Human Nature8.2) Allow for differences in personalities
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Successful mentoring, as with any close personal relationship, depends on the personalities of the parties involved. Some trainees learn readily with a minimum of nurturing or guidance, or at least prefer to believe that they require a minimum of help. In such cases, frequent and probing discussion initiated by a mentor may be perceived as invasive and micromanagerial. Other trainees may require the reassurance of being closely monitored and receiving frequent feedback, both positive and negative. Conversely, some mentors will be uncomfortable with offering advice or initiating discussions unless first asked by a trainee, and other mentors will readily volunteer information and advice without any clear indication that help would be welcomed.
The most effective mentoring is likely to occur when the personalities of the mentor and the trainee are a good match. In an effort to act as a mentor, a research supervisor or thesis adviser should attempt to fit his or her style of interaction to the needs and personality of a trainee. Similarly, in an effort to gain the most from a mentoring relationship, the trainee should make allowances for differences between his or her personality and the mentor's.
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