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It’s easy to overlook the power of informal mentoring, especially with the recent explosion of mentoring programs.
But unceremonious advice, perspectives, or ideas can spark our courage if we stay open and pay attention. John Krasinski John Krasinski was first known for his role on the hit sitcom The Office and lately as the star of the Amazon series Jack Ryan. It was a conversation with a trusted friend that gave John the courage to move from acting to directing. John shared the story during a recent interview: I wanted to but never thought I’d have the confidence to direct. I was sitting at a burrito place in LA with [a colleague from The Office, actor] Rainn Wilson. He saw I was perplexed and said, “What’s going on?” I said, “I’m trying to get someone to direct this movie I wrote.” Rainn said, “Why don’t you do it?” I froze. He reiterated, “You should just do it.” He encouraged me to direct it. Then people at The Office heard I was going to direct a film. So, they said, “Why don’t you direct a few episodes to get your feet wet?” The Office was my entire film school. In 2009 John made his directorial debut with the film Brief Interviews with Hideous Men and has since written, directed, and produced other films, including A Quiet Place. Informal Mentoring Informal mentoring exists because of in-the-moment, situation-driven, organic conversations. Unlike formal mentoring, informal mentoring:
Because informal mentoring occurs only on a foundation of already established trust. Informal mentoring transpires when an interaction shifts from exchanging pleasantries and information to:
Predictably, informal mentoring suffocates among strangers! When we meet someone who is all conviction and no curiosity, uninterested in exchanging insights and ideas, remember that we don’t have a foundation of trust yet! We are still strangers. Understandably, this future friend is merely protecting themself from seemingly judgmental advice. If we want our casual conversations and daily interactions to have more impact, we must first invest in trusting relationships. © 2023. Ann Tardy and MentorLead. www.mentorlead.com. All Rights Reserved. |