How I Mentor …

This RPG-like card provides an overview of my mentoring style.

Some see my style as exacting and it is. I am concerned that leaders are stepping into the world with just their toes instead of their whole selves. When in the position of a “learning leader”, it’s important that we understand where we need to focus, particularly as related to what we don’t know or haven’t so far been able to do.

As a mentor and instructor, I lean into asking questions and providing resources. There are certain spaces where taking the “lecture and learn” space is appropriate (such as with research courses, because many scholar-leaders don’t have a lot of experience with methodology, design, and deployment of instrumentation, surveys, observations, and the like), but for the most part, I rest in the “passenger seat” alongside those I work with.

It’s not always easy to look at ourselves and our abilities. I see it as my mentor role to mirror back the things I see and to dialogue and strategize about it.

For those farther along in their doctoral academic journey or who are taking classes with me, yes again — I am exacting. There are deadlines and due dates for a reason. I talk about conversation being key for a reason.

Think of it this way: in the workplace, is it okay to miss deadlines or not reach out when something is going on that creates a challenge to being in the office on time? Is it okay to not talk about (even at a high level) when there are knowledge gaps and needs for more resources? Is it okay to expect “perfection” on every project?

I think not.

I see the academic space as a place of learning, which means coming into it, I may know something but not everything and my way of learning may not quite align with what I’m being given. It seems that learning something new is the point, right? And to do that, I’m not going to be “perfect” at it the first go. Or even the second. Or fifth. Or twelfth.

As we grow, we might not get top marks, but we are likely experience progress if we attend to the journey. As a mentor, I’m like Morpheus in terms of “make your choice and let’s see what happens”. Learning is in fact a journey and the culmination of that is different for each person. And the culmination isn’t dependent on “getting top marks” always.

The culmination is about growth, about walking out of the learning leader space with “more” (whatever that is) than you had when you walked into it. The culmination is about recognizing what it means to be out in the world, presenting yourself as a thought leader in new spaces, or in different ways, and doing so with integrity — to yourself and to your subject matter.

Reaching that culmination is about feedback loops, the navigation of which is one of my superpowers.

If you are down for the ride, hop in: it will sometimes be bumpy, sometimes fast, sometimes meandering down side paths and off-ramps. Sometimes it will be a complete joy and at others, it will be a challenge that makes you consider where we’re going and what we’re doing. And it will never be a fast short-cut.

But at the end of it all, my prayer is that you know I’m in your corner and the feedback I’m giving will be chock full of questions to get your synapses firing in maybe different ways as I share resources you might not even know existed (think of the Librarians in Dr. Strange …).

I will never tell you “the answer”, but I’m always ready to help you find yours …