In the wake of pandemic-related delays, the 2021 edition of Let’s Talk was officially held in 2022. This was my first time serving as a mentor, and when I received the invitation, I was admittedly anxious and unsure whether I could meet expectations. Still, having accepted the role, I resolved to make every effort. These notes capture my preparation and reflections as a mentor, and I owe deep gratitude to all those who offered patience and understanding throughout the process.
Before Meeting the Teams
When I took on the assignment, it would still be a while before the teams were formed. Having previously participated as a Let’s Talk project team member myself, I knew that Talk events involve a diverse cast of players and high communication costs.
With so many layers of coordination, it was crucial to determine in advance what kind of role I should play as a mentor: What responsibilities would I shoulder? What kind of support could I offer? I felt I needed to clarify these points before engaging with any team.
Project Management Tools
As a mentor, I saw my role as somewhat akin to a coach guiding the planning and moderation of a deliberative event. Although I wouldn’t be managing the project directly, I could apply certain project management principles and techniques to clarify expectations.
First, I mapped out my own availability and resources, determining how much time and scope I could offer. I set a timeline and identified tasks to complete in iterative cycles—design, execution, testing, and output—at short intervals (weekly or monthly). This approach, I believed, would prevent rushing to fix everything at the last minute and allow adjustments along the way. I also realized that timelines vary between teams and circumstances, so flexibility would be key. However, having a clear baseline plan would help me avoid over-promising and falling short of expectations.
To prepare, I created a few generic project management tools on GDrive—like a project record sheet. I also used my personal Jira workspace to break down the tasks I anticipated and to outline possible divisions of labor. These would help streamline discussions once I began working with the teams.
An Online Cliff’s notes version of “Let’s Talk”
Recalling how my team once struggled to constantly re-check schedules and tasks, I decided to prepare some convenient tools at the outset. I set up a responsive online “For Dummies” divided into four sections:
- Mentor Introduction: A brief introduction of my role and a link to my personal page.
- Keywords: Key concepts like open government, deliberative democracy, mental health, policy processes, project phases, and different participant roles. Each keyword came with a brief explanation and additional resources or videos.
- To-Do Checklist: Based on event guidelines and my past experience, a list of tasks to complete at each stage of hosting a Talk event.
- Think It Through: A set of scenario-based prompts unrelated to deliberation per se but involving analogous skills. Each question had a hidden reflection of my own, which the teams could reveal to compare with their own thoughts.
By providing these resources, I hoped to shift my stance toward that of a mentor and coach rather than a top-down authority. My goal was to let teams discover foundational principles and frameworks on their own, thus sparking new ideas during our discussions.
After all, Let’s Talk integrates policy-oriented goals, so understanding policy processes and where deliberation fits is essential. Through these resources, teams could better appreciate what kind of data and preparation they needed and manage expectations accordingly.
Making First Contact
The First Email
Once I got the contact details for the team’s point of contact, I sent an introductory email. Its subject line stated clearly that I was the Let’s Talk mentor assigned by YDA. In the message, I congratulated them on being selected, explained my role, and invited them to share their expectations and preferences. I included a questionnaire for them to fill out, covering what they hoped to gain from this collaboration and their vision for the Talk.
I also attached the links to my online resources. Additionally, I provided my LINE ID (despite its drawbacks for work communication, it remains a popular tool in Taiwan) as an alternative contact method.
Though the team did not end up filling out the questionnaire (we met in person soon after), having this questionnaire ready helped me organize my initial thoughts. It served as a roadmap for what we might need to clarify or align on at the outset.
Kickoff Meeting
Projects often skip a proper “kickoff” phase, but I believe it’s crucial. A kickoff helps define the project’s 5Ws, set goals, identify scope, understand costs and benefits, recognize stakeholders, and establish how we’ll manage documentation. While it may seem time-consuming, these steps make planning, execution, and evaluation much smoother down the line.
Since we had a chance to meet in person at an upcoming event, I told the team we could use that occasion to decide if a dedicated online kickoff meeting was necessary.
Preparatory Stage
Issue Exchange and Training Sessions
Before the teams actually hosted their Talk events (from January to March), YDA arranged an “issue exchange” meeting and an advanced training session on deliberation. Both sessions included time for teams and mentors to discuss. Given that I had limited time to meet three different teams, I prepared a “worksheet” to make these interactions more productive.
This co-creation record allowed both me and the teams to note down ideas, goals, and commitments. Each party would sign off on these notes, symbolizing mutual understanding and accountability.
The worksheet comprised four main parts:
- Envisioning the Ideal Talk: We discussed the abstract, ideal state of a Talk event and used problem-structuring techniques to identify gaps between current reality and goals.
- Mapping the Issue: Create a mind map of the team’s current understanding of the topic, identifying sub-issues and dimensions. I also provided feedback on deliberation design and process suggestions.
- Next Steps: List concrete targets, tasks, and responsibilities, as well as indicators or benchmarks for progress.
- Toolkit: A QR code linked to the online “For Dummies” and some issue-deconstruction tools for after the meeting.
By anchoring the discussion in tangible documents, we could track progress and ensure accountability. This approach let us quickly align our perspectives and set clear objectives for subsequent phases.
Simulation and Practice
“Self-run simulations” were a required component, so depending on each team’s needs and configuration, I designed exercises to let them practice moderation techniques.
In presentations, I emphasized active listening and the ORID method (Objective, Reflective, Interpretive, Decisional), giving practical examples of how these techniques might be applied to their topic.
During the simulations, I provided in-the-moment feedback, and after each round, I asked participants to reflect on their performance and identify lingering questions. I responded to their individual concerns in follow-up records and suggested approaches or phrases they might use in tricky situations.
Project Record Sheet
Because Let’s Talk spans several months and involves multiple roles beyond just the mentor, the communication load is immense. I used a project record sheet to log each time and reason I communicated with the team, as well as decisions made.
The sheet began with a checklist of tasks, ensuring both the team and I could revisit the entire communication timeline and see what we had accomplished and what lay ahead.
On the Day of the Deliberation
At the Event
On the day itself, the venue was teeming with observers—YDA staff, TIER (a think tank) members, the Cheers magazine team, YDA journalists, and mentors like me. This swarm of observers could be distracting.
My main role was to unobtrusively monitor the progress of various discussion groups, assist the lead facilitators by offering gentle reminders during breaks, and stay alert for any procedural adjustments needed.
I was mindful of proximity: too far away and I couldn’t see posters or hear what the facilitators said; too close and I risked interfering. I brought my camera to take a few photos, partly to capture the event and partly to blend in more naturally with the setting. Of course, I confirmed beforehand if there were participants unwilling to be photographed.
After It’s Over
Ideally, once everything concluded, it would have been great to reflect and celebrate with the teams—discussing what we could all improve and recognizing their accomplishments. However, the compressed schedule left limited room for such closure. Only once did I have the chance to dine and chat leisurely with one team after their event.
Consequently, my “closure” was mostly sending encouraging messages, and keeping my self-critique private.
After the Submission
By the event’s end, each team had produced a final report approved on-site by the participants. After submission of the required documents, my role as a mentor effectively came to a halt. The next steps involved the second-phase events and follow-up exchanges. Coincidentally, I served as the moderator for the second-phase activities as well, and my reflections on online deliberation for the second phase of Let’s Talk are shared in another article.
There’s always more to discuss about Let’s Talk—its design, challenges, and lessons—and my experiences juggling multiple roles gave me ample food for introspection. Although I cannot lay it all out in one article, these notes capture some key preparations and processes of mentoring.
I remain grateful for the support and tolerance from the organizing teams and facilitators, who endured my efforts and made the collaboration rewarding.