Assigning a Mentor

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Assigning a Mentor MENTORSHIP DEFINED: “Mentorship is a mutually beneficial partnership in which a “Mentor”, who has greater experience and wisdom, guides a “Protégé, who is looking to increase his or her skills, knowledge, and experience, to develop both personally and professionally.” What exactly does a Mentor do? A Mentor is a person who oversees the career and development of another, usually junior, employee. Most simply stated, a Mentor helps the Protégé clarify career goals in order to develop and execute a Military/Civilian Individual Development Plan. The following are some roles that a Mentor will fulfill to the protégé. • Sage: Offering wisdom and advice in achieving personal and professional goals. • Advocate: Helping the protégé gain visibility and exposure to key people in the organization. • Motivator: Inspiring the protégé to perform at his or her best. • Navigator: Coaching the protégé to understand the unwritten rules of the game, learning the art of networking, and overcoming personal and organizational obstacles. • Role Model: Setting a living example of the values, ethics and standards of the Navy; taking an active interest in the personal and professional development of personnel. Mentorship is an extremely beneficial career development tool, that when effectively implemented results in better job performance from employees, higher advancement rates, higher morale, and overall job satisfaction. The two types of mentoring relationships recognized by the Command are “Informal” and “Formal”. Informal Mentorship: Informal Mentoring is a mentoring relationship that occurs naturally when a person seeks professional advice and guidance from a more experienced person, outside the context of command prescribed instructions and guideline requirements. There are no written expectations for personnel in informal

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