The Ultimate Checklist for Being a Good Mentor in Pharma

According to Mentoring.org, young adults who are mentored are 130 percent more likely to hold leadership positions in the future. Strong mentors assist is building strong junior-level colleagues – especially in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.

As with all relationships, the mentor-mentee relationship must be approached with care, encouragement, and openness. Based on internal success at the CRO level, MMS experts have compiled a list of the 20 things that good mentors should do, including:

• Set expectations for the relationship from day 1
• Understand that no two mentees are alike, and each should be approached differently
• Hold regular touch point discussions with the mentee
• Set your phone down for the meeting and give full attention
• Genuinely get to know them – personally and professionally
• Ask about their short- and long-term career goals
• Hear them out, unbiased – sometimes younger mentees may seem “out there” with their logic; yet take the time to listen
• Take the initiative to follow up – do not let it be one-sided
• Ask them open-ended questions to ensure that relevant advice sinks in
• Provide constructive feedback
• Share stories on mistakes as much as successes
• Remember what it meant to be “just starting out”
• Encourage them to ask all questions, even the “dumb” ones
• Give them homework – something to dive deeper on
• Be responsive to follow ups from the mentee
• Introduce them to someone else – our industry is only so big, after all
• Celebrate milestones with them
• Be honest with them
• Give them more than expected
• Be patient
• Lead by example