the biggest problem junseo encounters trying to plan his mentoring session is that what he would generally like to tell the next generation of idols includes quite a few things he can't – or rather, shouldn't – say on air for everyone to hear, for the fans to hear, so he has to figure out how he can work around that.
1. introduction: he remembers well what it felt like to be in their shoes, on a survival reality show of his own, though of a different kind, and all the stressors that came with it, so the last thing he wants is to turn into another one of those. he plans a short introduction segment where he comes in acting like just another trainee, maybe even dressed like one if the production company allows it, so there's an element of surprise and levity when they recognize him that may ease some of the tension. there's not supposed to be any feeling of hierarchy and he'd like to talk to them like they're old friends, learn their names beforehand if at all possible and take a moment to chat until they get a little more comfortable before he officially kicks off the lesson. he'll also be taking questions all throughout, should any arise – unless it gets out of hand at some point, but he's good at thinking on his feet, so he isn't too worried about that.
2. lecture: ahead of anything hands-on, there are basics to cover; a few general dos and don'ts he's encountered over the years that are largely consistent despite the differences in fandoms. how to manage closeness and professional distance, balance communication and privacy, and figure out what ways of interaction work best for them and their own personalities instead of forcing something. for example, someone on the shy side who may struggle with holding solo vlives on the regular could opt to post on social media or even write letters on the fancafe instead and end up sharing just as close of a bond with their fans in the end.
this is the point to briefly go over the different kinds of fan interactions: sns, live broadcasts, fansigns, fanmeetings and concerts, on the way encounters at airports and other schedules, as well as accidental run-ins in daily life and basic tips for each of those, since company guidelines are usually vague about most of them (with the exception of the last one mentioned).
to make sure this part doesn't get awfully boring, he prepared good and bad examples for some of these points in the form of screenshots or short clips – the good mostly selected from ones that went viral, the bad exclusively origin from various eras of their career as not to invite criticism from other fandoms. plus, he thinks it's always good and important to be able to laugh at yourself.
3. practice: then comes the part where he wants the trainees to try it out themselves, get in a bit of practice before they're thrown in at the deep end.
first, he wants them to select a picture from their phones or use the time to take one and create a faux social media post around it to send to him – he'll highlight some of the good and funnier ones in front of the group, but if any of them are bad, he'll address it personally and give pointers while the others are still doing their own thing as not to make it into a big deal but hopefully be of some help, anyway.
secondly, he wants to do a little roleplay of a fansign event; have the trainees take turns playing fans and idols and encourage the idol team to react naturally while the “fans” are free to try out whatever they'd like, from breaking down crying on sight to asking questions that definitely cross into uncomfortable territory. this is to challenge them, but also to prepare them for the unpredictability of in-person interactions in as much of a lighthearted way as possible that junseo hopes could be fun for both participants and viewers. he'll be playing the part of a manager, standing behind the idol team in case he needs to step in at some point, though he thinks he'll mostly be there for moral support and let them figure things out themselves, since there are no real stakes and it's meant more as a playful approach to something serious than anything they have to do perfectly.
4. ending: once there are no more questions, he wants to wrap things up quickly, leave the participants with some encouraging words and let them know they have his support, that he's looking forward to meeting them again on stage, but not make too much of a big deal of it. as for the mvp, he's likely to highlight someone who found their own way of dealing with things and stayed true to themself rather than aiming for a picture perfect, by-the-rules approach because he knows all too well that that's more sustainable over time.
