In a lot of ways, mentoring is like being a guide for white water rafting. The first time I went rafting, we had some safety pre-teaching and the guide took us up above the rapids to take a look at the water. He talked about how we would navigate the waters and what some of the dangers would be. He said that sometimes he would tell us to dig in our oars and we needed to just do it as hard as we could. He had navigated this river before and there would be a few areas that would be hard rowing, but that we would all stay in the boat if we dug in. If we somehow fell out, he would come get us.
That first day rafting was a little scary and a whole lot of fun for me. When the rapids got rough I dug in just when the guide told us to dig in. I actually did fall out of the raft at one point. There was a lot going on, and I know that we hit one of the rapids just a little bit wrong. I was digging in but the whole raft tipped and I fell out. The guide and others in the boat helped me get back in and I was ready to go again.
As we mentor others, we are like that guide. Sometimes we need to give some skill teaching and training. Sometimes we need to help our mentees see the bigger picture and understand what challenges are ahead. And sometimes we need to give clear instructions and assignments. As a mentor, its our job to pay attention and offer guidance when necessary. Being a mentor is for the brave, the courageous, and the skilled just like being a guide for white water rafting.
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