Academic Mentoring Programme for Clinical Scientists in - School of ...

Clinical Academic Mentoring Programme for Academic Trainees in theNorth West(Manchester Academic Health Science Centre/University ofManchester/North Western Postgraduate Deanery)Mentee Information GuideWelcomeAimsWhat is the role of a mentor?Getting the best from the mentoring relationshipMatching process for mentoringMeetingsProfessional and Ethical ConsiderationsSupport and TrainingEvaluation and Quality AssuranceContactsAppendix A: Giving FeedbackAppendix B: Receiving FeedbackWelcomeThis mentoring programme has been designed specifically to support all current andfuture clinical academic trainees (Medical and Dental) across the ManchesterAcademic Health Sciences (MAHSC) partnership. The mentoring programme is opento all those who wish to pursue or who are currently following the MAHSCIntegrated Clinical Academic Track including Academic Foundation Trainees, NIHRAcademic Clinical Fellows (ACF’s), Clinical MD/PhD Fellows and NIHR ClinicalLecturers (CL’s). The mentoring programme has the support of MAHSC (whichincludes the University of Manchester) and the North Western Deanery.If you decide to take part in the mentoring programme you will have access tomentors from a range of backgrounds and who have diverse experience andexpertise. You can also access on-going support from the Programme Lead andProgramme Administrator.The principles of the programme have been informed by the University’s‘Manchester Gold Mentoring’ scheme and the Academy of Medical Sciences’Mentoring scheme for postdoctoral clinical academics. The Academy of MedicalSciences’ booklet ‘Supporting tomorrow’s leaders today’ is a valuable resourceproviding testimonies of mentee-mentor relationships and outlining the principlesand purposes of mentoring.1

AimsThe overall aim of the programme is to provide a framework to support the personaland professional development of clinical academic trainees. As such, theprogramme is non-directive and enabling and provides mentees with theopportunity to evaluate options, make choices, plan their career paths and reflect ontheir personal development. An objective of the programme is to enrich menteeunderstanding of the breadth of research, resource, support and infrastructureacross MAHSC, the University and the North Western Deanery and thereby informtheir decision making.What is the role of a mentor?G. F. Shea in the book ‘Mentoring: A guide to the basics’, states;‘Mentors are people who, through their action and work, help others to achievetheir potential.’Mentoring is a development activity, which is firmly rooted in self managementenabling the mentee to:Foster self reliance, self confidence and a belief in their own potential;Identify their own development needs and goals;Write their own development plans;Solve problems by analysing, reflecting and enhancing their self awareness.Thus, the mentor acts as a conduit to self discovery and reflection and gives thementee space and time to make their own decisions. Although there are manydefinitions and practices of mentoring, a distinction is usually drawn betweenmentoring and other developmental processes, such as supervision and coaching, inthat the agenda is mentee driven. Furthermore the discussions are confidential andtake place outside any management process. As outlined for the Academy ofMedical Sciences mentoring scheme:A mentor does:Listen and give their time (see Appendix A for information on active listening)Support, encourage and challengeProvide a framework to look at options, to understand implications and toplan future actionShare experiences where relevantSignpost, if asked, to information and resources – including people/networksA mentor doesn’t:Collaborate on researchApply jointly for grant funding2

Get involved in matters relating to status, promotion or paymentsNormally provide referencesDirectly act on behalf of a menteeJudge the actions the mentee takesThe ideal mentor is therefore expected to be:Able to build and maintain relationships;Open, honest and trustworthy;Empathetic;Self aware;Flexible in their approach;Able to give and take constructive criticism (for information on the giving andreceiving of feedback see Appendix A and B);Willing to draw on their own experiences but not be directive in their approach.Getting the best from the mentoring relationshipMentoring is a two way process, but the mentee is expected to drive the relationshipforward. This means you’re establishing and maintaining contact with your mentor,being proactive and setting objectives for the programme. Your mentor hasvolunteered to take part in this programme and, although they may be busy, theyare committed to your development so don’t be afraid to contact them.As a mentee you should be prepared to:Enter the relationship with a clear set of objectives;Meet regularly in the early stages and commit to the investment required toensure that the mentoring relationship is effective. Avoid waiting for a problemto arise before contacting your mentor;Maintain momentum by meeting regularly and working on issues betweenmeetings;Protect time for meetings;Discuss issues openly;Be honest with yourself in terms of your strengths and areas for development;Learn and develop;Challenge your views, behaviours, assumptions and ways of working;Ask for and receive feedback;Reflect on your discussions with your mentor;Take responsibility for your career development;Be realistic in terms of what can be achieved;Address any difficulties with the relationship by discussing them with yourmentor;Accept your right to hold different opinions to those of your mentor;Accept that your mentor also has this right;3

Evaluate the usefulness of meetings and provide feedback to your mentor (formore information on the giving and receiving of feedback see Appendix A and B).Matching process for mentoringPotential mentees are encouraged to:Contact the Programme Administrator for details about the programmeConsider the issues a mentor might help them think throughAsk their supervisor and colleagues for suggestions of possible mentorsReview the online Mentor directory (link) and linked webpagesFill in the mentor request/nomination form (Mentor Request/NominationForm – LINK to form)Await guidance/approval from the Programme Administrator of yourrequest/nomination prior to making formal contact with a potential mentorMeetingsOnce a potential mentor has been approved, the mentee should arrange anexploratory meeting. This meeting is an opportunity for both mentee and mentor todecide whether the relationship has the potential to meet the career developmentneeds of the mentee, prior to any commitment being made by either party.In preparation for this meeting mentees are advised to identify:Their work and educational experiences so far;Their career aspirations and any knowledge, skills and experience they feel theyneed to achieve these;The skills, knowledge and experience they expect their mentor to have;What they expect to achieve from the mentoring relationship.At your first meeting you should explore and clarify mutual expectations of thementoring relationship. You may wish to agree a ‘contract’ or ‘agreement’ betweenyou. Consider the following issues during this meeting:Agreeing ground-rules on issues to be discussed, level of confidentiality, contactbetween meetings and any boundaries;What level of commitment is expected in terms of number, length and venue ofmeetings;How will you structure the meetings, do you want to agree an agenda in advanceor be more flexible;Will you record meetings/actions;How will you review the mentoring process;Re-visit your current skills, knowledge and experience and those of your mentor;What development activities you are currently undertaking;Your successes in terms of your career;4

What career goals/aspirations do you have? What knowledge, skills, experience,motivation and commitment will you need to achieve these;How can mentoring help you to achieve your aspirations;Any concerns you might have regarding the mentoring relationship and howthese might be addressed.This list is not exhaustive and you may wish to discuss other issues at the firstmeeting. Following this meeting you should produce a report of your meetingitemising the issues discussed and any agreed objectives and actions. If followingthis meeting it is clear that the mentee-mentor relationship is not going to bemutually beneficial then please contact the Programme Lead and alternatearrangements will be made as appropriate.Following this first meeting the mentoring programme does not specify how many orthe frequency of meetings you should have with your mentor and the format ofthose meetings. It is standard practice however that the mentee should be thedriver behind the mentoring relationship; therefore it is the mentee’s responsibilityto organise subsequent meetings well in advance and with appropriate courtesy.Prior to each subsequent meeting the mentee should:Consider the objectives for the meeting;Agree as to whether an agenda will be sent to their mentor before the meeting;Review what has happened between meetings and consider any changes toobjectives;Review the previous meeting and identify any actions/outcomes for discussion;Compile any information you will need in order to get the best from the meeting.Professional and Ethical ConsiderationsIn recognition of the professional status of the relationship and to ensure thatmentoring is effective and conducive to personal and professional development thefollowing guidelines must be followed:Meeting agendas are driven by the mentee;The fundamental principles of the programme are to be agreed at the start of therelationship;The mentor must ensure that any limits to confidentiality are agreed at the startof the relationship and that (outside these limits) confidentiality is not brokenunless agreed with their mentee;The mentor must recognise when the requirements of their mentee are outsidetheir level of expertise and be prepared to guide their mentee to alternativeappropriate resources;Both parties must abide by the policies of the University of Manchester and theNorth-Western Deanery (if appropriate);Either party can approach the programme lead if the mentoring relationship isnot working effectively;5

Neither party are to act in a discriminatory, harassing or bullying way;Neither party are to collude in any dishonest, unlawful or unprofessionalbehaviour;It is not the role of the mentor to ‘tell’ their mentee what to do;The mentor must ensure that any records or notes that they take are keptconfidential;The mentor must express any conflict of interest between their role as a mentorand any other role.Either party may refer to the following University policies/procedures if appropriate: Harassment, Discrimination and Bullying policy; Grievance procedure; Disciplinary policy.Support and TrainingSupport is available to mentors and mentees from the programme lead and theprogramme administrator.There is no mandatory training or assessment as part of this programme. However,training for mentors and mentees is available if requested and on a needs basis.Opportunities for groups of mentors to meet for consolidation, review andnetworking will be facilitated by the programme administrator on request.Evaluation and Quality AssuranceFeedback in the form of a questionnaire will be sought annually from mentees andmentors. Feedback and comments on the programme can however be submitted tothe programme administrator at any time. A review of the programme was carriedout in 2009 and based on the findings; changes were made to the programme asreflected in this guidance. A further formal review will be carried out in 2013.Contacts:Programme Lead:Professor Gillian Wallis (g.wallis@manchester.ac.uk)Programme Administrator:David Hauk (david.hauk@manchester.ac.uk)6

Appendix A: Giving FeedbackThe aim of constructive feedback is to improve the performance of the recipient.However, it can have the opposite effect when it is given badly. The followingguidelines are intended to help ensure that feedback is given in a constructive notdestructive way:Focus on the behaviour rather than judgements about the person.Example: ‘When you raised your voice at the meeting did you see the impact ithad on your colleagues?’ not ‘You were obviously angry in the meeting did yousee the impact on your colleagues?’If you focus on behaviour it is less likely that the recipient will react defensively.Use ‘I’ statements to accept responsibility for your own perceptions.Feedback is only your opinion after all and may be challenged.Be specific not general or vague.Example; ‘The report you produced for me was clear and concise and helped meto gain extra funding for the project’ not ‘That report you produced wasexcellent’.Focus on behaviour that the recipient can change.Feedback is about performance improvement so it is pointless to give feedbackon something which cannot be changed.Consider the needs of the person receiving the feedback.It is helpful to give feedback as close to the event as possible however, howready is the person to receive the feedback? Are they upset or angry? Is anythingelse going on for the person which might affect their ability to take the feedback?How much feedback can the person handle?Give feedback when requested or ask permission. Do not impose it.Don’t give feedback if you are angry or upset.Focus feedback on the sharing of information rather than the giving of advice.Avoid ‘shoulds’ and ‘oughts’ and ‘If I were you’.Give space to the person as they may react defensively. The person may reactwith justification, they may withdraw or attack. Give them time and space, butstay focussed on the message.Make sure that the person has understood the feedback.If appropriate work together on a way forward.7

Appendix B: Receiving FeedbackListen- you cannot make any judgements on the validity if you have a closedmind.Suspend Judgement- try not to react defensively.Let Them Finish- do not jump in, wait until you have the full picture.Paraphrase- clarify your understanding of what has been said.Ask Questions- if you need more information.Prompt Specifics- Not all feedback will be given well. Ask for examples.Avoid Arguing, Denying, Justifying or Minimising- feedback is the point of view ofanother person, decide what you want to do with the information.Gather Information- go to other sources to gather additional information tocheck whether the feedback is similar.Decide What To Do Next- how can you use the feedback, consider the outcome ifyou ignore the feedback.8