BU Mentoring Pre-Workshop Survey:
Introduction to Role Play
Dear Participants,
Welcome to a Research Mentoring Training session. The goal of this session is engage you in major
issues around mentoring and to provide a set of tools and techniques that can improve your future
mentoring endeavors.
This pre-session has several activities designed to get you thinking about mentoring, to stretch your
imagination around roles of mentors and mentees and to start an inventory of mentoring skills that you
can use to gauge your growth toward becoming the mentor you want to be.
Feel free to contact me at any time,
Bennett Goldberg
goldberg@bu.edu
Why do role play:
One of the most effective training methods is role playing. Role-playing takes place between two or
more people, who act out roles to explore a particular scenario.
Role playing is useful in preparing for unfamiliar or difficult situations. By acting scenarios out, you can
explore how other people are likely to respond to different approaches. You can get a feel for
approaches that are likely to work and for those that might be counter-productive. You can also get a
sense of what other people are likely to be thinking and feeling in the situation. Role-play builds
experience and self-confidence for handling real-life situations.
In the following, we explore role play in mentoring. First, let's read a scenario describing a challenging
mentoring situation. Both mentee and mentor perspectives are provided.
“Pub Nights”
Mentee Perspective
My name is Isabel. I'm a postdoc in Professor S’s lab, and I've recently realized how weak my bond is
with Professor S, compared to the bond he shares with other (mostly male) postdocs and grad students
in the lab. They joke throughout the day and banter about many outside-work interests. They also go
out eating/drinking on a regular basis, watch sports and talk about typical male-oriented subjects. Then
there are these annual outings to ski or canoe, with a large group of spouses and girlfriends. I went once
and hated it. For the pub nights, they used to invite me to join them, but I hardly ever accepted and now
they’ve stopped asking me. That’s not how I want to spend my small amount spare time. But now I feel
like this is hurting my future career.
Boston University Mentoring Training Program Spring 2015
B. B. Goldberg and B. Hugot
Intellectually, I believe I have more in common with my mentor than his other postdocs and grad
students, but that doesn't seem to make a difference. He’s more likely to discuss science ideas and new
papers with them. He helps them write grant proposals to advance their careers. He introduces them to
colleagues and involves them in discussions. Even if it is not his intention to exclude some of us, that’s
what is happening to me. I don't see how this could not translate into fewer opportunities for me. It’s
beginning to feel like it’s a popularity contest here -- and I’m losing.
Last week a few of us attended a local conference with Professor S. Every step of the way, I felt like I
was on the periphery. When I needed to be introduced to people at meeting following talks or in the
hallway, I was not. I became upset, and returned to the lab. He’s asked me to meet with him in his
office now to discuss my actions. And I’m not sure what to say.
“Pub Nights”
Mentor Perspective
My name is Professor S. I head a physics/engineering lab at a major research university. I like to be
available to my grad students and postdocs, so I have an open-door policy and I also try to get into the
lab at least once a day for an hour or so. I’m really happy with my current team, they’re a great group –
talented and hard working. I like to build camaraderie by having everyone over for a barbecue twice a
year. I also tag along on pub nights with the group when I have time – it’s a good way to connect with
and get to know each other. Not everyone in the lab comes along, of course, but most do -- and
everyone is welcome! Once a year, the lab organizes a weekend outing. We’ve been to Cape Cod, New
Hampshire and Maine; we’ve gone hiking, canoeing and skiing. These outings are all social, with some
science discussion, but not much. Most attend, and most bring significant others.
I really enjoy hanging out with my students. I make an effort to be equally accessible and supportive of
all my students, or so I thought.
Last week I took a several students and a post doc to a local conference. I made a point of including
Isabel. She’s a good researcher but reluctant to socialize, so I don’t know her as well as most of my
group. I knew she would get a lot out of the conference. But the next thing I knew she was sulking –
and then she was gone! I figured she’d gone off by herself, but then I found out she had returned to the
lab, having left the conference. I was really annoyed. I set up an appointment to find out why she took
off – this meeting starts in a few minutes…
Choose a perspective and get into character
After reading, we typically ask you, the participant to choose one of these perspectives, either the
mentor or mentee, and then get into character. Getting into character is intended to stretch your
imagination, to expand the possibilities of mentoring situations that you might play out. These will then
build experiences around challenging situations that may arise in your careers and give you the tools to
deal with them. Here's what you should think about, and what you will do with a new scenario when we
meet in person.
Boston University Mentoring Training Program Spring 2015
B. B. Goldberg and B. Hugot
Getting into character…
Describe your character. I am …
What actions has your character taken and why? I have ...
What is your character thinking and feeling? I think …
What are three issues you are concerned about when you put yourself in the role of mentor or mentee?
Video Examples: “Pub Nights”
First of two role-play videos of Pub Nights:
Courtesy of the Boston University Student Actors Guild, we show you a version of the mentor-mentee
meeting around the Pub Nights Scenario:
https://vimeo.com/119451336
Second of two role-play videos of Pub Nights:
Courtesy of the Boston University Student Actors Guild, we show you a very different version of the
mentor-mentee meeting around the Pub Nights Scenario:
https://vimeo.com/119451449
Awesome, right?
Reflecting on these versions of the Pub Nights meeting, what is your immediate response to these
scenarios?
Boston University Mentoring Training Program Spring 2015
B. B. Goldberg and B. Hugot