Be explicit about what types of topics you are willing to discuss or advise on.

For instance, students may be uncomfortable bringing up issues related to identity with faculty members who have not explicitly indicated they are available to discuss such issues.¹

Seek to understand differences among group members in a non-judgmental way.

Celebrating diversity means valuing unique individuals, and the perspectives they bring to the table. Encourage group members to share their past experiences and how those experiences relate to topics of interest.

Encourage group members to get together outside of work,

which creates opportunities to gain greater understanding of each other’s backgrounds and cultures. See our related guide on peer mentoring for more information.²

Establish an information repository to provide informational resources to all group members.

Such a repository ensures all group members have equal access to informational resources.

• Some groups have a lab manual to make students aware of norms, for instance around work-life balance or what to do when they make mistakes.³
• Information can also be easily managed through a document-sharing platform, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or Slack.

Explicitly define your expectations to help you be consistent in what you ask of each group member.

Do you expect everyone in your group to teach? Or contribute to department or other organizational efforts? Be clear and consistent about such expectations.

Whenever you make a commitment to anyone in your group, make sure to write it down and follow up.

It may not seem important to you, but could be very important to your group member.⁴

Ensure equitable distribution of group tasks

(e.g., maintaining lab and office spaces, updating the group website, etc.).

Have a ‘chore list’ with each member signed up for 1-2 tasks; assignments should change occasionally (once per year) so no one gets ‘stuck’ with the most time-consuming or least desirable work.⁵

Make sure all members of your group have the opportunity to participate.

• At a minimum, every person should be given a chance to ask a question to the presenter.
• Even better, start group meetings with check-in’s from your group members: each person gives a 30-60 second update from the past week that may or may not be research-related. This helps (a) group members want to participate in meetings, (b) keep everyone in the group more knowledgeable about each other's’ work, and (c) provide an opportunity for students to bring up aspects of their identities that they otherwise might not have a space to share.

Be cognizant of and interrupt interruptions.⁶

Make sure you know and use the correct gender pronouns for everyone in your group.

Correct others when appropriate.⁷

Affirm the work of students presenting at group meetings

(e.g., “I know those results required a lot of work and persistence”).

Give constructive feedback.

Approaches vary (and it’s worth discussing feedback styles as a group). If you are very critical in your feedback, make sure your group members know that it is intentional and intended to help them learn. Starting your response to a presentation by saying one specific aspect you liked before pointing out an area for improvement can help motivate students to improve, though it is important not to be seen as sugarcoating.

Remember that communication styles vary from person to person,

in both one-on-one and group settings. Discuss your preferred communication style with your group members and provide suggestions on what they can do to maximize the effectiveness of their communication with you. Try to understand how your group members’ style(s) may differ from your own.⁸

Get to know your students to understand what each student wants to get out of their degree program,

and think about ways that you can help meet their professional and/or personal goals.

Consistently and equitably provide opportunities to your group members.

Discuss the types of opportunities available to find out what will be interesting and useful for each individual rather than making assumptions. Track how often you support different members to present at conferences, co-author grant applications or papers, or guest lecture.

Introduce students and postdocs to both junior and senior members of your network.

Making such connections helps junior researchers build an engineering identity and sense of community and belonging. You can make these connections:

• At conferences.
• When people you know visit campus.
• When a group member’s research relates to the work of other researchers you know (you can suggest they reach out or even provide them with an email introduction).

Give credit to group members who contributed

when presenting on research from your group.

Provide a forum, at least once per year, for students to give suggestions on group policies and meeting structure, and adjust accordingly.

• Actively invite questions or concerns so group members will feel comfortable coming forward with suggestions.⁴
• Consider having a group retreat (either on campus or off) to discuss research group-related issues. It is up to you to show you are interested in what your group members have to say and willing to make changes for a healthier work environment.⁵