What does mentoring mean to you?

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 12:03:36 -0400

Consider how leadership and mentorship relate and the following quote from Jack Welch:

"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others."

Response by 1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 29 at 2015 12:06 PM

1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 12:06:55 -0400

I can read all I want about leadership, but as a Co GySgt I had a 1st Sgt who was all about showing me the ropes and actually grooming me. He assisted me in getting were I am today.

Response by Cpl Micah Wing made Sep 29 at 2015 12:09 PM

Cpl Micah Wing — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 12:09:36 -0400

To me it means teaching, demonstrating, actually showing someone how to do something. And not just for a short period of time, but until they fully understand whatnitbis that they are trying to accomplish.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 29 at 2015 12:13 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 12:13:37 -0400

You have to have been there before you can mentor. I've seen some try to do it while they were still learning the job themselves. It was horrible!

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 29 at 2015 12:20 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 12:20:30 -0400

Mentoring is a form of teaching that I like to use to encourage and support individuals, whether they are children or adults. The goal is to point the individual in the right direction, so that learning is accomplished and skills are developed.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Sep 29 at 2015 12:41 PM

SSG Warren Swan — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 12:41:41 -0400

To really be an effective mentor, you have to go beyond the teachings of the job, but you have to groom the mind to match. You have to get the individual to adjust fire mentally and see things in a way that could challenge his/her core yet accept them.

Response by 1SG Michael Blount made Sep 29 at 2015 1:14 PM

1SG Michael Blount — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 13:14:43 -0400

Advocating for one of your protoges when the doors are closed and decisions being made behind his/her back

Response by PO2 Brandon Boucher made Sep 29 at 2015 1:56 PM

PO2 Brandon Boucher — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 13:56:46 -0400

This is exactly what Mentoring means to me. You have to truly know yourself and what you are capable of, the mistakes you have made and learned from them in order to be a successful leader. I'm currently a Personal Development Coach and I specialize in helping people step into their own power and find their purpose in this life. I don't lead them, so much as guide them based on their own experiences.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Sep 29 at 2015 2:47 PM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:47:40 -0400

Lead by example with a firm but fair hand. Encourage. Motivate. Inspire.

Response by SSG Leo Bell made Sep 29 at 2015 2:51 PM

SSG Leo Bell — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:51:00 -0400

While I was active I would always try to mentor my soldiers and teach them the right was to do things. To let them know they needed to lead by example and to always teach the ones under them and to help out the problem soldiers. Now that I am a civilian I try to teach the young adults how to do the right thing. I will always tell the kids who work under me to tuck there shirts in and pull there pants up. To not be in there phones when customers are around. I tell them first impression last with people. I try to do the same with my children and my nephews. The lesson might not always get thru but I try.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 4 at 2015 6:27 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 18:27:22 -0400

I noticed mentor are deep thinkers due to experience. They will impart with you nuggets of information that are key to operations. They can paint the picture of the close and deep fight that you would not have seen, if not for their desire to help out the mentees.

Response by SSG Jess Peters made Sep 17 at 2018 4:51 AM

SSG Jess Peters — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 04:51:49 -0400

Finding the best use of an individual soldiers abilities. That means making sure each man is giving opportunities to succeed. There were times i asked for certain soldiers no one else wanted to be assigned to my crew. I was always fair but would never accept poor performance. Even if a task had to be done repeatedly until done correctly. I would keep them on the task after hours too. Generally after the first day they started performing to standards.
When promotion boards were pending i held practice boards using squad and team leaders. When actual board day came it was easy for them. Just need to do all you can to help people to succeed.

Response by SGT Brian Pasquarelli made Jun 15 at 2022 7:35 PM

SGT Brian Pasquarelli — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 19:35:38 -0400

To teach others a skill

Response by LCDR Paul Doe made Jun 24 at 2022 7:05 PM

LCDR Paul Doe — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 19:05:07 -0400

Mentoring is taking all your experience and knowledge and passing it down to the junior or new recruits so they might not not make the same mistakes as you did plus helping them progress their careers.

Response by 1SG John McKim made Jun 29 at 2022 6:26 PM

1SG John McKim — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 18:26:37 -0400

You can lead but you must be ready to follow. Set the standard before asking others to do it.

Response by 1SG John McKim made Jun 29 at 2022 6:27 PM

1SG John McKim — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 18:27:48 -0400

Do your best to train the next generation for the future.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 29 at 2022 7:05 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 19:05:42 -0400

Leading is talking care of yourself first to exemplify self growth. Which naturally promotes mentorship and becomes part of the network of leaders.

Response by SMSgt Bob Wilson made Jun 30 at 2022 3:41 PM

SMSgt Bob Wilson — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 15:41:28 -0400

Grooming an individual for success.

Response by Cpl Samuel Pope Sr made Jun 30 at 2022 5:58 PM

Cpl Samuel Pope Sr — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 17:58:18 -0400

Actually, it depends solely upon the protégé. How the protégé reacts to the mentor defines the relationship. A mentor must have a heart of calm resolve. And, be ready for any and all of the twists and turns of the relationship. If a mentor does not realize that 'hearing is not necessarily listening', 'doing is not learning', and walking out in front is not leading', he/she has failed their protégé(s). If the relationship becomes an infantile tit-for-tat, it's a toss-up rivalry and not a mentorship. The failure becomes the soul property of the mentor.

Response by SFC Clifford Brewer made Jul 14 at 2022 3:34 AM

SFC Clifford Brewer — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 03:34:47 -0400

To me it mean follow the example of a person show good leadership traits..no matter who that person is..I did and it help me through 22+ yrs of military service and on to 22+ yrs work MWR and DOD mostly it just plain old respect for a human being

Response by SPC Susan Glass made Jul 21 at 2022 3:36 PM

SPC Susan Glass — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 15:36:11 -0400

Sharing that your failures are your greatest strengths. I feel that you can only pass on knowledge or skills if you have failed and still triumphed and improved.

Response by SN Michael Gay made Jul 27 at 2022 10:46 PM

SN Michael Gay — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 22:46:53 -0400

Teaching the young how to live a productive life.

Response by SPC Nancy Detwiler made Jul 28 at 2022 4:47 AM

SPC Nancy Detwiler — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 04:47:54 -0400

Lending your experience and sense of ownership to a younger troop, or newbie there do the job and do it right

Response by SP5 Sheldon Behensky made Jul 28 at 2022 3:36 PM

SP5 Sheldon Behensky — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 15:36:32 -0400

Being a teacher and also being a coach that will help you grow, think for yourself as well as learn

Response by SPC Corinna Smith made Jul 28 at 2022 10:09 PM

SPC Corinna Smith — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 22:09:27 -0400

Mentorship is teaching by allowing that individual to learn through not just being successful but through their own failure. If we do not fail we do not learn to correct the mistake and succeed in the end.

Response by Sgt Leon Hoskins made Aug 31 at 2022 8:21 PM

Sgt Leon Hoskins — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 20:21:59 -0400

Paying it forward

Response by SPC Robert Bobo made Sep 4 at 2022 7:14 PM

SPC Robert Bobo — Sun, 04 Sep 2022 19:14:19 -0400

Well said, As a Supervisor, Manager and Executive I invested almost 60% of my time developing others, life is so much easier when key members of your team are effective,
productive and successful, very rewarding to watch a new leader become a top performer

Response by Sgt Victor Arce made Sep 6 at 2022 11:06 PM

Sgt Victor Arce — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 23:06:55 -0400

Passing on your knowledge to others.

Response by SSG Eric Blue made Oct 28 at 2022 2:03 PM

SSG Eric Blue — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 14:03:49 -0400

Not much. In my lifetime, I've mentored a number of people. But I'm still learning how to mentor because that is something I've never received during my life. AND CERTAINLY NOT DURING MY ARMY CAREER!

Response by SSG Steve Knox made Dec 30 at 2022 10:55 AM

SSG Steve Knox — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 10:55:23 -0500

To me it means sharing knowledge and experience through past events to enhance another's wellbeing,

Response by Sgt James Sullivan made Jun 29 at 2023 8:32 AM

Sgt James Sullivan — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 08:32:58 -0400

Being a mentor is being a guide. Your responsibility is to take someone, who is learning, and guide them through their journey to reach whatever goals they have set for themselves. If they succeed, then so have you.

Response by Sgt David Branham made Sep 27 at 2023 10:21 PM

Sgt David Branham — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 22:21:04 -0400

Mentoring is assisting others advance their knowledge and skills (or skill set), to further their advancement, goals or
achievements.

Response by 1SG John Millan made Jan 30 at 2024 10:02 AM

1SG John Millan — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 10:02:26 -0500

Sharing knowledge, values, education, training and experience.