Fellowship Life Cycle

The Four Stages

Think of the fellowship year as having four developmental stages, with progress through each stage dependent on completion of the prior stage. Every month or so, assess which stage you are in and whether your approach, behavior, and priorities are appropriate for that stage. Matching behavior and stage is critical to earning the legitimacy and trust that are the foundations to a successful fellowship.

STAGE ONE: LISTEN & PITCH IN

Be a keen observer: learn the players, organizational routines, scale of action, likely supporters of and barriers to action, and where your activities fit in. Don’t focus so much on generating outputs as gaining inputs. This is your time to listen, absorb, and make yourself useful – even in ways that may seem small, as long as they are helpful to your host office and colleagues.

STAGE TWO: QUICK WINS

Accomplish some quick outputs related to your activities and build trust among others for your capacity to contribute. Identify technical contributions you can make now with few or no resources that will benefit your host office. If you are unable to identify specific opportunities to contribute, you are likely to become stuck in stage one.

STAGE THREE: CAPACITY-BUILDING

At this stage, you’ll probably feel yourself hitting your stride. Remain engaged in your primary project(s) while beginning to address with your colleagues the institution-building activities that will help sustain your initiatives (mobilizing support from other departments, establishing terms of external partnerships, etc.). Because you have earned collegial trust, you will now be able to offer longer-term strategic input. Seek additional training as necessary to enhance your productivity.

STAGE FOUR: EXIT STRATEGY

Wrap up your primary projects and work with your host office on an exit strategy to sustain progress and activities as appropriate. This may involve as little as providing a detailed exit report, to transitioning responsibilities to colleagues, and even providing training to coworkers. Failure to wrap-up thoughtfully and successfully may result in your organizational contributions being lost, or in leaving your colleagues with the perception that you dropped the ball. Remember, your colleagues may be future collaborators, coworkers, supervisors, and references. Ensure that you’ve done your best to complete your fellowship with the utmost professionalism.

NEED HELP?

Sometimes new fellows find that progress during the initial months of their placement seems frustratingly slow. The cultural adaptation could be difficult: colleagues or host office directors may seem unsure of how to integrate a fellow into their office environment. Changes in political leadership may shift an office’s priorities dramatically. Rest assured that fellows have overcome these and greater obstacles. First, know that you are not alone. The STPF staff has assisted fellows in all kinds of circumstances. We can also put you in touch with alumni who have experience and insights pertinent to you. Keep in mind that some of the most productive and rewarding fellowship assignments began as the more challenging ones.

Knowing that momentum takes time and patience to build is often a fellow’s most important insight. However, if you find yourself facing barriers that cause significant stress, don’t hesitate to contact your program manager or another STPF staff member. We are here to help!