connections to help open as many doors as you possibly can for your mentee.

    And as you go about your mentoring journey, remember this quote: “The heart of mentoring isn’t about how much you keep for yourself, but how much you pour into others.”



This article is from a monthly column called Beyond The Bench. Click here to see the other articles in this series.

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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine; Photo: Shutterstock.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Sandy holds a BSc in life sciences, and masters degrees in both forensic science and journalism.

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