Mentoring junior engineers can be incredibly rewarding—but what happens when it feels like you’re failing them? Despite your best efforts, their work quality doesn’t improve, deadlines slip, and frustration builds. At what point do you recognize that something isn’t working, and more importantly, how do you turn things around? In this session, you’ll gain actionable insights from my own experience mentoring a struggling junior engineer, where I initially approached the situation with patience, only to realize that my own burnout was a sign of a deeper issue. Together, we’ll explore the failure of mentorship—what happens when guidance alone isn’t enough, and how failing to escalate can create patterns that harm both the individual and the team. Join me as we explore the tough, but necessary, conversations that make us better leaders, and leave with actionable steps to navigate your own difficult team dynamics—without losing your sanity.
2. Explain why addressing performance issues early through constructive feedback and communication prevents burnout and fosters a healthier work environment for the entire team.
3. Implement strategies for providing transparent, constructive feedback by documenting issues and having open conversations in public channels, ensuring accountability and shared knowledge.
4. Differentiate between challenges that can be solved through mentoring and those that require managerial intervention. Know when it’s time to escalate an issue and how to present it to a manager effectively.
5. Assess your own approach to handling difficult collaborations and determine when to seek advice from mentors or peers, using their guidance to refine your conflict resolution skills.
6. Design a proactive plan for future situations where collaboration might falter, incorporating techniques learned from this experience to prevent burnout and improve team dynamics.