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2025 AOM Annual Meeting

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16791: Listening with Empathy: Redefining the Mentor – Mentee Relationship for a Changing Academia

Friday, July 25, 2025
10:00 - 12:30 CEST (GMT+2)
Location: Bella Center: Hall D- D3-m10
Session Type: PDW (workshop)
Orientation: Practice,International,Diversity
Shareable link: https://cdmcd.co/gang3g
Motivated by the desire to pay forward the support we have received from peers and senior scholars during our own academic journeys, this PDW offers an alternative take on mentorship. While traditional, goal-oriented mentorship (e.g., how to write better or publish) is indispensable, we shift the focus to rethinking mentor-mentee dynamics through a relational lens. Acknowledging the multiple roles (e.g., scholar, parent, partner, active citizen) and demands (e.g., do research, teach, take care of family, help others, make time for oneself) mentors and mentees juggle, alongside systemic constraints (e.g., time scarcity, pressure to publish) and unique circumstances (e.g., cultural norms, personality traits), reinforces our belief that effective mentorship is highly subjective and context-dependent. Even the most thoughtfully designed programs and curricula can fail if mentors and mentees lack a mutual understanding of each other’s experiences, expectations, and constraints. Creating opportunities for active listening and perspective-taking is not a standalone solution but a necessary first step toward bridging this gap. We aim to challenge participants to move beyond traditional models and co-create a mentorship approach that balances the technical and relational aspects of mentorship, better aligning it with the demands of modern academia. This PDW brings together a uniquely diverse and qualified panel of scholars with varied disciplinary, career stage, and cultural perspectives. Through interactive exercises such as role reversal and empathy mapping, participants will collaboratively explore mentorship practices, fostering trust, understanding, and a shared commitment to growth. By the end of this workshop, participants will leave with actionable insights and a refreshed view of mentorship that prioritizes both professional success and relational well-being.