How to effectively "manage" five bosses, Dr. MIT, talk about how to get along with mentors

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The mentor and you are in the same boat. Set the tone for your communication and communication as soon as possible.

When you start your doctoral program, you also start a formal professional relationship with your doctoral supervisor. This is an exciting moment: you are dealing with someone you may respect and admire very much, but also a little afraid.

Different mentors have their own teaching styles, but "managing up"-the way you get along with your mentors-is also important. You need to find ways to communicate that will help you succeed academically and let your mentors know.

Last September, we held a seminar for PhD students from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT. One of the topics is how to communicate effectively with your doctoral advisor. we have shared some communication skills from the past three to five years. The five of us have different nationalities, genders, academic backgrounds, research fields and mentors, representing five different experiences, but the following points have been agreed upon by everyone.

Know yourself.

If you want your mentor to know your needs, you must first understand yourself and your needs. Do you prefer multiple and flexible tasks, or fewer but rigid tasks? do you prefer clear guidance or the freedom to choose topics? how long do you usually have to prepare before a meeting with your mentor?

It may take you a while to answer these questions, and you may also find that what makes you most productive is not consistent with what you find easiest and what your mentor expects of you. You can ask your mentor to explain their priorities for scientific research and see how you can adjust. Reflect on which practices or management methods run counter to meeting your needs and tell your mentor in a timely manner in case of conflict or misunderstanding.

You can also consult senior members of the research group and ask them how to communicate management problems. You will inevitably feel uncomfortable in these situations, but remember: only by knowing yourself can you help your mentor guide you.

Get off to a good start

Put the way of communication with mutual respect in the first place. If you are not sure, you'd rather be cautious in your words and deeds. Be observant, especially if you work in other people's cultures or national research groups. Observe what other members of the research group and colleagues call the mentor. if you join a new research group without any seniors, you can also ask the mentor what rules you want to introduce and what kind of working atmosphere you want to create. Your relationship with your mentor will develop naturally, and activities such as group meetings and team building will make your relationship more and more relaxed or friendly.

Cherish one on one

Mentors are busy, so be sure to make the most of the one-on-one opportunity with your mentor to tell your mentor in advance what you want to discuss and rank it in order of importance. Mention the general process of your meeting in one or two sentences and what information you want from the meeting.

Be proactive when you are one-on-one with your mentor. Write down the things you need to follow up after the meeting, as well as your priorities. Ask your peers and mentors to tell you the best way to communicate research ideas in their minds. Do your mentors prefer formal slides in one-on-one meetings or casually discuss research ideas and summarize what you discuss and what you need to do next. If you need guidance or further advice from your mentor, send an email after the meeting listing your discussions and your needs.

Adjust long-term goals

If you have other more urgent tasks at hand, such as classes, teaching assistants, or other research projects, you may need to shelve some research goals for the time being. But many PhD students will receive some research funding from their mentors, so you should try to make sure that your research progress can catch up with the progress of your mentor's projects or funding. If you feel you can't do it, ask your mentor to help adjust the goals they set for you.

Setting short-term goals can help you break challenging long-term goals into small ones that are easy to manage and track. The department often publishes documents on degree requirements, which refer to pre-set phased goals, and academic administrators are also good helpers for you to keep pace. Achieving these short-term goals and discussing them with your mentor will give you more confidence in your progress in the absence of other feedback.

Keep communication unobstructed

You will have different goals at different stages of your PhD (such as meeting general requirements, writing first drafts, and collaborating outside your field of expertise), and the way you communicate with your mentor will change accordingly. For example, you may need to change your reporting frequency, or you may need different guidance methods or guidance intensity. Sum up your previous experience and find out which task is more suitable for which approach and why, and don't forget to mention these things when discussing your next goal with your mentor. For example, if a brief weekly report to your mentor will help you maintain your progress when you are new to your PhD, you should keep in mind that you will be more independent at the end of your PhD, but occasionally report on the long-term projects you are working on. It may give the mentor a better understanding of your work progress.

Communicating with a mentor may be daunting at first, but keep in mind that your success is also your mentor's success. Our experience tells us that knowing yourself, respecting each other, being proactive, being observant and summarizing will help you communicate effectively and lay the foundation for your success.