Introduction: What You’ll Learn
This simulation walks you through mentoring a new team member during their first few weeks. You'll learn how to support them, provide guidance, and make them feel welcome.
You’ll practice:
- Introducing team processes and tools
- Setting expectations and goals
- Encouraging questions and feedback
- Building confidence and independence
Step-by-Step Simulation
Scene 1: Initial Introduction and Setup
Mentor: "Hey there, welcome to the team! I'm excited to have you here. Let me show you around our project and the tools we use, like Jira for tracking tasks and Slack for chatting. Sound good?"
New Team Member: "Sounds great, thanks! I'm really looking forward to diving in."
Mentor: "Awesome! Since you know your way around Slack, let's focus on GitHub. I'll walk you through how we handle branches and show you our repo. It’s pretty straightforward."
Scene 2: Setting Expectations and Goals
Mentor: "Alright, let’s chat about how we work. We do two-week sprints with planning sessions at the start and retros at the end. Plus, we have daily standups. Any questions about that?"
New Team Member: "Nope, that all makes sense so far."
Mentor: "Cool! For your first sprint, how about tackling a small bug fix? It’s a great way to get your feet wet."
New Team Member: "That sounds perfect. It'll be nice to have something concrete to work on."
Mentor: "I’ll assign you a bug, and if you hit any snags, we can pair up. Let’s also plan a check-in halfway through to see how things are going."
Scene 3: Encouraging Questions and Feedback
Mentor: "Remember, it's totally normal to have a bunch of questions. Just shoot me a message anytime. We’ve all been in your shoes."
New Team Member: "Thanks, that’s reassuring. I won’t hesitate to ask if I'm unsure about anything."
Mentor: "Awesome. Also, if you have any feedback or ideas on how we do things, I’d love to hear it. Fresh eyes are super valuable!"
New Team Member: "Will do! I appreciate you being open to that."
Scene 4: Building Confidence and Independence
Mentor: "Hey, I saw you nailed that bug fix. How are you feeling about it?"
New Team Member: "I'm feeling more comfortable now. I was a bit stuck, but I figured it out."
Mentor: "That’s great! Problem-solving is a big part of the job. As you get more confident, we’ll let you take on more complex stuff."
New Team Member: "I’m excited for that. Thanks for all the support!"
Mentor: "Anytime. Keep up the great work, and remember, I’m here if you need anything."
Mini Roleplay Challenges
Challenge 1: The new team member is hesitant to ask questions.
- Best Response: “Feel free to ask anything. We’re all here to help each other out. What’s on your mind?”
Challenge 2: They seem overwhelmed by information.
- Best Response: “Let’s break it down. Is there something specific you want to tackle first?”
Challenge 3: They finish tasks quickly and ask for more.
- Best Response: “Nice work! Let’s find something in the backlog that’ll stretch your skills a bit.”
Optional Curveball Mode
- The new team member struggles with a tool they claimed to know.
- They receive contradictory feedback from different team members.
- They accidentally break the build.
Practice handling each situation with patience and support.
Reflection Checklist
Support & Guidance
- Did I provide a clear introduction to tools and processes?
- Did I set realistic and achievable goals?
Encouragement & Feedback
- Did I create an open environment for questions?
- Did I invite and value their feedback?
Growth & Independence
- Did I recognize their progress and build confidence?
- Did I encourage them to take on new challenges?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overloading with too much information at once
- Assuming they understand without checking
- Not providing enough support or follow-up
- Failing to encourage questions or feedback