Posted on Dec 19, 2013
RallyPoint wants your input: Tell us your vision for a 'Mentorship' feature
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Hi, everyone. As many of you have seen over the past months, we here at RallyPoint build what our members ask for, and we love building new, disruptive, innovative features for all of you. The network is about YOU as a professional.
To that end, I am asking for your input on a feature that would create structure for Mentor-Mentee professional relationships inside the network, and across the globe.
Here are a few top level points to make upfront:
1. Mentors should have a max # of members they can mentor. It's illogical that someone can effectively mentor 20 people, let alone 10. Tell us how you think we should create this cap.
2. Mentors should be able to specify the types of people they are most motivated/capable of mentoring. So, for example, an E-9 should be able to say that he'd like to personally mentor E-7 and higher. What do you think?
3. Mentors should be able to specify the topic areas they'd like to mentor. So, for example, an E-8 should be able to set 'Developmental Counseling' as a topic area that he can mentor junior NCOs on. What do you think?
4. Mentors would carry a Mentor Badge inside the network and on their profile, which would also display who they are mentoring (this can be set private), and how many people they are mentoring of what pay grade, branch, etc. What do you think?
...we already have a lot of this thought out beyond this, but we want your input because this is ultimately to improve and streamline the way mentorship happens across the DoD and between the military and civilian sectors.
Thanks, tell us your thoughts now, and please Up/Down vote the ideas of other members so we can create an OML (please don't take it personally if you are Down voted).
Posted in these groups: 
Innovation
Mentorship
Innovation Mentorship
Posted 12 y ago
Responses: 7
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I think this is a great idea. I highly agree that a person selected as a mentor should have a set number of people he/she is designated to mentor (sorta like a squad). I believe the more compact the squad, the better feedback between mentor/mentee will be.
We are essentially mentoring those underneath us to one day take our position (figuratively and literally in some respect) so I think it makes sense to have a CSM mentoring SFCs and above. As I've been told before I should always be looking ahead two ranks, so I would want my mentor to be a SSG or SFC. Although senior to me, I think I could better connect with one of those ranks as opposed to someone who is much more senior.
Also, consider having mentors from the Officer side of the house for those wno are enlisted that may be considering becoming Commissioned or Warrant.
What about cross-branch mentorship? Meaning, someone from the Air Force mentor a Soldier or a Soldier mentor a Sailor? Granted, the structures and processes are different but leadership regardless of branch should be the same across the board right???
If a person becomes a mentor and they are given a badge....I say wear it with honor. Rallypoint is growing in diversity and growing fast. This signifies to all the new members that you are one who can be counted on to lend sound advice, deliver hard truths (when need be) and be there to help those you're mentoring throughout their career's journey however long it may be.
We are essentially mentoring those underneath us to one day take our position (figuratively and literally in some respect) so I think it makes sense to have a CSM mentoring SFCs and above. As I've been told before I should always be looking ahead two ranks, so I would want my mentor to be a SSG or SFC. Although senior to me, I think I could better connect with one of those ranks as opposed to someone who is much more senior.
Also, consider having mentors from the Officer side of the house for those wno are enlisted that may be considering becoming Commissioned or Warrant.
What about cross-branch mentorship? Meaning, someone from the Air Force mentor a Soldier or a Soldier mentor a Sailor? Granted, the structures and processes are different but leadership regardless of branch should be the same across the board right???
If a person becomes a mentor and they are given a badge....I say wear it with honor. Rallypoint is growing in diversity and growing fast. This signifies to all the new members that you are one who can be counted on to lend sound advice, deliver hard truths (when need be) and be there to help those you're mentoring throughout their career's journey however long it may be.
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CPT Aaron Kletzing
SGT C, re: the idea on cross-branch mentorship...yes, this is absolutely something we intend to create. Someone in the Marines (for example) may be an excellent mentor for someone in the Army for a variety of reasons, some large and some small. Besides, people switch service branches (and Specialties within a branch) often enough to make that argument valid. Good thinking; we think so, too.
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I think it's a good idea. There is a great deal of knowledge and experience available here from service members, retirees, and veterans. Why not make that available on a more personal level?
An effective mentor should only mentor 2-3 people at a time. We all have lives and jobs and if we want to give someone the time and attention they deserve we should apply limits. Also, service members should mentor the appropriate ranks but that shouldn't preclude anyone from "non-standard" mentoring relationships. Above all the process has to be completely professional if it is to work. Veterans and retirees should have more flexibility since they are no longer constrained by in-service rank and position.
Mentorship should be an agreement between two people and their communications should be private just as any other counseling session is. We've seen here on RP and on other sites like LinkedIn and Facebook how one "dissenter" can disrupt a discussion. That kind of multi-party interaction is not good for the mentoring relationship unless both parties agree to open up the conversation.
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as a Junior enlisted solder, and a cadet, i would love for this feature to happen. To have someone of a higher rank mentor me specifically both as a soldier and to be a great leader/officer, I can't think of anything better. Especially since I am reserves and really don't see anyone from my unit on a regular basis. It would be great to have someone to mentor me outside of that and have a professional relationship with who I can confide in with Military questions, and even life questions on occasion (in a professional manner of course). A mentorship program would be great and I think all lower enlisted/cadet members would benefit greatly
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SSG (Join to see)
I agree to the max. I am also in the reserves with 2 years TIS. I don't communicate with my unit on a regular basis either. I feel like I haven't really learned as nearly as much as my battles on AD. It would be amazing to have an experience mentor help guide me to greatness.
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This is a great idea!
The cap is a great idea. Couldn't it be regulated by some sort of tracker built into the website. I'm thinking along the same line as "Followers" on Facebook where you have your friends and than you have the option to "Follow" someone and those people get your public updates. I'm sure there is some sort of coding that can be adjusted to fit within RallyPoint's backbone. Just a thought.
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CPO Terry Ashmore
All that is needed is individual email in the program to maintain contact no matter where someone is deployed/stationed. Use the phone as a backup when you can't do any mentorship in person. I feel it it is a one-on-one commitment between two personnel for improvement both personally and professional in nature. If done properly it helps BOTH parties grow professionally.
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I think it's a good idea. How you regulate the "mentorship threads?" Would they be private between the mentor and the mentored Soldier/Personnel? Would they be private amongst that mentor and all of his/her mentored Soldier/Personnel?
I am interested to see how this thread builds with ideas and thoughts...
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CPT Aaron Kletzing
Hi MSG S, the intent with the one-on-one mentorship engagements is that they would be kept private between the two individuals. I believe that since the best, most impactful mentorship out in the force is done face to face and in private, we'll try to take those best practices and build them into the RP product here. What do you think?
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I would like to
take part but I can’t imagine that too many Jr officers would select a
Functional Area officer for their mentor, if there were topics or multiple
mentors (primary and other) then I think knowledge gaps could be filled by
officers in other fields that may be in a Jr officers future.
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CPT Brian Willey
There would likely be junior officers with an eye out for every opportunity. As this looks to be shaping up by the opinions given thus far, that could be one area selected to receive mentoring.
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