Common Mentor/Mentee Issues And Fixes

Fix: Check that the schedule still works for the student and try to understand why they aren’t showing up.

If it’s the time/day, change the schedule.

If their classwork is too much, recommend they take a break from the lab and come back when they have more time.

If they have bad time management, encourage them to use a calendar or set up reminders.

If there’s no clear reason, discuss their goals and your expectations. If they don’t align, suggest they find a new lab.

Fix: Talk to your mentee about how things are going

If they are pleased with their progress, give them some praise on what they’ve done and challenge them to do more because you believe in them (inspire them). Agree on clear goals and timeline together. This can include some reach goals.

If they aren’t pleased with their progress, discuss what’s blocking them and help remove those blocker.

Fix: Ask yourself if you have the time to devote to a mentee at the current time. (It’s ok not to).

If you do and you just don’t like how they approach you with requests, give them guidance on how best to make requests from you.

If you don’t, see if someone else in the lab can step in, even if for a short time, or be honest with your mentee that you are short on time and they either need to be ok with your limited time or take a break from working together.

Fix: Be clear with your mentee what you are able to provide. A mentoring relationship is not static or fixed but rather a dynamic interaction that changes based on the needs of the mentee and the availability of the mentor. You can and should limit the interaction around what you are able to offer. It is better to constrain the interaction rather than overpromise and under deliver.

Fix: Lower your expectations, don’t be their mentor anymore, or find ways to inspire them to meet your expectations. The key is to be on the same page with your mentee about the expectations. Check in with your mentee periodically to address issues with expectations and adjust as needed.

Fix: Address this quickly, professionally, and directly. You and your mentee need to be on the same team. If you aren’t and don’t see a way to get there, that can tell you early on that it isn’t a good match. Have a conversation to understand why your mentee blamed you in front of the PI.

If you are actually to blame, you can still request that the mentee handle the situation differently. Accept the responsibility and coach your mentee on how to handle things in the future. Research is a team endeavor, but young researchers may not have caught on to using “we” in all matters.

If you aren’t to blame and you suspect some malicious intent from your mentee, try to determine the root cause of the issue. This may be a time to ask for help from a more experienced mentor.

Fix: Try a different way to explain something. For instance, draw diagrams on a board, give papers or readings, have them try to learn on their own and explain it back to you. Not everyone learns the same way or at the same rate. Be patient. Try other tactics. Ask your mentee for feedback and insight so you can explain things better. If you’ve tried several strategies and aren’t seeing a difference, ask someone else in the lab to explain the topic/concept.

Fix: Explain to them how their communication helps and hurts you.

If they don’t communicate when they are coming to the lab, let them know that makes it hard for you to plan and be available to help them.

If they don’t share results or hurdles with their project, remind them that you are there to help. If you don’t know what’s going on with their work, you can’t provide insight or suggestions.

If they don’t communicate when classwork ramps up, you can’t help adjust their research schedule to fit with their new schedule.

Fix: Depending on the situation, you should not be the one to try to fix it. You may be able to lend an empathetic ear to your mentee, but they may need more than you can or should provide. Consult our section on Handling Mental Health Crises to help guide you regarding this issue.