The Best of Mentoring...11Jan16...the beginning:
The best of mentoring will always rest on four pillars. Without these, it's just a pleasant conversation, which is good to have, but it will not be the best of mentoring that makes a difference and changes lives, over time.
Intentional...
The best of mentoring is always intentional.
Just yesterday I was invited to watch the filming of an ad campaign that one of the uber-creative men I've the privilege of mentoring was filming. My guess is that this good man, on the grow in all the dimensions of his own life, is creative in the midst of his deepest sleep. ;-)
It was a privilege to be in on six hours of the shoot. Arriving home last evening I commented to my wife that the team work of a 12 hour shoot of 30 people working together to create enough footage to come up with a stellar 60-120 second commercial was nothing short of amazing. No wonder there are so many credits at the end of a full length movie!
Take after take after take was intentionally called for to capture just the right facial expression, voice inflection, mood, that ultimately told a powerful, creative story, with some great humor thrown in, as well, to make their point. From scripting, casting, make up, wardrobe, lighting, sound, filming from different angles, feeding the cast and crew, keeping them fresh and hydrated, I found myself in awe of the process.
Ultimately, everything that took place was intentional. My friend was the creatively focused, insight-filled director. Even when suggestions were well received from the crew, especially the lead camera man, some times at a moment's notice, the intentional care, correction, creative input was like a well choreographed dance that brought a visible sense of satisfaction to the whole team.......intentionally.
Such is the best of mentoring.
It is always, at it's best, intentional.
Whether for five minutes...
....an hour or more at a time...
.......or for months and years of one's lifetime.
During the change of wardrobe, and readjusting the lights, I had the privilege of having a conversation with one of the lead actors in the commercial (there were 9 actors involved...). We had 30 intentional minutes together.
When it was his turn for a wardrobe change, we exchanged phone and email addresses, as there was some interest in the possibility of further conversation. In passing, he mentioned that I had asked him some questions that he had not been asked before.
That's true. Each of those questions had a care-filled intentional perspective to them. They were not haphazardly asked. The conversation turned into more than each of us expected at first. Intentionally.
Whether your conversations in this next week to come are casual or well planned out, I encourage you to be intentional about what you are thinking, saying, doing with those conversations...before and after you have them. What are you offering? What are you hoping for? What are you needing to either give or receive from another...no matter what the circumstance is in which you find yourself?
Practicing being intentional will bring the possibility of deeper, focused, engaging, maybe even nourishing conversations, whether casual, or involved. This pillar...being intentional...begins to lay down the platform for life-giving, life-changing conversations in any area of your life. It is certainly where the best of mentoring begins.
...to be continued next Monday...18Jan16...
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