Mentoring is integral to how academics are formed and what trajectories their careers will take. Yet until recently, no one was trained to do it, and many academics have ingrained assumptions about mentorship that no longer fit the lives, needs, and aspirations of mentees. How to Mentor Anyone in Academia shares proven techniques for the professional development of junior faculty, postdocs, and graduate students in today’s rapidly changing academic landscape.
Drawing on her experience as a professional coach who has worked closely with hundreds of students and faculty across the humanities, sciences, and social sciences, Maria LaMonaca Wisdom coaches readers in how to create their own signature approach to mentoring. She highlights the importance of honoring the unique backgrounds, values, and goals of mentees, and of self-knowledge and self-reflection for mentors. Through a series of “coaching moments,” Wisdom enables readers to reflect on a range of relevant topics, including empathy and active listening, clarifying expectations, balancing firmness with heart, being attentive to power dynamics, time management and setting goals, mentoring for careers beyond the academy, and self-care for both mentors and mentees.
Incisive and accessible, How to Mentor Anyone in Academia offers strategies and tools supported by the latest data on effective mentorship, helping mentors and mentees build dynamic relationships, identify what’s working and what’s not, and map out strategies for continued growth.
Maria LaMonaca Wisdom is assistant vice provost for faculty advancement at Duke University. Formerly a professor of literature and a graduate student adviser, she now holds a faculty appointment in the Program in Education at Duke. She is also a professional certified coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation.
“How to Mentor Anyone in Academia is a practical, accessible master class in mentoring. The ‘coaching moments’ provide valuable insights for both new and seasoned mentors. Though tailored to academia, the lessons apply across industries, making it an excellent resource for anyone looking to hone the craft of mentoring.”—Lisa Z. Fain, coauthor of Bridging Differences for Better Mentoring
“Leveraging her unique journey as a college professor, academic administrator, and professional coach, Maria LaMonaca Wisdom has crafted a beautifully written and incredibly practical companion for anyone aspiring to mentoring excellence. From mentor imposter feelings (who can’t relate) to balancing high standards with care and empathy, the author comes alongside and shows us the way.”—W. Brad Johnson, author of On Being a Mentor and coauthor of The Elements of Mentoring
“Wisdom’s thoughtful book offers evidence-based approaches to mentoring and coaching relationships with graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and professionals across and beyond the academy. It suggests models that fit with mentees’ lives as students and offers an engaging framework that inspires reflection, reframing, and agency for change. A must-read.”—Nora Dominguez, director of the University of New Mexico’s Mentoring Institute
“Wisdom draws on her extensive knowledge of academia to offer sharp analysis, thoughtful reflection, and actionable ideas about one of the most important practices in academic life. You can feel the thousands of mentoring conversations that went into writing this generous, welcoming, and insightful book. I recommend it to all faculty, graduate students, and staff.”—Derek Attig, former president of the Graduate Career Consortium
“This book is a great addition to the mentoring literature! It is specifically focused on mentoring in higher education, but there is also much in here for people interested in mentoring in general. Highly recommended as a must-read for its practical insights and wisdom.”—Bob Garvey, coauthor of Coaching and Mentoring: Theory and Practice
“Insightful and engaging, this book offers essential advice even for those with considerable mentoring experience. I greatly appreciated the exercises and concrete tools the book offers for readers to use in developing new skills, habits, and ideas, and I came away eager to implement these strategies with my mentees. This is an important book.”—Jessica McCrory Calarco, author of A Field Guide to Grad School
“How to Mentor Anyone in Academia shows readers how to disrupt the inherited patterns of academic mentoring and instead develop a highly personalized and effective practice. This essential, eminently readable, and engaging book blends an expert voice with applicability to a wide range of backgrounds and career contexts within and beyond academia.”—Kay Guccione, coauthor of Coaching and Mentoring for Academic Development
“Mentoring relationships are among the most important in the academic workplace, and we need to reflect on them much more than we do. Maria LaMonaca Wisdom’s How to Mentor Anyone in Academia presents an original and valuable approach to mentoring. Everyone who works with graduate students—and everyone who is a graduate student—should read this book. You will surely learn from it, as I did.”—Leonard Cassuto, coauthor of The New PhD: How to Build a Better Graduate Education
