Project Runway and the Secret Underbelly of Missions

(I started writing this last year, before the Christmas video went out. Try to enjoy it in the manner in which it was intended.)

For reasons known to me and a few others, I've been binge-watching episodes of Project Runway.

Don't get me wrong, I like the show. When it first aired, it was something new and a little edgy. It gave us a peek behind the curtain of fashion design, and while I had never known that that was something I wanted, I realized pretty quickly that it was fairly entertaining television.

It's also on cable, so I only watched when I was at my parent's house or, lately, when they have full episodes online.

Project Runway has become something of a behemoth. A version of it has aired in more than 20 countries. It has launched the careers of a few famous people and given some less famous people 15 minutes of fame. The show has gone through a few iterations, but the basic idea is the same: several aspiring fashion designers compete to win various challenges and ultimately to win a chance to launch their own line of fashion.

Season 14 began airing in August 2015. I've sort of paid more attention this year, partly because of the aforementioned reasons, but also because they found some truly ... interesting ... designers this year. Seriously, I don't like competition shows because a lot of people lose, and then they get very emotional. But I have actively cheered when some of these designers got cut. They are terrible people.

Anyway, I was talking about one of the episodes with a coworker, and she told me I should write a blog post about it because it is reflective of some things in the mission world we tend to ignore.

So here goes.

First, a recap of the episode.

It started pretty normally. Heidi Klum (the host) and Tim Gunn (the mentor) were preparing to present the new challenge to the designers. But first, they divided the group into two teams. Team challenge! Sometimes these go well. Sometimes not.

Anyway, there was some tension because instead of choosing teams strategically, everyone just chose their friends and roommates, leaving the one girl who has won two challenges already (and thus is known to the judges and obvi a contender) to be chosen last. Naturally, they had split into a girls team and a boys+1girl team.

Then they played paintball. I know, it doesn't make sense. But that's what happened. The twist for the challenge was that they had to create six outfits that would form a complete collection out of their jumpsuits from paintball. They also had supplemental material. That's important for later.

Right away, the guys (who I will call the blue team) started talking through their plan. There was a little dissension about what it would be, but Swapnil (who I name because his name rocks) made a very reasonable and calm argument for the 1950s. Everyone agreed. But they didn't stop there. They figured out everyone's strengths (not everyone had to create an outfit - they just had to have six, and everyone had to participate in some manner). They asked each person what they wanted to create, and then they talked about how it would fit into the collection. They decided to mostly use the jumpsuits, but asked one designer to create a common textile print that everyone could use. It took more time (they had two days), but they had a very cohesive collection, and it allowed them to focus on the design.

In contrast, the girls (the purple team). They hated the paintball jumpsuits. They hated the colors. They hated the supplemental fabric. So they decided to go for some kind of tie-dye theme. Well, four did. The other two, when they suggested coming up with a theme first, were drowned out and shot down. The purple team ruined their jumpsuit fabric. And yet, even then, they didn't sit down together to figure out a plan. They decided that everyone would design something, and then they would figure out what the common element was later. Except they wasted so much time that most of them did not have a complete outfit ready by the time their models showed up for a fitting.

Then the runway show. Blue team nailed it. The looks were fun, flirty, included a pant option, they were fashion-forward, and best of all, they fit together without being matchy-matchy. There was a gown that was just beautiful - I would wear it.

Purple team, however, was a mess. I believe the words 'amateur hour' were used. They had used a ton of the supplemental fabric instead of focusing on the jumpsuits. The colors were reminiscent of Barney the Dinosaur or an Easter egg hunt. Some outfits were obviously unfinished.

Blue team won, gown guy won, but everyone got the credit. They were a true team, even though only one person will ultimately win the game.

Purple team lost. And then it became obvious that the only thing they had collaborated on (well, four of them) was who to blame. And sure enough, it was the girl who had been picked last.

The judges were not impressed. At all. And they made that very clear. The girl they kicked out had made some weird caftan-type dress, but I'm firmly convinced that they gave her the boot mainly for her attitude. She did not take responsibility for anything that went wrong.

Auf wiedersehen indeed.

So. What does this have to do with missions?

Honestly, it's a lesson that is not unique to missions. It's something that could happen anywhere. But I used that title as clickbait. I'm sorry. I'll do my best to tie this to missions.

All too often, missionaries look a lot like the purple team. We all start with pretty much the same thing, and while we hopefully don't hate it, we do have a lot of different ways of spreading the news.

Missionaries are, somewhat out of necessity, but also by nature, independent people. What other type of person leaves home to go somewhere unfamiliar in order to tell possibly hostile people about Jesus? It attracts a very specific type of person.

Unfortunately, that type of person tends to be a "Let's Go." There are four types of these "Let" people. (I checked.) They are: Let's Go, Let's Be Careful, Let's Stay Together, and Let Me Help You. They fit into the four basic personality types, the four humors, Meyers-Briggs, whatever you want to call it. People tend to have a dominant type, and then a supporting type. Some naturally work together, and some are in a bit of conflict.

Let's Go people tend to have great ideas and a lot of enthusiasm. They want to start now and worry about details later. And that's okay - to a point. Because if your organization is made up entirely of Let's Go individuals, then you will soon find yourself with a prospering business that has to shut down because someone forgot to pay taxes. Or you'll own a piece of property in an economically diminished neighborhood that can't be rezoned because no one read the fine print.

Not to name specific examples of ministries I know.

One of the things I look for in any new business, mission, or investment is sustainability. And all too often, sustainability gets obscured by vision. We see what could be. We have a goal, and we have an amazing idea for how to achieve that goal. But if we don't talk to each other about that goal, if we don't agree on a means, if we go into something with a built-in out, the vision is going to be just that - a figment of the imagination that never had legs to carry it to fruition.

There are a lot of things we can take from this particular episode of Project Runway. We can realize that the best team contains a combination of the four types of "Let" people. We can realize that a plan doesn't have to take forever to create, so we can still meet a deadline. We can realize that trying to find meaning in something after the fact usually ends up in a big fat goose egg. And we can realize that experience and wise counsel are worth their weight in gold.

Don't fall into the trap of Let's Go. Or don't only have those people on your team. Build a solid foundation, and the rest will follow. I'm pretty sure Jesus said something to that effect.

Incidental #1, the girl who was picked last won the entire season. Would I wear what she created? Some of it. Did she deserve it? Yes.

Incidental #2, I'm a Let's Be Careful. But my supporting type is Let's Go. Naturally, I think this is the best type. Also, I don't really care if everyone gets along. Helpers are good, though.

Incidental #3, I am fully aware that there is a bit of bias in this post. As I come from a specific type, I find other types difficult to deal with. And just now, I read an article about what exhausts each personality type? Mine?

INTJ – Improvisation

INTJs are the ultimate planners – they ruthlessly map out how they’re going to behave in future situations and glean energy from determining the best of all possible approaches. Though they are capable of improvising when need be, the INTJ will rapidly lose energy if they must act without deliberating for a significant period of time. They are big-picture thinkers, and they need to put everything into perspective before they feel completely comfortable taking action.