DEV Community

Asael Shinder
Asael Shinder

Posted on

The Best Question I Ever Asked Was "What Have You Tried?"

Early on, when someone came to me stuck,
I'd jump straight to the fix.

I felt useful.
They walked away no stronger.

Then I learned one question
that changed how I mentor:

"What have you tried so far?"

Watch what it does.

It makes them retrace their own steps.
Half the time they find the answer mid-sentence.
The other half, I finally see how they think —
and I can teach the thinking, not just the fix.

A good mentor is rarely the smartest person in the room.
They're the one asking the question
that makes you smarter.

Give people the handle, not the door.

– Asael Shinder

Top comments (0)