13 April 2006LCDR Scott Barry1 MENTORING LCDR Scott Barry Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility

13 April 2006 LCDR Scott Barry 1

MENTORING

LCDR Scott Barry

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility


REFERENCES

• Navy Knowledge Online– www.nko.navy.mil

• http://www.mentoringgroup.com/• http://www.mentoring.org/• “Follow My Lead,” Evan H. Offstein and Jason

M. Morwick, American Society for Quality, September 2004

• “The Elements of Mentoring,” W. Brad Johnson and Charles R. Ridley, Palgrave MacMillan, 2004

http://www.nko.navy.mil/

http://www.mentoringgroup.com/

http://www.mentoring.org/


Background

• What is “Mentoring?”– In The Odyssey, Mentor acted as a coach, teacher,

guardian, protector, and kindly parent that shared wisdom, promoted Telemachus’s career, and actively engaged in a deep personal relationship.

– A way of bringing more junior/less experienced people up to speed faster and helping them build their own sense of professional competence and getting them to be stronger contributors to the organization faster.


Why is Mentoring Important?• Enhanced promotion rates• Accelerated career mobility• Improved professional identity• Greater professional competence• Increased career satisfaction• Recognition of improved competence by the

organization• Decreased job stress and frustration

MENTORS TEACH, COACH, COUNSEL, CHAMPION


How to be Mentored• What to look for in a mentor?

– Someone • That you respect• Who is patient • Who will support your needs and aspirations• Who will encourage you to accept challenges and overcome

difficulties• Who will motivate and inspire you to reach your full potential• Who is genuinely interested in people and has a desire to help

others• Who can effectively communicate and actively listen


How to be Mentored• What to look for in a mentor?

– Someone • Understands your workplace responsibilities• Accepts personal differences and gives you space to grow• Has realistic expectations• Maintains confidentiality• Who is self-confident and appreciates a developing employee

without seeing them as a threat• Who is willing to help you face facts, be a sounding board, and

tell you the truth (as he sees it)

Your mentor ideally is about two ranks above yourself


What are the types of Mentoring?

• Situational Mentoring– Usually short-lived and happens for a specific purpose.

• Example: Someone goes on an “informational interview” with someone who is in a career they are considering

• Supervisory Mentoring– Mentoring from a supervisor to a subordinate in their

current job• Very Important• All good supervisors mentor their subordinates• Drawbacks in that it can be heavily task oriented and the

comfort levels of protégé may not exist


What are the types of Mentoring?

• Formal Mentoring– 4 characteristics

• Has a beginning and an end• Has a method for no-fault termination• Has some type of formal matching process• Has one or more checkpoints (goals)

• Informal Mentoring– Occurs when one person (Usually the protégé) seeks

another for career advice or to be their career guide• Tend to grow over a long period of time and are very effective

and rewarding


Which Mentoring type is for me?

• People are being mentored continuously and do not realize it– Formal

• Yearly fitness reports and mid-term counseling

– Situational• You are performing a specific job related task.

– Asking someone for advice.

– Supervisory• Receive a tasking from your boss and you get periodic mid-

course corrections


Which Mentoring type is for me?

• Informal mentoring, while being more rewarding, is unique and much harder to develop– Personal relationship– Long time to develop– Benefits both mentor and protégé


What is my role as the Protégé?• The Protégé must:

– Want to be a partner in the relationship• Take the initiative and seek advice when needed. Don’t wait

to be contacted

– Prepare and do the appropriate “homework” for meetings with their mentor

• Ask questions (if the mentor’s directions are not clear) and make it clear what you think or do not know, this is how you really learn/benefit from mentoring

– Focus on the goal• Jointly develop a plan for the relationship. • Clearly know what each expects and is prepared to deliver


What is my role as the Protégé?

• The Protégé must:– Be able to discuss their needs and objectives with their

mentor • Be able to identify own weaknesses

• Be willing to share them

– Seek to be challenged

– Be serious about your capability to grow

– Take responsibility for his/her career goals• The mentor can guide you to the path for success, but you

must still earn the success for yourself



• The Protégé must:– Be flexible, listen to the mentor, and consider

new options• Be able to receive feedback and look at the situation

from the mentor’s perspective– A mentor’s perspective probably will be greatly different

than your own

• One of the greatest assets in mentoring is having access to a more experienced viewpoint



• The Protégé must:– Periodically assess the progress of the relationship

• Sometimes, it may be necessary to reset the priorities and goals of the mentoring relationship

– Respect your mentor’s time

– Provide feedback to the mentor• Is the mentoring relationship having the expected results?

• How could the mentor be more successful?

• Is the material/information useful and relevant?


How to get a Mentor?

• YOU have to take the initiative– Evaluate officers senior to yourself that you

respect– Determine if the officer has characteristics of a

good mentor– Ask if he/she will be your mentor– Be patient with initial progress, it takes time to

develop a strong mentoring relationship


Role of the IMG in Mentoring

• Afford personnel the time and ability to be mentored

• Provide mentoring if requested• Develop basic guidelines for mentoring personnel• Provide training to all personnel on mentoring• Who is in the IMG Leadership?

– CAPT Peters; CAPT Campbell; CAPT McMahon; CAPT Lewis; CAPT Gannon; CAPT Soule


QUESTIONS?

Documents

13 April 2006LCDR Scott Barry1 MENTORING LCDR Scott Barry Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility