Conclude group discussion - The Lovers - 50 Activities for Coaching-Mentoring (Berry, Cadwell,

The Lovers

Step 4: Conclude group discussion

Notes:

This step may also be done in small groups, with groups reporting their responses to the rest of the participants.

Lead a discussion on how this story reveals issues of values in the coaching or mentoring process.

Questions you might ask:

• How do values affect the mentoring relationship?

• What positive results may be obtained by pairing mentors and protégés who have different backgrounds?

• What dangers are there in pairing mentors and protégés who have different backgrounds?

• What are some ways a mentor can deal with values that don’t fit the organization’s culture?

Exercise 35.1

Exercise 35.1: The Lovers

During the days of the settlement of the Old West, a young woman named Jennifer and a young man named David joined a wagon train heading for California. Along the way, they fell in love and decided to marry and settle down together when they reached their destination. Through mile after mile of hard travel, they worked together by day and shared their dreams by night. Each day, however, their wagon train fell farther and farther behind its schedule. Unexpected rains, swollen rivers, and other delays slowed their progress until they were in danger of not being able to cross Breakneck Pass. One or two hard snows, and the pass would be closed to wagon trains until spring.

In mid-September, the wagon train finally began its ascent of Breakneck Pass. David went to the front of the train to help with the lead wagon while Jennifer took charge of the children at the rear. After days of back-breaking work, the lead wagons finally reached the pass. Suddenly, the heavy clouds unleashed a blinding snowstorm that quickly halted the train. Only a few of the lead wagons reached the crest. As the snow deepened, the remainder turned to work their way back down the trail, below the worst of the blizzard. Jennifer and David were separated by dozens of feet of snow.

Jennifer knew that the wagons on the western slope must soon descend or risk being trapped hundreds of feet above help. She went to the train’s scout, Preston, for help.

Preston said he knew of a second pass that could be traveled by a single file of pack animals, but not wagons. Jennifer explained her situation and pleaded for his help to take her across to join David.

Preston agreed, but on the condition that they spend the evening together having dinner before they left. Distraught, Jennifer went to John, the wagon master. He was Preston’s boss, she reasoned, and could force Preston to help. To her dismay, John told her that Preston was hired to scout westward, and since they were descending to the east because of the snow, he didn’t care what Preston did. In fact, one less

person was exactly what their ruined crossing needed, he said.

Jennifer could think of no other solution, and agreed to Preston’s terms. They had dinner together, and on the next morning, true to his word, Preston brought her across. At dusk, when they could see the campfires of the lead wagons below them, he left her.

When Jennifer told David what she had done, he pushed her away in disgust, telling her he wanted nothing to do with an improper woman.

Jennifer was heartbroken. She stood at the edge of the encampment and sobbed. One of the travelers, named Thomas, heard her crying and sought to comfort her. Jennifer told her sad tale. Thomas, not only shocked by David’s behavior but also attracted to Jennifer, sought David out.

Our story ends with Jennifer laughing as she watches the enraged Thomas horsewhip David.

(Continued)

Exercise 35.1

(concluded)

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Directions: Rank the characters of this story from 1 to 5, with 1 being the character whose behavior is most offensive, and 5 the character whose behavior is least

offensive.

Jennifer ________

David ________

Preston ________

John ________

Thomas ________

Reproduced from 50 Activities for Coaching/Mentoring by

Donna Berry, Charles Cadwell, and Joe Fehrmann. Amherst, MA: HRD Press, 1993.

Exercise 35.2

Exercise 35.2: The Lovers

David knew that the wagons on the western slope must soon descend or risk being trapped hundreds of feet above help. He went to Mary, the wife of the wagon train’s scout (who was across the pass with the lead wagons). Mary said she knew of a second pass that could be traveled by a single file of pack animals, but not wagons. David explained his situation and pleaded for her help to take him across to join Jennifer.

Mary agreed, but on the condition that they spend the evening together having dinner before they left. Distraught, David went to John, the wagon master. He was the scout’s boss, he reasoned, and could influence the scout’s wife. To his dismay, John told him that Mary and her husband were hired to scout westward, and since they were descending to the east because of the snow, he didn’t care what Mary did. In fact, one less person was exactly what their ruined crossing needed, he said.

David could think of no other solution, and agreed to Mary’s terms. They had dinner together, and on the next morning, true to her word, Mary brought him across. At dusk, when they could see the campfires of the lead wagons below them, she left.

When David told Jennifer what he had done, she pushed him away in disgust, telling him she wanted nothing to do with a spineless creature who could do something so improper.

David was heartbroken. He stood at the edge of the encampment and sobbed. One of the other women, named Donna, heard him crying and sought to comfort him. David told his sad tale. Donna, not only shocked by Jennifer’s behavior but also attracted to David, sought Jennifer out.

Our story ends with David laughing as he watches the furious Donna attack Jennifer.