MSU
Sports Analytics Certificate

Mentoring Guide

How to Get the Most From Our Instructors

Adapted from “How I Like to be Mentored” by Emilio Xavier Esposito. Used with permission.

The most successful learning relationships aren’t just technically proficient — they’re built on foundations of mutual understanding and intentional mentorship. Misaligned expectations and communication styles create unnecessary friction in otherwise talented teams. This guide helps you address that up front.

By investing 30 minutes in structured self-reflection, you can prevent miscommunication and accelerate your growth in the program. There are no right or wrong answers. Use this as a starting point for conversation, not a form to submit.

Why This Matters to You

Everyone in the program should work through these questions to gain a deeper understanding of themselves. Even if you don’t share the results with others, the self-reflection helps you see how external events and interactions shape your experience. You may also find it easier to ask an instructor for help or explain your preferences when you’ve already thought them through.

How I Like to be Mentored

The questions below are grouped to make it easier to complete in stages, and to help instructors quickly reference specific aspects of your working relationship. The grouping is intentional:

  • Progressive depth — starts with big-picture goals, moves to personal attributes, then tactical preferences, and finally addresses more vulnerable topics
  • Logical grouping — related questions are together (e.g., all timing preferences in one place)
  • Psychological safety — more sensitive questions come after establishing context
  • Actionable structure — each section produces specific insights your instructor can act on

Foundation & Goals

Understanding our partnership and aspirations.

  1. I want our working relationship to be…
  2. Areas where I’m seeking growth and support include…
  3. My top five priorities in life are…
  4. I expect that this experience will affect my career goals by…
  5. I envision success for myself within the next 6 months to 1 year as…

Strengths & Growth Areas

Leveraging what works and developing what doesn’t.

  1. My top three strengths are…
  2. Areas where I’m actively working to improve include…
  3. I want to learn [these specific skills, soft and technical] from you, and here is why…
  4. I can help you learn more about…
  5. I am enthusiastic and get excited about this/these aspect(s) of analytics and the work I do…

Working Style & Preferences

Optimizing our collaboration patterns.

  1. I like to work in [this type of working environment], and this is why…
  2. How comfortable are you with ambiguity on a scale of 1–10?
  3. My preferred learning style is… (select all that apply: visual | hands-on | reading | discussion)
  4. My preferred communication mode is…
  5. I prefer to have one-on-one meetings during the (select all that apply: morning | after lunch | afternoon)
  6. I prefer to have group or technical meetings during the (select all that apply: morning | after lunch | afternoon)
  7. I prefer to perform administrative tasks during the (select all that apply: early morning | mid-morning | late morning | after lunch | afternoon | evening | night)
  8. I prefer to work on projects during the (select all that apply: early morning | mid-morning | late morning | after lunch | afternoon | evening | night)

Support & Communication

Building psychological safety and effective feedback loops.

  1. When receiving feedback, I prefer… (frequency, format, setting)
  2. When I need technical help, I usually…
  3. When I need emotional support, I usually…
  4. When I’m frustrated or facing challenges, I typically…
  5. When I am stressed, I usually…
  6. When approaching me about a concern, I want you to…
  7. The best way to approach me with a concern regarding my work is…
  8. The best way to approach me with a concern regarding my actions is…
  9. I tend to approach others with a concern in the following manner…

Additional Context

Anything else I think is important to share:

Credits: This guide is adapted from the How I Like to be Supervised framework originally created by Campus Inclusion and Community at Northwestern University (source), expanded by Emilio Xavier Esposito for analytics team contexts, and further adapted here for the MSU Sports Analytics Certificate program.

Questions about this guide? Contact Emilio Xavier Esposito