Does the Army need a new kind of mentorship program for the NCO Corps or is the current model of mentorship sufficient?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 16:51:01 -0400

With current focus shifting from a war fighting stance to peacetime and the modernization, training, and policy initiatives being started, is it time for the Army or DoD to develop a new mentorship program? Should a mentorship program be made mandatory? Is there more the military can do beyond counseling statements, NCO/Officer Professional Development schools, etc? There has assuredly been massive amounts of experience, wisdom and knowledge lost because an effective and useful mentorship program hasn't been widely acknowledged or advertised. Do you think this would help cut down on toxic leadership? Would this help to retain good, quality leaders? Would having a mentor program instill espirit de corps and help with good order and discipline?
Should Rally Point create its own Mentorship Program? Rally Point can have Branch specific groups, Cross Branch Groups, Veteran/Retired to Active Duty groups for people who want advice from former military, Defense or Leadership Industry to Military, or Other Government Agencies to Military. With a structured, communication and verification system already in place with Rally Point, you can weed out fakes or illegitimate personages. Rally Point can even provide a reward or incentive to be an active participant in it with influence points or a trophy/ribbon/badge like system they have already. Maybe feature a specific group or Mentor discussion/offering as part of the news feed users see when they login that correlates to their job, position, duty location or other similarities both past, present and future ( like with the Upcoming PCS to a new duty station portion of the profile, offer a mentor suggestion or a group to join for their upcoming PCS so they can find or replace another mentor). Have the mentor be two or three levels above their current position or they are a graduate of a certain school or program to provide better wisdom and experience. This would help bridge the gap or disconnect between seniors and subordinates or peers and help propagate good information, training, ideas and leadership styles and keep good knowledge, tips, and wisdom from disappearing or help reintroduce them. What are other leaders opinions on a Mentorship system, either through the military or a site like Rally Point?

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. –John Quincy Adams

"The
final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction
and the will to carry on." -Walter Lippman

Response by MSG Sean Hendricks made Mar 21 at 2014 4:53 PM

MSG Sean Hendricks — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 16:53:33 -0400

I believe change is key. When something seems to be stagnant change will create improvement.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 23 at 2014 12:59 AM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 00:59:36 -0400

I think there is a major problem with mentorship in the Army right now. I believe, however, that the actual issue lies a little deeper. The lack of pride and espirit de corps in your 'average' Unit is something I feel plays a big part in the ineffectiveness of our current mentorship process. One thing that bothers me as an NCO is the lack of pride in the Army passed down to the next generation of developing Leaders. It's always about 'pulling one over' on the Army, or what you can squeeze out of every situation. It isn't often, these days, that you see a Soldier or an NCO doing something specifically geared toward bettering our great Army. Many opportunities are taken for granted and Soldiers serve to ETS and get what's 'owed' to them. I think by adopting some of the ways that the Marine Corps instills such a high level of pride in their young Marines we could begin fixing the mentorship issues we have from the inside, by making a better 'backbone' in our future Army Leaders. Put focus on volunteering. Put focus on knowledge of history and tradition. Put focus on Soldiers soldiering. There is a long road ahead, and our moving toward peacetime and modernization, as you put it, gives us a great opportunity to begin the process of rebuilding our Army NCO Corps.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 30 at 2014 5:52 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 30 May 2014 05:52:17 -0400

I think that Mentorship is a lost art in the Army, too many leaders grew up in an Army that was built of "lifecycle" units, and back to back deployments.

When we look at the state of discipline and lament why our junior soldiers run amok on social media and off duty, we have ourselves to blame for not mentoring them, and instilling esprit de corps and a pride in their profession.

The NCOES system is broken (as far as I've seen), granted I've only made it through WLC and both ALC Phases (do all of the SSD's count?), but I was not impressed with professional conduct, the quality of the course content, or the seemingly non-existent QA/QC for cadre at the schools. I hope that when I filled out the AAR/Survey at the end of each that my comments and remarks fell on listening ears but I don't expect change to come from one NCO's remarks.

I'd like to see an NCOES system that instills pride back into our NCO Corps, teaches junior leaders things they don't know (instead of regurgitating what they already know). Sadly, I feel NCOES has become a "Check the Block" system.

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made May 30 at 2014 7:35 AM

MSG Wade Huffman — Fri, 30 May 2014 07:35:21 -0400

Regardless of the environment we serve in, mentorship is important. I do disagree with making it a 'formal' program. True mentorship requires a deep level of respect and trust between both parties to be truly effective. My best advise is for individuals to choose who they want to be their mentor and then to have a one on one conversation and ask that individual if they would be willing to be your personal mentor. I realize this can sound a bit 'squishy', but mentoring is a large step above and beyond leading and is a much greater responsibility.
I do realize that as leaders, we have an inherent responsibility for mentoring, but at a basic level. True mentorship requires a great deal of one on one time.
This may be a somewhat controversial stance to some. I look forward to hearing any comments on this.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made May 30 at 2014 8:00 AM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Fri, 30 May 2014 08:00:06 -0400

The program itself is fine. Where we can improve is ensuring that the personnel we promote are experienced enough, educated enough, grounded enough, and are worthy of being mentors. Without that, any program, no matter how well intentioned, is doomed to fail.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 30 at 2015 1:01 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 13:01:46 -0400

Mentoring comes naturally in non formal settings based on many factors, to include common interests, shared backgrounds, and motivation levels. The idea that mandatory mentor-ship will work effectively has never really been proven What has been indicated is t hat it becomes a burden to both parties and quickly falls apart like a leadership fad.

Still we do need to find a way to break the leadership mold we have been so focused on over time. We are loosing a lot of talented service members not because they aren't good soldiers, but because they are not the 'high and tight' brand of loud mouth NCO or Officer.

What we really need is career counseling and education.