Role reversal

An exercise for mentors to help mentees is role reversal. The exercise is as follows:

• Have the person you are mentoring explain a skill as if they were teaching it to you. For example: prioritizing. This helps consolidate their knowledge and shows how well the mentee understands the concept. This can lead to engaging discussions and further deepening of understanding.

• Then, present a (hypothetical) situation where they could apply this skill. Ask the mentee how they would act in that situation and why. This helps in applying knowledge in practical contexts and developing problem-solving skills.

An example of a situation is: a team has a real “you ask, we deliver” mentality. As a result, team members are busy handling ad-hoc requests and don’t get to their planned work. How could prioritizing help in this situation, and how would you explain it so that the team adopts this practice?

• As a mentor, ensure that your mentee not only focuses on the procedural aspects but also considers mindset and behavior. Does your mentee recognize how to meet the team’s needs and actually make an impact?