Strategic and Sustainable Mentoring Relationships

This week I participated in a conversation around mentoring with faculty, and it reminded me of the importance of not only finding mentors and mentoring others, but also the importance of being strategic in forming mutually beneficial and sustainable mentoring relationships.  

Below are some considerations as you plan your mentoring circle:

Focus on your needs
Although, there seem to be those people that just seem right to seek out as a mentor, take some time to really assess your mentorship needs. Are you looking for guidance or support within your specific research field? Are you looking for moral support and advice from another academic who has shared your unique position? Or, are you looking for someone to provide insight as you navigate the tenure process? Likely, you have multiple needs. So being clear on what they are can help you identify the right person for each need.

Do a test run
Instead of introducing yourself and asking someone if they will be your mentor, it's a good idea to introduce yourself to a potential mentor and work to build some rapport with them. Remember, you're asking a mentor to invest at least time in you, so you want them to know you and your potential before you ask. Once you've gotten to know your prospective mentor, try asking for their help or a small commitment from them. Perhaps ask them to review a grant proposal or an article for feedback or take them to coffee and ask their advice on something. This way you and the mentor can get a sense of how you might work together before you ask them to make the larger commitment of being a mentor.

Consider the return
As mentioned, you are asking a mentor to make an investment in you, so it's important that they see the value in this mentoring relationship. Sure, your mentor is likely paying it forward, and does not expect an equal give/take relationship, but you must make sure that you're easy to work with and respectful of their time. Come to meetings with agendas and make sure you stick to agreed time limits for meetings. Also, be sure to acknowledge your mentors when you receive accolades for your own work. Offering additional visibility to mentors may not be something they expect, but it shows your appreciation for their investment in you and offers something back.

As with any relationship, it is wise to work on developing clear communication and expectations with your mentors. Be clear on what you're hoping to do and what you'd like their support for, and make sure you understand their expectations of you and the relationship as well.

Resources:

8 Tips For an Amazing Mentor Relationship - Forbes
Mentoring: An Essential Leadership Skill - MindTools

Spring 2021 ORDE e-Seminars

 As we embark on spring semester, I wanted to share the ORDE e-seminar schedule. All of our seminars are open to faculty and postdocs on the CU Denver and Anschutz Medical Campus. Please register here.

February

NIH K Award Grant Planning

Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 12:00 – 2:15 pm

Faculty Experts: Amy Wachholtz, Associate Professor of Psychology; Sarah Clark, Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology; Giuseppe Giannotti, Postdoctoral Fellow, Anethesiology; Seth Creasy, Assistant Professor, Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes; Stacey L. Simon, Associate Professor, Pediatrics

During this working seminar, you will learn about the NIH’s K award grant programs, as well as strategies for approaching these unique grants. You will learn tactics and experiences from past K awardees and have an opportunity to get feedback on your K plan from your peers and awardees.

Know Your Agency: National Endowment for the Humanities

Thursday, February 18, 2021, 12:00 – 1:30 pm

Guest Expert: Judith Adkins, Program Officer, Division of Research Programs, National Endowment for the Humanities

In the Know Your Agency e-seminars, we feature a specific agency and ask an agency insider to give an overview of the agency and offer some of the nuances that might not be readily available on the website or program announcement. These seminars also offer an opportunity for investigators interested in applying to the agency the chance to ask questions of someone more experienced with the agency.

NSF CAREER Award Grant Planning

Tuesday, February 23, 2021, 12:00 – 1:30 pm

Faculty Experts: Chelsea Magin, Assistant Professor, Pulmonary Engineering

During this e-seminar, you will learn about the NSF CAREER program and what it takes to develop a competitive proposal for this grant. A recent CAREER awardee will discuss their experience applying for the CAREER and offer strategies for applying.

March

Successful Research Collaborations

Tuesday, March 16, 2021, 12:00 – 1:30 pm

Faculty Expert: Brianne Bettcher, Associate Professor, School of Medicine; Hillary Lum, Associate Professor, School of Medicine

In this e-seminar, participants will learn best practices for building a collaborative research team and facilitating a productive and innovative collaborative research project. We’ll discuss ways to develop and manage trust, diversity, and communication within your research team.

Managing Your Biosketch with ORCID & SciENcv

Thursday, March 25, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 pm

Experts: Carol Achziger, Research Services Senior Personnel; Wladimir Labeikovski, Bioinformationist, Strauss Health Sciences Library; Kelly McCusker, Research Support Librarian, Auraria Library

To remain competitive in this research grants climate, it is important for PIs to put their best foot forward in every aspect of their proposal as well as their research profile. Using ORCID and SciENcv are tools that can help facilitate just this. Join us for this e-seminar to learn how to both setup and manage your ORCID account and use it with SciENcv (important in NSF, NIH, and other agency submissions). We’ll offer a tutorial and troubleshoot frequent hang ups in these systems.

April

Submitting Clear & Compelling Publications

Thursday, April 8, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00

Faculty Expert: Stephanie Santorico, Professor, Mathematics

In this e-seminar, you will learn strategies for conveying your research well in publications, along with selecting a journal, and moving through the review and resubmission process efficiently and successfully.

Know Your Agency: NIMHD

April TBD, 12:00 – 1:00

Faculty Expert: Spero Manson, Professor, Colorado School of Public Health

In this e-seminar, a seasoned PI, funded by the National Institute of Minority Health Disparities (NIMHD), will discuss NIMHD’s priorities, and offer strategies for applying to NIMHD.

Strategic Research Planning in 2021 and Beyond

Unless you were living on another planet, 2020 probably threw you for a loop in terms of everything including your research. And, of course, we're not out of the proverbial woods yet, but it is important to reflect on your work from 2020, conduct a bit of a SWOT analysis, and begin planning for 2021. So, below I offer a map for research planning for 2021 and beyond!

SWOT your research

A SWOT analysis refers to an assessment of your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It is frequently used in organizations as they work to develop or revise their strategic plan, but there is no reason that we shouldn't also use it as researchers. So on a whiteboard or on your computer, create a list for each SWOT category. Consider your body of work now. What are the strengths of your research? What niche are you filling? What's unique about your research that contributes to its strength? Next, consider weaknesses. Are there holes in your research? Are there concerns about your approach or methods? After you've assessed your research, it's time to assess the landscape. Begin with opportunities. Although the pandemic is likely going to fall into your threats category, perhaps it has offered some opportunities. Is there a way that you can pivot some of your research goals to respond to the questions and calls for research we've seen during the pandemic? Lastly, consider threats to your research agenda. Certainly 2020 manifested many threats to most folks' research, but certainly moving forward, what are other threats to your research, including and beyond the pandemic.

Revisit your long-term goal

After assessing your research and the landscape, it's time to re-focus on your long-term research goal. If you haven't already, identify your ultimate research goal. What do you want to have accomplished in 5-10 years? What do you, as a researcher, want to be known for? This long-term goal setting or refocusing will help you to keep your planning and work in line and keep you from spinning your wheels or moving into unproductive tangents.

Create an annual plan

Once you've set your sights further into the future, it's time to focus on the now and the near future. Take your long-term goal and benchmark what needs to happen yearly to get you there. This will bring you down to what you need to accomplish in 2021 to stay on track. Once you have your annual goal, you can repeat the process to identify things like what projects do you need to complete? Which do you need to start? Which publications need to be submitted or revised? And, what grants do you need to apply for to keep the wheels turning on your research? As you answer these questions, you'll be able to map out a timeline that will serve as the skeleton for your annual plan. 

Consider your day-to-day

You've re-affirmed your goals and you know where you're going! As we are in the season of new year's resolutions and re-committing to good habits, consider your work habits. Identify when you are going to write. You might need to block time on your calendar, make a commitment to "touch" your work daily, or leave yourself bread crumbs in your writing so that it's easier to pick up where you left off. These daily practices and micro-goals can allow you to maintain your research productivity.

Take a break and give yourself grace

Lastly, 2020 has been difficult, and although we're optimistic about 2021, there are still more hard times ahead. Burnout is a real threat to researchers, especially right now, so as you are planning for the year ahead, be sure to include selfcare in that plan. And, when things don't go as you hoped, take a break and give yourself the grace and space you need before coming back around and forging ahead.

Resources:

The Nine Best Articles on Productivity in Research

30 Tips for Successful Academic Research and Writing