This mentoring toolkit produced by the Future Leaders Fellows Development network supports new and experienced mentors to reflect on their mentoring skills and practice. It draws on insight from both mentors and mentees in academic mentoring programmes, covering topics such as setting clear expectations for the partnership, use coaching frameworks, asking better questions, and support mentees’ confidence and growth (including when challenged by the sorts of ‘imposter-type’ feelings that are common in academia).
If you are completely new to mentoring, here are two resources that may also be of interest:
- The White Rose Mentorship Toolkit provides information on what mentorship is and how this can be a valuable tool for career development. It looks at mentoring through an EDI lens.
- The Mentor Starter Pack may also be of interest: this is a professional development resource developed by Dr Kay Guccione to support new and aspiring mentors to put their new skills into practice.
What will your take forward?
One thing to consider: How intentional are you about what you want your mentees to gain from working with you, and how clearly is that currently articulated?
Related Resouces
Avoid Overwhelm: Plan and review in waves
Know the landscape: concordats, charters and commitments that support you as a research leader
Develop a new habit: use structures and scripts
Building a 40 year academic career on my own terms, leading authentically, and redefining what progression looks like across institutions



