Mentoring reminds us that there is life outside academia
You may have read her insightful comments about peer review, or you may have heard her speak at the Peer Review Week 2021 Webinar “Should early career researchers be appointed as peer reviewers?”. Meet Dr. Asli Telli, an active member of our community and a passionate researcher and mentor.
Dr. Asli Telli is Associate Professor and a Research Associate through a remote fellowship at WISER, Witwatersrand University, South Africa. She holds a dual PhD in media and communications studies from European Graduate School and Appalachian State University, and has experience teaching and advising international graduate students in numerous universities in Turkey, Switzerland, Malta, France, Germany, and the US. She is an active member of Academics for Peace-Germany, European Digital Rights (EDRi) and Digital Freedom Fund`s decolonization efforts in knowledge and digital rights.
Over the years, Asli has been part of as well as observed both formal and informal mentoring relationships. She believes that a mentor can enable researchers to confidently navigate the tricky and not-so-tricky paths of academia. Since mentoring is such an important aspect of academic life, I thought of having a chat with Asli to hear her thoughts on this.
What role do you think mentoring plays in academia?
Many sources would depict that mentoring is the foundational aspect of an academic’s life, and even that its origins actually are in academia. In this sense, effective mentorship has a great impact on the retention and recruitment of qualified students and ECRs. While this may be the general worldview, I have a more humble approach: I think mentoring plays an intermediary role that reminds us academics of the lifeworld - that there is also a life outside academia; we cannot feel human or cherish life without grasping what life is about with all its challenges and gifts.
I know I just mentioned life outside academia. To be clear, I refrain from calling this “work-life balance” since such wording forces one to abide by the systemic injustices and conform rather than confront. If working hours are unfair, this should be discussed and amended. An effective mentor can step in and work together with the mentee to improve such conditions. Even creating awareness can help a lot under such circumstances. I think a good mentor can not only shape a mentee as a researcher/academic but also as a human being.
We cannot survive solely on our academic encounters, but we dwell upon our career in such a devoted fashion that a wise mind must remind us of that reality from time to time. Even though I do not like “life coach” as a term, I think a mentor plays a similar role in academia. An academic mentor not only supports the career goals and success of a mentee but also his/her psychological well-being, a significant aspect of survival in today`s academia.
Did you have a mentor when you started your research journey? If yes, how did your mentor influence your life as an academic?
I did not have one mentor who was able to address all my needs, but I was lucky enough to have a few ones I could consult informally. Well, we did not formally call it a “mentoring relationship” with each of them, but they were still there when I needed them.
One of my mentors was actually my second doctoral supervisor and she was very generous. Even though I kept complaining about not having enough time or energy, she would listen to me patiently and try to provide tips to ease my way. This was during my thesis writing stage, a time I felt the most vulnerable.
The positive guidance not only helped me gain confidence, but it also encouraged me for the later nitty-witty stages of research and teaching. I was a teaching assistant at a private college at the time and her effective teaching tips helped me save plenty of time during grading. She also helped me immensely with my listening skills and endurance. Definitely the best mentor model at a time most needed!
I recently spoke to a researcher who said that the word “mentor” paints the visual image of someone very senior or experienced. What do you think about this? At what stage can someone become a mentor?
It depends on one’s needs and expectations from a mentor. At times, one might need emotional support more than anything. If so, the need would be for someone who can provide that support with related experience and wisdom.
It is true that a formal mentoring arrangement might indicate the need for senior expertise, but one must not forget that fresh life-skills and experience are also very valuable. In that sense, peers might also be very helpful. If the senior and experienced mentor has time and is willing to support the mentee based on specific needs, then this would potentially be a very favorable mentoring program, even if it is informal. I think it really depends on how the person feels at a certain stage in their life; i.e., a senior and experienced person might need a younger mind to help out or vice versa.
I feel like one can become a mentor even at an early stage in their academic career. There is always room for improvement. In academic fields, once potential mentors feel like they would like to support ECRs or peers and are fit to do so, they can work on their soft skills and expertise. In fact, there are several informal mentoring programs for researchers, so if you are an ECR and would like to give back by mentoring an aspiring researcher or even a peer, I suggest you start looking for such informal programs locally or even virtually.
Speaking from your own experience, what is the toughest part of being a mentor?
Being on the same page with the mentee on what the mutual needs and expectations are would be a good start. It is best if an agreement is reached between the two parties right at the beginning to compose a seamless plan. However, plans do not always resonate with practical life and disappointments may occur. Then, it is mostly up to the mentor to make up for it. Thus, it would be most advisable to remain flexible about the duration of the mentoring relationship, but still have a timeline during the initial phase.
An efficient planning approach complemented with a caring heart or an empathetic mindset would be perfect. A mentor and mentee can certainly become friends, but this could be tricky during the actual support stage. Assuming the fact that an average mentoring relationship lasts 6-12 months, it is very likely that the pair becomes friends at the end. My first mentees happened to be my doctoral students, almost 15 years ago and we have remained in touch ever since!
How can mentees get the most out of the mentor-mentee relationship?
It is important that the mentor is a good fit. In some cases, the need may be specific and require a shorter time-span; in others longer. Both parties must agree on the process and involved steps at the beginning. It is only then that an honest and sincere relationship can be built.
In my experience, it also helps if mentees are aware of and acknowledge the fact that mentors are generally busy and that they get prepared for the regular calls/meetings. Even learning tactics of survival would be very helpful when the time comes. It is also really essential that both parties trust each other and develop a fair understanding for each other. If there is any misunderstanding or emotional constraints, this must be communicated clearly, either in written form or during regular calls.
If a mentee has a realistic set of goals, achievable in the agreed time span, it would be possible to create a healthy relationship with favorable outcomes. I remember one of my mentees decided that she would also like to support her peers as a mentor one day at the end of our 6-month sessions. Then, I knew that she had gotten the most out of our relationship and was really glad.
Thank you, Asli! I am sure these insights will be useful for both mentors and mentees.
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