We're in the first eight weeks of COVID-19 Shelter in Place, and there are a few things that you should know about mentoring/managing others during a crisis at this stage. Not the beginning. Not yet the end. The (long) middle. 

The book Crisis, Compassion, and Resiliency in Student Affairs, by Katie L. Treadwell, and Marijo Russell O'Grady has an excellent chapter by Jeffrey C. Jones on Team Stewardship (how to take care of your team during a crisis). Included in the section is insight on the stages of a crisis and advice on what a manager should focus on to support their team. Beyond "the First 24-72 Hours” and “When things have changed but no one knows how to talk about it" is an "Adjusting to the new routine/normal" stage. 

You've probably accepted that your new normal means that you won't be able to do everything you intended to do as a mentor/supervisor. But if you are focusing on the following three things, as you 'adjust to your new routine/normal' you are hitting the mark on strong mentoring/supervision during a crisis. 

1. Review and revise your goals/success metrics - frequently

Your original mentoring/supervising goals, including those research and professional development goals for your mentee, may be a distant memory as we all have been working to figure out how to operate under the new Shelter in Place rules. You may not be in touch with colleagues and acutely feeling a lack of productivity benchmarks during a quarantine. It may have taken you a little while to figure out what really is reasonable. You've probably done at least one round of re-assessment of your options with your intern (read “How to Think About Supervising/Managing at the Beginning of a Crisis”).

• Navigating the dynamic impact of a crisis 
  We'd like you to know that it is normal, when supervising during a crisis, to revise your new goals/new ways of operating more than once (it could be as frequently as weekly). Why? Well, you and/or your intern may not have accurately assessed what you/they can really achieve during a pandemic. Your estimation may have been optimistic. Also, you may be experiencing the changing realities of limited time, space, resources, etc., how someone's financial/living/etc. situation may have changed, and/or the ongoing nature of a crisis taking a toll on your/your intern’s psychological/physiological health (including lack of sleep, lack of exercise, distance from family and friends, or increased feelings of anxiety or burnout).
  
  All of these factors are dynamic, and you'll need to weigh their impact whenever you and your intern are considering what is reasonable to expect in terms of productivity. You will make your best guess. But if your intern isn't able to achieve those expectations  - if you aren't able to achieve those expectations - it doesn't mean you (or they) have failed.  It just means you once again need to reconsider how you are estimating what a reasonable level of productivity is during a fluctuating crisis landscape.
   
• What we recommend you focus on
  You should be reviewing (and your intern should be self-reviewing) your joint expectations weekly. Last week, doing X seemed reasonable, but that was before Y happened (a roommate got sick, someone lost their job, the wireless broke down, etc.). So ask yourself each week  and have your intern work through the question: "What is reasonable in the next week, considering that Y has happened?"
  
  But you can also remind your intern that they may not be able to achieve everything they originally planned, but as long as they are working on priority tasks (their poster, preparing for mock interviews), they are doing fantastic. Also both the OCPD/CCSF teams will be helping them learn the professional skills of effective interviewing and how to articulate what they've achieved, learned and overcome (both before and during shelter in place) as well as how their interests, skills and values make them a strong candidate for a position. Conversely, as the crisis evolves, your intern may address barriers to productivity or want more work. Your key question each week is ”What do I/what do they think is a reasonable amount of productivity to expect at this time?”
  
  Perhaps your intern is concerned that revising down the expectations will mean that they won't have something significant to speak about during a job interview. (Note: You certainly will - you mentored/supervised during a crisis!). Not surprisingly, someone asked AskAManager, to weigh in on whether or not employers will be asking students about their productivity during COVID-19 in interviews. (Short answer: Employers absolutely should not ask - and most likely will not ask).

2. Understand your value (and your role) as a mentor/supervisor during a crisis

• Many leaders/supervisors don't realize the ways in which their role changes during a crisis. Your previous, initial goals may have been to work on project X, which would teach your intern Y, and expose and introduce them to Z, all while you shared your experience and expertise with them to support diversity in STEM.
• When a person’s productivity goals go out the window due to a crisis beyond your control, it can be easy for a supervisor to lose their way and question their role. But let's be clear: Before a crisis, the goal is usually the projects/tasks. During a crisis, your primary goal shifts to supporting your people. What does that mean? Three things: A. Focus on how they are doing, reconsider what they can do and recognize what they have done; B. Be gentle with yourself, and C. Remember you are a key part of the communication chain. 
  • A. Focus on how your intern is doing, what they can do, and recognize what they have done

The Harvard Business Review article  “4 Behaviors That Help Leaders Manage a Crisis”, by Nichols Chatterjee Hayden, and Trendler, reminds us that "in times of crisis, no job is more important than taking care of your team,” encouraging leaders to "relate on a personal level first, and then focus on work."

"Focusing on the personal" includes concerns about job security or safety; their basic needs like food or shelter, which may seem less than certain. Both Maslow and Herzberg suggest that a person's motivation and their productivity will be affected when these foundational factors are not secure. It will be difficult to do 'one's best work'. But feeling supported by one’s supervisor will still have a huge impact. "To support employees: Lead with empathy and a focus on safety and health. Compassion goes a long way during turbulent times.”

What does that look like?  Well, it can be hard to remember how important positive words from your leader can be during a crisis. It's much easier to imagine it if you put yourself in your intern's shoes. [So let's do that for a moment - take 60 seconds and imagine how stabilizing it would have been (or perhaps was!) to hear your PI recognize your efforts, or what challenges you overcame to do it. Think about if/when they sent an email or verbally expressed concern on how you're doing.and/or asked about what was most difficult for you right now. It would/did feel good, yes? Would it/did provide a bit of relief? Well, you can provide that level of support to someone!]

It is hard to estimate reasonable ongoing productivity levels during a crisis - particularly a crisis with no clear end date. But never underestimate that you can influence your intern's definition of success. For example, at this point, your mentee is pivoting towards the creation of a poster on the work that they did do - your job is to support that goal. Did they make progress? Give kudos! Did they have to overcome a challenge to do it? Recognize that as well.

 

• B. Be kind and fair with yourself too!

Perhaps you had planned to keep in touch with your intern twice a week, but have only spoken to them once in the past five weeks. Perhaps you've been dealing with your own issues, so you've been distracted when you meet. Perhaps you haven't known what to say or what to do, so you've just been focusing on 'the work' rather than 'the person'. If you had to step back for a moment, accept that and focus on being present in your new responsibilities (heavy on reassessment of expectations and affirmation), as soon as is reasonably possible.
 

• C. Remember, your key role the communication chain

One of the things that supervisors/mentors don't realize during a crisis is how important they become in the communication chain, and what types of information is useful. One of the key points in Jordan’s Team Stewardship chapter is that "Knowledge is Power, but During a Crisis, Knowledge is Comfort." In this case, the #1 thing your intern needs to know is what you are hearing, what you are thinking, and that they are not letting you down.

During a crisis - people often fill in gaps of knowledge with fear: that they will be let go, that they are doing the wrong thing, or not doing enough. Your intern may be experiencing "All or Nothing" thinking rather than the "All or Something" thinking that is more rational and achievable during a crisis. A supervisor/mentor (particularly mid-level supervisors) may not feel they have much power - in fact, you may feel quite powerless at times. But remember Raven and French’s 6 bases of power- you have the power of information, (along with the power to reward by communicating to your intern that they will be receiving a strong recommendation from you - if true).

You may be hearing things from up the hierarchy chain - news from the University, emails from leadership, things about the lab, what your PIs thinking, how other interns are navigating this situation skillfully. Your intern may know none of this - and you are their conduit for accurate information. Transparency - sharing both what you know and what you're thinking - builds their sense that you are a reliable news source.  It also helps to share positive news - perhaps how UCSF is contributing to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine effort or the latest achievement in the lab.

Lastly, you can ask them what they've been hearing, or if they have any concerns so you can correct any misconceptions and understand what is shaping their thinking, as well as demonstrate your decision-making process and values as their supervisor. (For example, "A friend said that an email came stating that all universities are firing all of their interns!" is something that you can correct by saying "I can't speak for other institutions, but I can tell you that I have received no information, official or otherwise, that UCSF is letting any of their interns go. I see why that would concern you, and can ask the OCPD/CCSF team about that and report back to you. And know that if I even suspected such a thing, I would check on that and inform you, because it's important that you know what's happening.") 

Make part of your 1:1 meetings to share your understanding of the situation. Be as transparent as possible. Signal - by saying - that you are open to them asking questions, and that all questions are reasonable. Speak truthfully about what you do know and admit your limitations when you don’t have all the information. The twin goals transparency and truth will lead to one of the most important things you can garner as a leader: trust. 

3. Recognize what the principles of inclusive supervision look like during a crisis

We’ve talked about the inclusive practices of signaling to your intern that they are valued (by giving them your time, attention, expertise, or recognizing their efforts achievements/progress). We’ve also talked about being transparent/communicating to build trust. Another strategy to supervise inclusively during a crisis is not presuming to know what personal/professional challenges your mentee is facing and making space for them to tell you.

Forgetting to ask people how they are doing after the initial wave of a crisis - particularly if they are presenting well (on Zoom) -  is a common supervisory mistake, according to the Jordan’s Team Stewardship chapter. Other supervisors may be reluctant to ask because they aren't sure how they will handle a strong or emotional response from their team. Jordan notes that they (and you, honestly), maybe experiencing 'sneaker waves' - a feeling of stress or anxiety that 'sneaks up' on you during and even after a crisis has passed. If you feel overwhelmed hearing their concerns, know that they probably feel overwhelmed experiencing it. But it's also a sign that they feel enough psychological safety with you to be authentic - a touchstone of inclusive supervision.  

 Remember that you aren't responsible for solving their problems. But you can acknowledge/validate their concerns and make them aware of the support that is available. You can ask "That sounds difficult. What support do you have during this time to help you handle that?" If the answer is "none" or you have concerns/or feel overwhelmed in supporting your intern, that's a great time to check in with us for your own support and coaching. In the future, when you are in a supervisory role - moments like this are when you reach out to fellow supervisors you trust for advice or refer/reach out to Student Health/Staff support for guidance.

Putting it all together

During uncertain or challenging times, people on your team may appreciate structure around coaching and support. Rather than asking your intern to "get in touch with you after they do X" or to reach out "when they need help" - schedule a time to meet regularly. Optimally, we recommend 30-60 minute check-ins weekly (it can be an hour, or 2 thirty minute check-ins, or three 20 minute check-ins, depending on availability, individual preferences and need. Even 15 minutes can help people on your team move forward. 

Unless you or your intern have a better idea/different needs, we suggest your check-ins cover four areas:  

Check-in Notes: 

• Can't do a 30-60 minute check-in? Think creatively! Even a 15-minute check-in once a week with your intern, with follow up email/slack correspondence, can be supportive and productive. Are their questions too long to type a response? You can also have them send you questions and record your responses to them via Zoom. In fact, if it would help you or your intern (perhaps one of you are an internal processor and needs time to prepare), you can ask your intern to send you an email updating you on these four points, or you can start off your meeting with these four points as your agenda. The goal is that you are able to somehow cover these four issues, not a specific period of time. 
• How do you manage the meeting? Recognize and give kudos feedback for the progress they were able to make. Help them focus their efforts on what is reasonable to achieve in the next week. Ask about, acknowledge, and brainstorm possible solutions to their challenges (and reach out to us if you need help!). You will not be able to solve all of their issues - and that isn't your role. Your role is to be clear about professional expectations. You should be aware of 'sneaker waves' that people may be presenting well on Zoom, but you still ask. We recommend asking "How are you working differently?" and "What's most difficult at this time?" You don't have to solve every problem, but it does help for you to know what issues your trainee is facing and encourage them as they try to find a way to address it themselves. 
• Finally, everyone needs support during a crisis. Be cautious about leaking/venting your fears or concerns with your intern. The power dynamics mean that your intern will listen, (in fact they may listen because they value information) yet it may be stressful for them to do so.  But know that you aren't alone. If you need support navigating mentor/supervisor challenges or grad student/postdoc challenges, please reach out to your personal mentors, your fellow Inclusive Mentors Fellows and us - we are here to help!

Supervising through the middle of a crisis can feel overwhelming because there are so many factors beyond your control, and you are probably being affected by the crisis yourself. But if you focus on these few points, you will have learned valuable lessons that will further your understanding about your managerial/leadership style including the various and achievable ways you can focus on/support trainees, while defining optimal productivity and providing you the opportunity to practices strategies which will make you more effective and confident when the next crisis arises.