Mentor Roles

[Tom Line]

Originally Posted by hauki

I am a new engineering mentor (started in Sept) and would like some advice.

If the build team is totally getting off track what should be the mentors role? I've tried to influence them to get back on track with little success. I've worked in the high tech industry for 30 years and have seen many projects fail. I feel at this point the team is not going to get a robot built. Should I just let them fail and call it a learning experience? Is it my role to build the robot for them? I don't think this is correct.

Is a mentor part of the team? I was told by an angry\stressed student that mentors are not part of the team. My view is that we are all on the same team but have different roles to support. I think I am there to help\encourage\voice concerns if the project is slipping?

Suggest the right course once. If the students want to go down another path, then do your best to make it happen and make it work, even if it isn't the most optimal. Over time, they will realize that you have a quality viewpoint and will start listening more and more.

It sounds like the students on the team have a viewpoint that they own the team and their mentors are there as only a reference. That's fine - some teams run like that. Don't force the issue and end up disliked and ostracized: that has no long-term upside.

In other words, as mentors we're here to offer what the team members are willing to take. Mistakes are often the best teaching tools. Smile and simply enjoy the small successes.