Meeting 2
LISTEN, REFLECT BACK and ASK
MENTOR’S ROLE:
At your second meeting, as before, your main job is to listen and witness your partner. This week, after they have shared, and you have reflected back, if they wish, you can ask your partner an open question, in response to their sharing. An open question is one that doesn’t require a ‘yes or no’ answer. For example: ‘What is it that you most love about your creative practice?’
MENTEE’S ROLE:
In the mentee role, your main job is also to listen- to yourself!
Take your time. Listen to what you need. If you want to be asked a question, ask for one, but you may not, and that is also absolutely fine. Often, when we are deeply heard, our own best questions and answers arise – trust these.
QUESTION RESOURCES:
You will probably find that you have some questions that naturally arise from your exchange – things you genuinely want to ask. However, below this are a list of powerful questions that you can use or might in turn inspire other questions. They come from Matilda’s work with Improbable with whom she facilitates Open Space events. Just take from them anything that leaps out. Don’t feel encumbered by them – they are there as a resource for you to use if helpful.
List of open questions, arranged under different headings:
Opportunity:
• What question if answered can make the most difference to the future of your specific situation or issue?
• What's important to you about this issue and why do you care?
• What's your intention now?
• What's the deeper purpose? (The big Why)
• What opportunities can you see in your specific situation?
Deepening:
• What do you know so far, or still need to learn about this specific situation?
• What assumptions, do you need to test or challenge here in thinking about this situation or issue?
• What would it take to create change on this issue?
• What could happen, that would enable you to feel fully engaged and energised about this issue or project?
• What's possible here and who cares?
• What's missing from this picture so far?
• if there was one thing that hasn't yet been said, in order to reach a deeper level of understanding what would that be?
• What's the next level of thinking you need to do?
• What is it, you are not seeing?
• What's been your major learning insights, or discoveries so far?
Moving Forward:
• What needs your immediate attention going forward?
• If your success was completely guaranteed, what bold steps might you choose?
• How can you get support in taking the next steps
• What challenges might come your way and how might you meet them
• What conversation if begun today could ripple out in a way that created new possibilities for the future of your situation?
• What seed might you plant today, that could make the most difference to the future of this project or issue?
Powerful questions for taking action:
What needs to be done right now?
What are you resisting about this?
What will happen if you do nothing?
What are you prepared to do about this?
What’s the one thing that would have the greatest effect if you did it?
What is working? How can you do more of it?
What support do you need in taking the next steps?
What unique contribution can you make?
What is the one next step to which you can commit?
(Thanks to Mark Forster, Eric E. Vogt, Juanita Brown, and David Isaacs for these)