News

How Faculty Can Build Mentoring Networks

When Professor Nicolette Cagle was an undergraduate, she didn’t consciously seek out mentors. Due to her natural curiosity about people’s experiences, she engaged in conversations with faculty and experts that ranged beyond her coursework, and she began to build relationships. Later in her career, she wanted to try a more proactive approach. “I thought I would like to understand mentoring. The more I read about mentoring, and how important access to networks is for people’s career success, the more intentional I became.”

Professor Jarvis McInnis has been thinking about mentoring since he was a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow. Today, he says, “I think of my mentoring team as both vertical and horizontal, peer mentors and senior colleagues, here at Duke and beyond campus as well.”

Having multiple, informal mentors is an effective, evidence-based strategy for career success and satisfaction, both within and beyond academia. A recent Duke Faculty Advancement workshop for new and junior faculty drew on guidance from Cagle, McInnis and Maria Wisdom.

Excerpts From the Discussion

Tap into different kinds of mentors

“Some of the mentors that have been most impactful to me have been beyond the university. They could see things in a different way.” –Nicolette Cagle, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science and Policy

“Many faculty have noted the increasing gap between the kinds of mentoring we are taught to prize — assigned mentors — and [the full scope of what they need]. Often people need different forms of mentors.” –Maria Wisdom, Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement

“I’ve realized that [awareness of] my unmet needs comes up organically. For example, if I’m constantly exhausted and don’t want to be working until midnight every night anymore, I need to talk to someone who models work-life balance.” –Jarvis McInnis, Cordelia & William Laverack Family Assistant Professor of English

Make time for self-reflection

“Set aside time to ask yourself, am I meeting my goals? Is there someone I could talk to who could help me move forward? Self-reflection helps you prioritize your needs. […] Reflective journaling helps keep me balanced. Also be aware of those subtle clues, such as feeling less motivation or more irritability; listen to your gut.” –Nicolette Cagle

Consider peers as mentors

“I’m on a text thread with three friends from [graduate school], and I co-work with my best friend (also an English professor) several days a week. We uplift each other and serve as each other’s sounding board. They’ve proven to be an invaluable resource for me, because sometimes we need the advice of people who have gone through the tenure process more recently than some of our senior colleagues have.” –Jarvis McInnis

Remember that mentors are people first

“We need to avoid mentoring relationships that feel purely transactional instead of genuinely relational.” –Maria Wisdom

“Don’t forget to ask about the person and their work. I found that being genuinely curious about who my mentors are outside of their function in my life has been invaluable.” –Jarvis McInnis

Don’t be afraid to reach out to strangers

“You’ve got to be comfortable with the cold e-mail. At Duke, or at professional conferences, [you could contact someone and] say, ‘I really admire this aspect of what you do. Can we have coffee or share a meal?’ Even sending a gentle reminder — once — is OK. Another option is an e-mail introduction [from a mutual acquaintance], which can be a great way to soften the cold e-mail.” –Jarvis McInnis

“Get braver talking to people.” –Nicolette Cagle

“Mentors have so much power to connect. Ask them, who can you connect me with?” –Maria Wisdom

Take advantage of opportunities to meet new people

“[I attended] assistant professor meet-and-greets with the dean. I met some cool people there and kept in touch with them.” –Jarvis McInnis

Remember that you have something to offer

“Sometimes the new perspectives that we might offer can be really valuable to the mentor. We might not recognize that. Also, offering technical skills could create a sense of collaboration.” –Nicolette Cagle

“You might exchange work, or ask, do you have something I can review for you? Or you can invite them to co-work.” –Jarvis McInnis

Express gratitude

“If you’ve really leaned on your mentor recently, a nice thank you card [can be a way to say] ‘I recognize you’ve really been here for me.’ Let them know you’re grateful for their labor.” –Jarvis McInnis

Resources

Main image: Nicolette Cagle, Jarvis McInnis and Maria Wisdom