Author: Jess Brassard

Find me on LinkedIn 🚀 Currently: Michigan Technological University 💼 Formerly: University of Michigan, UP Health System-Portage 🧰 Offering my time and talents to: NORDP2023 Conference (co-chair), NORDP Communications Working Group (co-chair), NORDP-GL Executive Committee, NORDP Mentoring Committee, Copper Country Ski Tigers (Level 1 coach)

Effective Mentoring Roles: Coach and Sponsor/Champion

by Kristin Boman, MPH & Paula Carney, PhD

The NORDP Mentoring Program continues to be an important member benefit, first matching Mentor-Mentee pairs in 2011, and growing to support the professional development of NORDP member Mentors and Mentees through effective programs, resources and tools. Mentors support a collaborative relationship designed to engage the Mentee in personal and professional growth and development. This practice helps acquire essential competencies needed for career success. One important component of the mentoring relationship identifies a mentor network that can serve Mentees. A second component identifies roles Mentors can fill as part of the relationship. Specifically, Mentors may serve as Coaches, and/or Sponsors/Champion at different times in a research development professional’s mentored career development. 

The NORDP Mentoring Committee designed the My MESHH Network (Mentorship, Expertise, Support, HelpingHands) which is part of the Mentor Program Onboarding Packet. Mentors and Mentees report that the tool is especially useful, and enables the Mentee to identify a mentor network as well as mentor roles that can serve the Mentee’s professional development. My MESHH Network is designed to be a dynamic tool that can help a Mentee identify and connect existing and prospective relationships to meet evolving professional goals, including the roles that may be needed to support the mentoring relationship.

A Mentee can identify the role(s) needed from a Mentor. For example, a career guidance Mentor may use coaching skills so the Mentee can identify values to inform career direction. A Mentee may then seek out a Mentor who can serve as a Sponsor for professional development related to these values. 

Although the NORDP Mentoring Program is designed for Mentors and Mentees who are at different institutions, the tools and mentoring roles could also be used in mentoring programs within an institution or in situations when a supervisor also has a mentoring role.  

Definitions of Coach and Sponsor/Champion roles as well as scenarios of how each role may contribute to the mentoring relationship follow:

COACH

Definition: Coaching is a method that enables the Mentee to develop and succeed in their jobs and lives. One definition of coaching is “…partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential”. Two main tools used in coaching are asking powerful questions and exploring values, so the Mentee identifies goals and strengths, overcomes limiting beliefs, emotions, and obstacles, and improves well-being, life satisfaction and performance.

Example Scenario: A Mentee expresses interest in changing their career – from grant writing within a PI-led small research institute to a broader office of research role. They accept a school-level research administration position with an opportunity to build research development services within the school. The hiring manager soon left and so did the research development opportunity; the Mentee is now unhappy in the role. As their Mentor, asking powerful questions (open-ended questions that send Mentees in search of discovery, such as “Look ahead one year; standing there, what decisions would you make today?”) and supporting the Mentee’s identification of values (What is important to you? What do you want?) are two coaching skills that can support the Mentee’s journey.  

SPONSOR/CHAMPION

Definition: A Mentor can sponsor a Mentee by putting them in the “right place at the right time” for a specific opportunity by serving as an advocate and using their network and influence. A Mentor can also champion a Mentee for broader career advancement in an organization or profession.

Example Scenario: A Research Development Professional identifies that they want to develop expertise in the Science of Team Science (SciTS) and seek a professional role that provides an opportunity to attain a leadership role in this area. The primary Mentor and Mentee together identify a NORDP member for their My MESHH Network who can be an advocate and guide and who also has a voice at the SciTS table to serve in the Sponsor/Champion role. The Mentor, who is active in SciTS organizations, introduces the Mentee to members in the organization’s special interest group to champion their involvement. Several years later, the Mentor identifies a team science position and serves as a Sponsor for the Mentee as they apply for the job opportunity.

SUMMARY

Awareness of approaches that support Mentor/Mentee interactions can lead to meaningful relationships. Learn more about the NORDP Mentor Program and its resources here. 

REFERENCES/RESOURCES

Hewlett, S.A. (2014, January 21). Are you ready for a sponsor? Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/01/are-you-ready-for-a-sponsor

ICF. (2021). ICF, the gold standard in coaching: Read about ICF. https://coaching federation.org/about 

Yacobucci, M. (2021, June 22). How to be a strong sponsor and advocate for faculty. National Center for Faculty Development [webinar]. https://www.facultydiversity.org/webinars/facultysponsor

NORDP Book Club is Forming

A NORDP Book Club is forming with enthusiastic readers and thought-provoking books. The concept of a book club started to solidify at the NORDP 2017 Conference on Twitter. Conference-goers, specifically those attending the Leadership Without Authority session with Brian Ten Eyck and Shay Stautz, collected some titles to begin reading after the conference.

A virtual book club has begun to take shape. Anyone can join at any time. The majority of the book discussions will take place online. The NORDP Book Club, like any book club, will have many options, based on your preferences:

  • Read with the group’s pace and engage in group discussions about insights and actions you might take in your work.
  • Read with the group, but keep insights to yourself.
  • Read at your own pace, using the book list as inspiration for your next read.

Facilitation

The book club will be facilitated based on the preferences of the group. A few options have been created to offer as starting points. We can add and delete from this list of options as we move forward with the book club:

  • Goodreads Group: This is nice because it offers an easy way to make a book list, link to user’s desired book format (even audiobook and public libraries), and have discussion. It requires that all participants have a Goodreads account. (https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/219569-nordp-book-club)
  • Slack Channel: Maybe more people are on Slack than on Goodreads? Readers can have discussion and side convos pretty easily. Of course, if you’re not on Slack, this would also be another sign-up. I have it currently integrated with an Airtable database to keep a running list of books. (https://nordpbookclub.slack.com/signup)
  • NORDP Book Club Circle in the members area of the NORDP website. This could easily be done, too. The downside of this option is that there may be people who are not NORDP members that want to participate.

Booklist

A booklist has been created on Goodreads.  It can also be found by clicking on “bookshelf” from the NORDP Book Club Goodreads page. Anyone can add books to this list. There are tags (called “shelves”) that can be used to show which books are “to-read,” “read,” and “currently-reading.” This list automatically updates a #booklist channel on the NORDP Book Club Slack.

Groundrules

There have been several suggestions for format, frequency, and facilitation. These have been shared in Slack. Generally, though, we are looking at a monthly discussion of a title chosen by the group. To participate in the discussion, you won’t need to have read the book. All books should be generally applicable to research development, higher education, or professional development.

As the NORDP Book Club develops, we’ll post updates on the NORDP Blog. Please send any feedback and ideas to Jessica Brassard (jnbrassa@mtu.edu).