Role play: manager/supervisor You are a manager in a large Accounts Department. A junior member of staff, Chris, one of the most energetic people has asked for some of your time and is coming to see you in a couple of minutes. You’re not sure what it’s about but you have had concerns about the amount of work Chris appears to take on. The supervisor has advised you that Chris takes on anything that needs doing and is always the first to volunteer for new projects. This has been particularly so over the past few months and the supervisor is beginning to worry about health issues as Chris looks very drained at the moment. You obviously want Chris’s enthusiasm to remain high but you don’t want a stressed or burnt-out employee. You may be unsure how much to act as a mentor or a manager.

Decide how you will approach the issue and how you might get Chris to moderate the workload.

Role play: employee/Chris You have been in the Accounts Department for a little over a year now and really love your job. In fact, since you and your partner split up a few months ago you’ve really thrown yourself into your work. It’s nothing for you to work late into the evening and quite often at weekends. There are so many exciting things to get involved with that there isn’t enough time to do as much as you’d like. Besides, your social life isn’t exactly buzzing at the moment and you’ve never got hooked into any particular hobbies or pastimes. Your supervisor is full of praise for your performance, giving you a high rating on your objectives. You’ve also making rapid progress during your time in the department.

You have felt a bit drained recently and find it hard to switch off.

You have asked to see the manager about an exciting new piece of work you’ve heard about. You’d really like to get involved in it. You don’t want to give up your other stuff though.

Discussion

✱ What do you believe is the best training method for developing coaching and mentoring skills?

✱ How would attempt to ensure the transparency necessary for good coaching whilst maintaining confidentiality about personal circumstances?

✱ Debate critically what you have learned from undertaking this activity.