Mentoring: A Time-Honored Tradition Changes Over Time

Throughout his academic career, Frank Brown, a 29-year-old, fourth-year medical student at the University of Southern California, has sought--and heeded--the counsel of mentors. "When I'm groping for answers, I believe the best way to make a decision is to talk to people who have already been through the process," he says. When Brown was an undergraduate, he considered being a physical therapist, but his adviser, a professor of chemistry, encouraged him to get his Ph.D. and do research. Later on, Brown was in a quandary as to whether to go to graduate school or medical school. In the summer of 1986, he enrolled in a program sponsored by Harvard University in which he worked side by side with a physician, who helped him clarify his career goals. "There are so many wonderful professionals out there who are eager to help--to show you the ropes, or to help you get invaluable hands-on experience--that I'd be foolish not to tap into these resources," Brown says. Mentoring is a longstanding tradition in science. Indeed, one of the unwritten rules of the profession is that senior scientists have an obligation to offer a helping hand to their junior colleagues so they can take up their mantles, ensuring the continuity of the highest standards within the field. "I have an informal mentoring relationship with the woman scientist for whom I work," says Reitha Weeks, a molecular immunologist with the Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. Pharmaceutical Research Institute in Seattle. "She's always giving me little tidbits of information on how to survive in the company atmosphere--strategies for making your projects known, who I should introduce myself to--that are invaluable. And I learn a great deal just from watching her interact with others." A Scientific Tradition Mentoring is a time-honored way to ease the process by which promising newcomers get ahead, and for old-timers to leave some kind of legacy. Study after study underscore the key role mentoring plays in career development: Professionals whose careers have been nurtured by mentors--and who have been pushed to their full potential by them--achieve much more than those of equal talent who haven't had the benefit of a powerful sponsor cheering them on. Probably the best-known study of mentoring was reported by Daniel J. Levinson in The Seasons of a Man's Life (New York, Ballantine Books, 1978). Another landmark treatise is Rosabeth Moss Kanter's Men and Women of the Corporation (New York, Basic Books, 1977). But the world has changed dramatically in the past decade, and so has mentoring. The way in which the process has worked traditionally--a lifelong relationship between an older, experienced researcher who enhances the career of a younger colleague--is no longer the norm. Today, few scientists stay at one institution or company long enough to mentor, or be mentored by, one person for any great length of time. Nor is long-term mentoring really necessary: Science has become so diversified and specialized that novices like Frank Brown need multiple mentors, each one facilitating the neophyte's advancement at different stages of his or her career. A demographic change in science has also altered the mentoring process: The number of white males taking up scientific careers has decreased, while more women and minorities have entered the profession. Consequently, in order to ensure that the pool of talented young people remains constant, it has become crucial for older, white, male scientists to become comfortable mentoring people who are not carbon copies of themselves, according to Bernice Sandler, a senior associate with the Center for Women Policy Studies in Washington, D.C., and a nationally known expert on the subject of mentoring. "We tend to mentor our clones," says Sandler. "Consequently, white men are less likely to mentor women or minorities. So members of these two groups fail to get the feedback and attention crucial to their professional development. But some men are learning to conquer their discomfort." Women and minorities, she says, "need to know there are good men out there who are supportive." Says Mary Fillmore, director of Changing Work, a Boston-based consulting firm specializing in employee development, "Mentoring for diversity is a lot more interesting, and it has the potential to help organizations make changes they have to in the next 20 to 30 years. "There's a lot of capable professionals who recognize the need to be mentors. But they may hesitate to do so because they're afraid it will take up too much time, or that their overtures might be misinterpreted, or simply because they don't know what it entails." Sharing Wisdom The first step in becoming an effective mentor, experts say, is understanding what the mentoring process is all about, and recognizing you don't need to be a superstar to mentor someone; people at every level can mentor those below them. Moreover, mentoring isn't restricted to just a one-on-one relationship. You can be part of a panel of people that mentors a group in preparation for a series of lectures on professional development, for example, or run private tutorials for a small group of students over the period of a semester. What effective mentoring boils down to, says Stephanie Bird, a lecturer in bioethics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and president of the Washington, D.C.-based Association for Women in Science (AWIS), is "sharing the wisdom you've gained in getting to where you are at--which oftentimes is information we don't realize is important--plus possessing the generosity of spirit to be willing to take the time to share that knowledge with someone else." One of the best things a mentor can do for someone under his or her wing, career-guidance specialists say, is to expose the fledgling to the politics of the profession--the kind of inside knowledge that is essential to building a career. The questions neophytes will ask--which may seem elementary to the seasoned veteran-- run the gamut from professional to personal. Among the most common concerns are: How does one find out about job openings? What are a department's formal and informal criteria for tenure? Which fields in science are expanding or contracting? What areas of research get the most funding? What professional societies should young scientists join? Which conferences and meetings should they attend? How can they organize their time more efficiently? What should their priorities be to advance in their profession? What is the most efficient way to combine family with career? Will taking six months off to have a baby sidetrack a woman scientist's work? Says Bird, "Telling newcomers that publishing in journal X is far more prestigious than publishing in journal Y, or what's a good thesis topic, or what they should accomplish when they attend a scientific meeting, or how to select their thesis committee can be invaluable." Experts say listening is as important as giving advice. "You need to get to know proteges and their needs," says Betty Peerce, a former electrical engineering instructor at the Florida Institute of Technology who served as an adviser for mentoring programs for the Society of Women Engineers. "And if you listen long enough, they usually come up with their own solutions, which they are much more likely to follow." Equally important is giving junior colleagues constructive criticism, praise, and perspective--not only about their work, but also about the impression they make on other members of the profession. "This is especially significant for women and minorities, who are perceived as being outside of the traditional network," says Fillmore. While Fillmore notes that pointing out things that may be impeding a novice's progress "requires some sensitivity," it's crucial for neophyte researchers to be made aware of things they may do wrong, or unwritten taboos they may unwittingly violate, such as approaching senior scientists in the wrong way, acting unprofessionally at scientific meetings--or even dressing inappropriately. Finding Each Other Finding a protege or mentor normally isn't all that difficult. Informal relationships can be established between a senior scientist and a student or colleague. Alternatively, researchers can participate in one of several structured mentoring programs that have cropped up in the past few years and are geared toward those in science who are often excluded from the traditional mentoring networks. This past summer, for example, Frank Brown, the USC medical student who had participated in the Harvard undergraduate mentoring program, and an African American, took part in another such endeavor sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based philanthropic foundation (The Scientist, Oct. 29, 1990, page 24). This program pairs minority medical school students with mentors who are academic researchers. Brown was undecided about whether to pursue academic medicine or go into private practice. He clarified his career objectives after doing a research project in the laboratory of Carole Spencer, an associate professor of medicine at USC who is testing new methods of measuring the levels of certain hormones. "Working one-on-one with Carole gave me a real taste of how to do an investigation," says Brown. "It familiarized me with the whole process: how to set up an experiment, how to write it all up, and how to hone and present my data at a scientific meeting. "All of this is the bread and butter of academic medicine, and I think I'm better off than many of my classmates because of this experience." AWIS also has a mentoring program, directed at college women who are considering careers in science. The program is being funded by a three-year, $400,000 grant from the New York-based Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. "The purpose of the project is to help young women enter the sciences and to achieve their career goals," says Catherine Didion, executive director of AWIS. Local AWIS chapters sponsor receptions at area universities, where undergraduates can sign up for a mentor. The pairings are based upon the students' stated goals and their scientific disciplines. "This program is designed to counteract the many societally embedded cues that discourage women from pursuing their interests in science," says AWIS president Bird. "We need to address stereotypes and help each other overcome the obstacles that keep us from reaching our full potential." The mentoring relationship can be ongoing, or it can consist of sporadic contact over the course of a year. "I've brought a couple of prot‚g‚s down to my lab, to AWIS meetings, or out to lunch. It really depends on what they're looking for, and my schedule," says Katherine Gollahon, a molecular biologist at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Seattle. Aside from being a role model and dispensing pointers on such things as interviewing techniques or where to look for summer jobs, the most valuable service she has performed for her female charges is a realistic glimpse into the life of a woman in science, says Gollahon, who adds that juggling a career and personal responsibilities is harder for women than for men. "Sometimes you have to make choices you might not think are fair," she says. "But even so, I still love what I do." Establishing A Partnership While programs such as the ones offered by AWIS and the Commonwealth Fund are becoming more numerous, informal relationships between seasoned scientists and their younger colleagues constitute the more traditional type of mentoring. Such pairings usually evolve in a casual way between professor and student, supervisor and staffer, or senior scientists and junior colleagues who get together through professional meetings or other gatherings. Experienced mentors say the key factor in the development of such relationships is rapport. "Mentors and proteges should look for someone they like personally," says Fillmore. "Otherwise, their motivation will flag." Bernice Sandler urges budding researchers seeking a mentor to "take the initiative. Don't wait for them to make an approach. Be pleasant, but be persistent." Sandler suggests that would-be research professionals introduce themselves to potential mentors in a professional setting--whether it's after a class or at a meeting. Ask for help with your work; let the potential mentor know you would appreciate any feedback he or she can give you. Try to become a research or teaching assistant, junior collaborator, intern, or some type of apprentice, so that guidance will flow naturally. Volunteer to serve on a committee with the potential mentor; a relationship may develop through collaboration on a specific project. Or invite him or her to lecture your class or group. "Just be sure that the mentor you pick believes wholeheartedly in your abilities," Sandler says. On the other side of the equation, if you'd like to be a mentor, there are ways of doing it effectively without sacrificing too much of your valuable time. Determine what it is you want to do, and set limits on what you are willing to give. "It helps to inventory and categorize exactly what information you have to offer a prot‚g‚," suggests Bird. Be specific about what your objectives are in the relationship; for example, whether you want to help the younger scientist finish a research project, present a paper at a scientific meeting, or help him or her develop certain skills. It's also important to be clear on how much contact is comfortable. Perhaps you can meet only for lunch once a month, or maybe you would prefer just checking in over the phone for a few minutes every week. Bear in mind, too, that mentoring is a dynamic relationship that will change over time. Boundaries How much should a mentor intervene in matters of import to a disciple's career? Experts say that's a judgment call. But the key point to remember is these junior researchers really are colleagues, not children. You can't spoon-feed them, and you don't have any real control over their careers. All you can do is offer suggestions, outline the consequences of each course of action, and allow them to make their own choices. Lori Richey is a case in point. Richey, 33, is a research technician at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Two years ago, she participated in AWIS's mentoring program and was paired with, as her professional guide, the VA Medical Center's Katherine Gollahon. "Spending time with Katy was a heavy dose of reality," says Richey, who has since decided not to attend graduate school. "It gave me a good idea of how in-depth I wanted my career to be. I could see with Katy that science was her life. I do want to move forward--but I don't want the move forward to consume my life." Engaging in the mentor-subject relationship with a member of another race or the opposite sex, consultant Fillmore asserts, requires an enhanced sensitivity. "There can be a residue of unconscious racism or sexism among intellectual people who believe they've left all of that behind," she says. "But in talking with, say, a black person or a woman about the daily realities of their careers, the discrimination is so obvious. And this can really change the way some of these white males behave themselves." Fillmore says that as many coach-subject relationships develop, "mentors often change as much as the proteges. Being forced to articulate a lot of unconscious experience they've accumulated over the years gives them a much greater awareness about their own career development and their own skills." Linda Marsa is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.

Mentoring: A Time-Honored Tradition Changes Over Time

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of