Through interactive mentor and mentee role-plays, participants honed skills in navigating mentoring relationships, using all they had learned about mentoring, counseling, and coaching.

Participants were equipped with basic micro-counseling techniques and introduced to a coaching framework for setting goals. They learned the importance of open-mindedness and empathy to address deeper issues that a mentee might face.

In one of the role-play sessions, participants had to demonstrate how to approach a mentee struggling with feelings of isolation and harassment onboard a multicultural environment and having doubts about his sailing career. The scenario, which is not uncommon among seafarers, offered practice opportunities using different approaches. The trainer reminded participants to be mindful of their tone and use of words when supporting distressed mentees and to avoid harsh responses. The trainer also highlighted the need for escalation protocols when handling severe mental distress and cautioned to maintain an unbiased approach to a mentee’s problem.

As the mentorship introductory workshop drew to a close, members reflected on their key takeaways and shared the areas in which they intend to focus on in their own journey as mentors.