🎙️ Podcast Link 🎙️

One of my last internal training activities at QUT (Queensland University of Technology) last year was running a “how to be a good mentor” session with my colleague Jonathan Roberts at the School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics’s annual retreat.

I won’t steal Jon’s great advice but it covered aspects including trust, sponsorship, encouragement and progression.

One of my first training sessions this year is joining a panel on how to be a good leader as part of QUT’s 2024 Women in STEMM Leadership Shadowing Program.

So I’ve had a lot of chance to reflect on and deliberate on how I like to do mentoring, and what I’ve learnt so far along the way.

In this new Hacking Academia video, I focus on one of the key but I think often overlooked aspects of mentoring: the alignment issue. That is, without prying, finding out the general beliefs, goals, constraints and limitations of your mentee, and tailoring your advice appropriately (even if you do attempt to stretch their boundaries slightly).

For example:

– the advice you give to someone who has some financial runway and minimal to no responsibilities is very different to what you would give to someone who has critical financial responsibilities, where any gap in employment would be catastrophic

– the advice you give to someone who plans in great detail how they’d like to carry out their career is very different to what you would advise someone who deliberately likes to be laid back and opportunistic, “going with the flow”, so to speak. Again, you might try and gently stretch their horizons a bit, but some of the advice is going to be fundamentally different

– if, after understanding where your mentee is coming from, there’s such a huge chasm in outlook, you may help them find more appropriate mentors – but don’t fall into the mistake of restricting mentor-mentee relationships to identical people.

– sometimes you can adjust your advice to be aligned to someone’s different point of view or circumstances. But sometimes, that mentee will simply benefit more from having a mentor who has the same lived experience as them – again it depends on the specific cirumstances, and is something your mentee and you can work out together.

I also touch on characterising and communicating the quality and certainty of your advice to your mentee, and appreciating the role that randomness (or luck, as some would say), as well as, in some cases, privilege, has played in the career journeys you use as exemplars, and factoring your advice accordingly.

Full Video Notes

In today’s video, I want to talk about some aspects of being an effective mentor that are relatively underappreciated or not discussed enough. While there are many common topics around mentoring, I’ll focus on what I call the “alignment issue.” This involves deliberately acknowledging the ways in which you, as a mentor, and your mentee think similarly and differently. This includes considerations of aspirations, beliefs, risk appetite, financial status, and long-term goals. It’s about understanding where you align and where you do not, and making appropriate adjustments in the advice you provide.

Let me give you a few examples that illustrate this point, drawn from common topics in mentor-mentee conversations. One of the first things we often discuss is the level of planning and organization in a mentee’s career. Some people are more spontaneous and don’t enjoy detailed planning, while others find comfort in meticulously planning their career steps. The advice you give to each type should differ, catering to their individual approaches.

Another significant aspect is the financial security of the mentee. While it’s not necessary to delve into personal details, understanding their financial constraints or freedoms can help tailor your advice. For instance, someone who cannot afford career risks due to financial obligations will need advice focused on job security, unlike someone who might afford to pursue their dream job due to better financial stability.

Geographical constraints also play a crucial role. If a mentee is bound to a specific location due to personal reasons, like caring for a family member, you wouldn’t advise them to seek opportunities far from their current location. Conversely, those without such constraints might benefit from opportunities to work abroad or in different cities.

Understanding a mentee’s preferred level of autonomy is another critical factor. Some individuals thrive in highly autonomous roles and would be more suited to fellowships or independent projects, while others may prefer the structured environment of team settings.

Additionally, risk appetite is a key personality trait that affects career decisions. Some are willing to pursue high-risk, high-reward career paths, while others prefer more stable and predictable paths. Acknowledging and respecting these differences is essential in providing supportive and effective advice.

The level of idealism versus pragmatism is also important. Some see their job as a means to further personal causes, while for others, work is just a job. This affects the types of roles and projects that might be most fulfilling for them.

The broader theme here is that effective mentoring involves more than just offering guidance; it’s about aligning that guidance with the specific circumstances and personality of the mentee. This requires a deep understanding of their situation, which can sometimes mean recognizing when you might not be the best mentor for them due to differing experiences or capabilities.

Lastly, it’s crucial to consider your own state of mind and capacity to mentor at any given time. Your ability to offer objective advice can be influenced by your own experiences, such as recent successes or failures. Being aware of these influences and adjusting your approach accordingly is vital for providing reliable and supportive mentorship.

In summary, effective mentoring is not just about guiding mentees through their career but doing so in a way that is deeply attuned to their unique circumstances, traits, and life situations. This personalized approach helps ensure that the guidance you provide is not only practical but also truly beneficial for the mentee’s personal and professional development.