Purpose

One of the aims of AMBIT is to enhance mentalization both in work with clients but also in work with colleagues in the formal or informal network around the young person. Addressing Dis-integration (and the use of the Dis-integration grid) is
one of the Core Features of AMBIT.

The 'What's it like to be...' exercise is designed to encourage team members to explore their capacity to make sense of the network from another person's point of view. The exercise can be done to think about differences between staff within a single team or between different teams or agencies. The basic exercise is simple and can be adapted to specific training circumstances.

How to do the exercise

The exercise requires three people.

Two practitioners (person 1 and 2)

These identify a member of the team (or network) (person 3) that they know least well...

What's it like to be person 3?

Then person 1 and 2 have a conversation together imagining what it would be like to have this other person's job.

Focus on the LIVED EXPERIENCE

The focus in this conversation should be on the lived experience of this other person (not their formal responsibilities) to include:

• what's fun about the job
• what's stressful
• what they do for lunch
• what a typical day comprises of
• what is the Xmas party like for them, etc.

Person 3

Person 3 simply listens to this conversation. Having built up a bit of picture of this (10 minutes max), Person 3 then reflects back what it is like to listen to the story of one's own work in this way. Inevitably this will include some consideration of the 'accuracy' of the description but the focus of interest is around the feelings (e.g. indignation!; supported; validated; etc) evoked by discrepancies or inaccuracies rather than the inaccuracies themselves.

If this is done in as part of a group activity, a sub-group of all "Person 3's" can be invited to feedback to the wider group (as a group Fishbowl discussion) about what it was like to see one's working life described by others.