Becoming a Master Mentor
W. Brad Johnson, PhD
“To have a mentor is to be among the
blessed. Not to have a mentor is to be
damned to eternal oblivion or at least to
a mid-level status” (Halcomb, 1980)
Outcomes for Mentees
Better Job (or, academic) Performance
More involvement in professional org’s
More networking and job opportunities
Greater satisfaction with organization/program
Lower attrition rates
Stronger sense of professional identity
Higher productivity
More likely to mentor others
Greater Career Eminence (Nobel Prize)
National Science Foundation (2000)
Engagement with a
faculty mentor through
the medium of research
can be especially
transformational for
women, minority group
students, and first
generation college
students.
Mentoring:
Operational Definition
MENTORING A DYNAMIC,
RECIPROCAL, PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP IN WHICH A
MORE EXPERIENCED PERSON
(MENTOR) ACTS AS A GUIDE,
ROLE MODEL, TEACHER, AND
SPONSOR OF A LESS
EXPERIENCED PERSON
(MENTEE).
Role-Model? Advisor? Mentor?
One can be an advisor/supervisor without being
a mentor (and vice-versa).
Advisor/Supervisor = the psychologist with the
greatest responsibility for guiding a student
through his or her academic program or clinical
training.
What are the contours between roles?
Few researchers carefully define the terms.
Mentoring = a quality not a category
Johnson (2014)
Distinctive Elements of Mentoring
Reciprocity, collegiality, authenticity, and mutuality.
Provision of both career and psychosocial mentoring
functions.
Intentional role modeling.
A safe harbor for self-exploration.
Transformation in the trainee’s professional identity.
A connection that endures beyond the formal role
assignment.
691 Navy Admirals (2000)
Navy Admiral
Mentoring 2/3 had important mentors
Study Mean = 3.5
Most initiated by Mentor
“My mentor was my Commanding
Officer. He took an interest in me
and supported me through the
rest of my career.”
“The mentor relationship lasted
far into retirement, and ended
when he died a year ago. I was
devastated.”
2014 Gallup Purdue Index Report (N = 30,000)
22% I had a mentor who encouraged me to pursue my
goals and dreams
27% My professors at college cared about me as a person
2015 Purdue University
administrators announced their plans to make mentoring
undergraduate students a point of emphasis in tenure
reviews.
Prevalence in Psychology?
Johnson et al. (2000) – Psychology Doctorates
Experimental psychology – 69%
Clinical Psychology – 53%
Clark et al. (2000) – Clinical Psychology Doctorates
PhD programs – 73%
PsyD programs – 56%
Lunsford (2012) – All Doctorates (Research I)
57%
Atkinson et al. (1991, 1994); Harden et al. (2009)
No significant race or gender effects
Obstacles to a Mentoring Culture
Promotion Criteria
Time demands
Lack of reward(s)
Competitive culture
Distance from
colleagues
Few Role Models
Benefits to Mentors?
Research-Supported Benefits for Mentors
Intrinsic Rewards:
Greater career satisfaction, creative synergy,
rejuvenation, generativity.
Extrinsic Rewards:
Acceleratedresearch productivity, greater
networking, professional recognition for talent
development, awards, bonuses, release
time…?
Mentoring and the Dead
Obituaries of Eminent
Psychologists
4th most common theme
in obituaries =
“Inspirational
Teacher/Mentor”
The Elements of Mentoring
Know Thy Mentee
Take Time with
mentees.
Be accessible and
available.
Identify mentee’s
talents and strengths
and communicate
these insights
clearly.
Spend time
discovering areas for
further development.
Discerning “the Dream”
Primary Task of Young
Adulthood
The Dream = fledgling
career and life
aspirations.
The Dream often has the
quality of a vision or an
imagined possibility
that generates
excitement in the
mentee.
Affirm, Affirm, Affirm
Perhaps the
“greatest” mentor
function.
Imposter Syndrome
Be consistent &
unconditional.
Discern and affirm
the “dream.”
Gently shape and
redirect unrealistic
aspirations.
Be a Teacher & Coach
Early, explicit
teaching may help.
Demonstrate
complex tasks.
“Teaching
moments.”
Give the Inside Scoop
Demystify the
“System.”
Give the political “lay
of the land.”
Avoid Gossiping or
undermining
colleagues.
Offer Counsel in Difficult Times
Stand ready to
Counsel.
Don’t become a
counselor.
Offer warmth and
kindness but practice
the art of referral
when needed.
Stimulate Growth: Challenge
Deliberately
challenge.
When challenging,
use the principle of
titration.
Exposure is the only
answer to anxiety.
Self Disclose (When Appropriate)
Disclose as a means
of teaching,
reassuring, and
connecting.
Who is benefiting?
Offer a coping, not
a mastery model.
Allow Increasing Mutuality
Accept and
encourage gradually
increasing
friendship.
Increasing
collegiality is
validating for
mentees.
Respect preferences
for hierarchical
structure.
Provide Sponsorship
Match opportunities
to your mentee’s
“dream.”
Use status and
influence to open
doors.
Share power
judiciously
Protect When Necessary
Mentees sometimes
need intervention.
Respond clearly but
calmly to injustice.
Use this function
sparingly (the bully
factor).
Narrate Growth and Development
Point out milestones
and successes.
Help mentees step
back and appreciate
their progress.
Practice Humility & Patience
Remain non-
defensive and open to
feedback.
Nobody wants a
“perfect” mentor…
Humble mentors
model fallibility w/o
shame.
Patience & EQ
Creating a Mentorship Schema
The Relational Cache
“High-quality mentoring
relationships are not
only built on relational
skills, they may also
generate the relational
skills needed to build
other high-quality
relationships” (Ragins,
2012)
Can Men mentor Women??
Examples
Listen!
Don’t assume
Encourage her to put
her name forward
Be honest and direct
It’s OK to cry
Affirm that she
belongs
Be attuned to
outside perceptions
CREATING A
MENTORING CULTURE
HOW CAN PSYCHOLOGISTS
HELP TO PREPARE
TRAINEES FOR MENTORING
ROLES AND FACILITATE
MENTORING?
Formal vs. Informal?
Most faculty prefer
informal “chemistry.”
BUT,
Informal models
result in lower rates
of mentorship.
Many formal
programs show
significant positive
outcomes.
Who is Competent to Mentor?
Character? Abilities? Competencies?
Can all professors mentor well?
Assumptions of Competence & Benevolence…
Who is training and screening mentors?
What is the impact of neglectful or abusive
mentoring?
Desirable Mentor Attributes
Empathy, Warmth, Patience
Listening & Communication Skill
Enjoy Helping Others
Role Model for Valued Behaviors
Accessible!
Credible & Knowledgeable
Widely Connected (Networked)
Trustworthy/Ethical
RESEARCH: Takes Initiative!
Master Mentor Program at Hopkins
Mission/Vision: The Master Mentor program is
designed to create cohorts of experienced and well-trained
expert mentors of junior faculty who are maximally
effective at enhancing the career trajectory of their
mentees. These Master Mentors are a resource that can
help other faculty develop and enhance interpersonal skills
for optimal mentor-mentee interactions. Successful Master
Mentors will accelerate the advancement of their mentees
and elevate the quality of mentorship throughout their
divisions/departments by providing a constant role model
of the best mentoring possible.
Creating a “best-fit” Structure
Traditional Mentorship
Team Mentorship (2-3)
1st Year Cohort Teams
Mentor Vertical Teams
Peer Mentorship
External Mentorship
Constellation Approach
1-1 or “Constellations?”
Traditional Mentor-
Mentee Model may be
outdated
Constellations &
Developmental Networks
Groups, peers, secondary
mentors, e-mentoring,
famous mentors
FINAL QUESTIONS?
PARTING THOUGHTS?
