Asking for the experience of others. Thanks for reading!
As T/C/HO, I do regularly staff someone in a non-leadership spot to be extra support to someone in leadership who is new or otherwise is still in a “learning” situation (this might happen at surprisingly high level events, and not necessarily only at “learnaments”). Sometimes this staffing is even cross-skating status, as in as a non-CHN PLT person might be staffed to help support someone who is a first time CHR because that PLT is a L3 ref or something and can give tips or make sure important things aren’t dropped. Let’s call them the “support” official and the “mentee”, so I have something to call the individuals in my question below.
For instance as an example, I’ve done this many times where I staff someone with playoff level PBM experience as the “support” official at PBT for a “mentee” PBM who is staffed for the first time in that position at a multiday event. I’ve staffed that PBT as the support because I already know they’re someone who’s good at helping to train others “on-the-fly” in a supportive, welcoming way. I already know they’re not someone who will condescend or “take over the job” of the mentee.
In this situation, I wouldn’t always advertise or shout it from the rooftops “This official is the support official!” because I feel like that undermines the authority we’re trying to help give the mentee if everyone knows they’re not as experienced as others. So others might not know that when the support PBT maybe holds up the queue board or follows through on a AAB jammer swap, they’re not overstepping their job. Typically maybe if an OPR or something comes to me as the THN and says “You know, that PBT did the jammer swaps in jam 5” I can reply with “yep, it’s the PBM’s first event as PBM, so the PBT is helping them learn.” And the OPR is satisfied and goes about their day.
But sometimes, this support/mentee relationship you’ve staffed isn’t apparent, or people outside the relationship don’t ask about it before making assumptions and leave the event with the ongoing opinion that the support PBT is a bossy, controlling brat who can’t stay in their lane, which they then spread to others.
Question here is: how do you handle situations where there is a support/mentee relationship without making the mentee feel embarrassed to need support and in the spotlight as the “learner” and yet ensure enough people know about the situation, so the support official’s reputation isn’t at risk?