Posted on Jul 3, 2015
How can we better mentor our junior personnel?
19.6K
94
65
12
12
0
Mentor
Professional Development
Mentorship
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 43
0
0
0
Quit lying to them sir. Ive seen it many a time when my leaders lied directly to my face. My XO at Iwakuini lied to the whole squadron during Muster. Main reason I didnt reenlist. Cant trust or follow a liar.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
How to "better" mentor someone? There is no way to answer that -- some are not being mentored at all, while other are getting some of the finest mentoring possible, and then there is the vast majority somewhere between those extremes.
How to *best* mentor someone is answerable, and the requirements are simple: *you* have to *believe* that they can do things well, you have to show them how to do things well, and you have to inspire them to *want* to do things well. A failure on any of those three points means a wasted effort, and subordinates (or peers) who won't be all that they can be either because they don't know how they just don't care, or they have no hope of being more than they are already.
How to *best* mentor someone is answerable, and the requirements are simple: *you* have to *believe* that they can do things well, you have to show them how to do things well, and you have to inspire them to *want* to do things well. A failure on any of those three points means a wasted effort, and subordinates (or peers) who won't be all that they can be either because they don't know how they just don't care, or they have no hope of being more than they are already.
(0)
(0)
Lt Col (Join to see)
I accidentally put my response to your comment in the thread with Sgt Brophy...RP isn't quite totally iPad-friendly. I think 'better' is a more accurate and useful word. It helps to make mentorship a continuously improving process. Thanks for your comment!
(0)
(0)
1LT William Clardy
Lt Col (Join to see), the concept of a "continuously improving process" is precisely why I object to "better". When you emphasize improvement as a primary metric, you will inevitably distort the priorities in the same way that businesses which measure their success by continued growth pursue an unsustainable goal.
To my Infantry-addled mind, the actual measure of success is a composite of how effective your subordinates are as a team under your leadership, how well-prepared your unit is to operate effectively in your absence, how much your troops will benefit their next unit when (or if) they are assigned elsewhere, and how likely your troops are to continue serving their country. It matters less how well you do that compared to the guy before or after you than just plain how well you do it, day in and day out.
To my Infantry-addled mind, the actual measure of success is a composite of how effective your subordinates are as a team under your leadership, how well-prepared your unit is to operate effectively in your absence, how much your troops will benefit their next unit when (or if) they are assigned elsewhere, and how likely your troops are to continue serving their country. It matters less how well you do that compared to the guy before or after you than just plain how well you do it, day in and day out.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
First, members must be excited to come to work. There must be an enjoyment daily.
Mentors must do their homework.
Care about People. Build juniors up.
We must stop using discouraging words.
Prepare self.
Encourage the unknown.
Be tough but, fair.
Initiate the 4 P's
Practice
Placing
Proper
Praise
Have fun and be the example. Great leaders make it look easy.
Mentors must do their homework.
Care about People. Build juniors up.
We must stop using discouraging words.
Prepare self.
Encourage the unknown.
Be tough but, fair.
Initiate the 4 P's
Practice
Placing
Proper
Praise
Have fun and be the example. Great leaders make it look easy.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google