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Cornell University

Faculty Advancing Inclusive Mentoring

A Collaboration of the Graduate School, Provost's Office of Faculty Development & Diversity, and TRUST Alliance

Teams & Relationships

Positive relationship dynamics amongst team members or between individuals can accelerate academic productivity and innovation. Trust and open communication foster an environment safe for academic risk-taking and collaboration. Further, social connectedness leads to belonging and work satisfaction, thereby increasing fulfillment and investment.

Conversations regarding teams and relationships should include department, university, and field expectations for collaboration, networking, mentoring, ways to engage in self-advocacy, and forms of support a mentor can provide a mentee as they navigate academic and professional relationships.

Mentor Commitments

As a mentor, I will …

  • invest the time and energy required to establish and maintain trust with my mentee.
  • promote social connectedness within and beyond my mentee’s localized research environment.
  • guide and advise my mentee as they establish, foster, and navigate academic and professional relationships.
  • support my mentee in their development of a network of mentors who collectively can meet their holistic mentoring needs.
  • demonstrate that I value the contributions of my mentee to our academic and professional communities.
  • promote rigor within research teams and/or academic cohorts without creating unhealthy conflict with detrimental impacts to group dynamics.
  • engage in ongoing introspection on how my behaviors and attitudes might support or hinder a healthy interpersonal relationship with my mentee and/or within broader teams.
  • model and facilitate collegiality and collaboration with and among my mentees and/or broader teams.
  • approach collaboration through an egalitarian lens, communicating and upholding established mutual expectations.
  • establish a shared process for identifying, navigating, and mediating conflict within our mentoring relationship and/or broader teams.

Mentee Commitments

As a mentee, I will …

  • invest the time and energy required to establish and maintain trust with my mentor.
  • pursue social connectedness within and beyond my local research communities.
  • seek input from my mentor in establishing, fostering, and navigating academic and professional relationships.
  • proactively develop a constellation of mentors who can collectively meet my holistic mentoring needs.
  • contribute to a collaborative and productive working environment (e.g., resource sharing, seeking and giving feedback, acknowledging contributions of others, etc.).
  • engage in ongoing introspection on how my behaviors and attitudes might support or hinder a healthy interpersonal relationship with my mentor and/or within broader teams.
  • acknowledge the contributions of others and myself (e.g., positive self-advocacy, advocacy for others).
  • contribute to the success of others (e.g., through peer mentoring, mutual support, group meetings, etc.).
  • approach collaboration through an egalitarian lens, communicating and upholding established mutual expectations.
  • engage in a shared process for identifying, navigating, and mediating conflict.

Additional Resources