The best way to encourage an effective relationship with your supervisor is to define your roles and expectations clearly and have an effective plan for progress.

Relationship Process

How do you expect this relationship play out from one week to the next? Does it have a natural flow that allows maximum productivity between student and supervisor? Do you expect that:

• there will be open communication between graduate student and supervisor
• the relationship will be mutually satisfying
• you will not have to compromise for the benefit of your supervisor
• you will both benefit from the relationship