With the title of this blog post, it sounds like it is going to include of course some evolution and psychology principles to it (I am sure that Mom will approve 🙂 ). The question that keeps coming up in Psychology of course is the argument of nature versus nurture as Steven Pinker describes or in other words nature and nuture, this continues to be a topic of conversation in academic circles. However, when it comes to mentoring, the same question applies in many different arenas, including athletics and academics. Is it best to have the right environment and circumstances to perform at the highest level of competition? Is it best to have a mentor that nutures success and coaches their students to academic greatness?
Besides research and teaching, one of the fundamental roles a professor has to take on is mentoring. This is especially key when going on in the PhD program – understanding how to frame and write a research study and literature review to how to best position oneself as a unique scholar who can contribute to the academic field are just a few things that need to be explained to PhD students by fellow professors. Without the proper mentoring, these students may become lost, which is a shame.
These students are going to be leading the way in the academic field to greatness, and they need to be coached along the way with best practices and lessons learned from previous experiences. While having the right environment and resources is key, what is also important is guiding these individuals along the way in a consistent and proactive manner. There needs to be a balance between the two. Here are some lessons that I have taken away from both my track and academic experiences.
- Provide the right tools for the right situation: Setting up a positive and energetic learning environment is key – making sure to have the right tools and resources available is key for proper mentoring. Whether it is about setting up a place to have brainstorming sessions (for me – it was making sure to have plenty of coffee and calorie-free 🙂 chocolate on hand for students) or making sure that they have the resources that they need to move forward – it is all about making sure that these elements are addressed.
- “Two there always are – a master and an apprentice:” Star Wars has some great lines in their movies, but it does serve as a point. PhD students are indeed apprentices where they take the opportunity to learn, explore, and expand their horizons in their knowledge and skills base in a particular profession. Sometimes at the end of the process, it is hard to tell the difference between who exactly is the master and who is the apprentice.
- Share the spotlight, don’t dominate it: There were some coaches in track and field that felt that they were the “stars” and not the athletes in competition. You do see this in academic families as well – but the key is – it is about sharing the spotlight, not dominating it. Praise your students for their contributions to the research, highlight their findings and lines of research, and encourage them to mentor other students in the process.
- Share best practices and lessons to help address challenges: I have told students many times that it is key to make sure to do a little bit of work each day, which has worked for me. In addition, hard work and dedication combined with talent and in-depth knowledge about particular subjects is the ultimate winning combination. In addition, helping students set up a personal blog, talk about working abroad and doing an international internship, discuss potential research ideas are just a few ways to help address these.
- Promote “pay-it-forward” mentality: Best way to learn how to mentor is to show people how to mentor and advise others while creating a dynamic and positive atmosphere. Encourage others to help each other and brainstorm research questions or studies with others outside the classroom, and nuture them along in the process by providing feedback and suggestions. I have had the opportunity to have both of my parents be a large part of this throughout my track and academic careers. Learning from Mom and Dad in both of these areas has helped me become the person I am today. 🙂
- Taking a backseat for research / work / athletics and give credit when credit is due: While publications and conference papers are important for tenure and promotion, it should be on work that is both individual in nature as well as collaborative. Working with PhD students on joint projects is key, but making sure to give credit when credit is due is absolutely important. If a student has a great idea for a research project, they should get credit for the work. If the student comes up with a new perspective or way of thinking in a particular discipline, their accomplishments should be acknowledged in the community. As a mentor, you want your student’s work to speak for itself and not be high jacked in the process.
- Help me help you – but don’t ask for incentives: Helping others is very rewarding, especially students. I am always excited to see former and current students excel both in school and in the profession – it is very fabulous. Do I get a gold medal for mentoring? No. Do I get an extra incentive for all of this advice and mentoring? Of course not – but there are some professors that feel that they are entitled to some. My advice is if people think this way – if you don’t want to mentor the future professionals in the discipline, why did you get into academia? Same thing goes for coaching – some coaches feel this way about their work and feel entitled to get all of the glory, but the best ones are mentoring and coaching to help another.
Anyway, these are just a few of my thoughts on the subject. In summary, mentoring is a key component for all professions and disciplines- from athletics to academics to the professional workplace. Taking the time to educate, train, and mentor others is not only rewarding and helpful for the field, but it is a way to contribute and pay back to the profession for the future. Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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