Eglin provides essential need for mentorship

  • Published
  • By Chrissy Cuttita
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --   The basic need to always have a role model to look up to professionally, trusted council or just help navigating through the balance of life and career are all reasons Team Eglin Mentorship Program was created and the committee is seeking persons to train as mentors and mentees Aug. 14. 

"As mentors in this program, individuals will share information, experience and provide tools to assist their mentees in succeeding in this program," said Donna Stapleton, committee chair for the program. "This year-long commitment will not guarantee promotions or transfers into other career fields, but instead, this program will provide the tools and knowledge to assist the mentee in seeking ways to become more marketable and thus become confident in applying for promotions and opportunities in other career fields." 

The committee is currently recruiting personnel for the role of mentor and mentees. All civilian employees, GS-11 and below, NSPS equivalents, wage grade non-supervisory and NAF NF-111s and below plus NA-10s and below are eligible to become mentees, while volunteering to be a mentor is open to the total mid-level management force.
According to the program's volunteer marketing coordinator, people are signing up like hot cakes because there is a real need out there. 

"The appeal is that people need upward mobility when they feel 'stuck,' frustration and anxiety when they see others going up," said Janet Grisham, secretary for Air Force Research Lab's business development branch who felt compelled to join the committee because she learned first-hand how much people appreciated mentorship during a similar month-long program in 2005 for Federal Women's History Month. 

"Through mentorship you see 'how' we can be a benefit to the Air Force and help ourselves," she said. "Our part is to step out of our comfort zone and do new things. By stirring curiosity and interest you come alive and see that you are not in a 'dead end job.'"
Both want-to-be mentors and mentees have called committee members seeking to be a part of the program. 

"The mentor will also benefit from this program through enhancing mentoring skills that employers look for in their leaders, managers, and supervisors and self-gratification that will be realized as the mentee learns to take these tools and knowledge and apply what they have learned to achieve their career goals," said Ms. Stapleton. 

Requirements to participate in the Team Eglin Mentorship Program are completion of one of four orientation sessions Aug. 14 at the base theatre in addition to completion of web-based and academy training, mentoring survey and or self-assessment with Union coordination, if applicable. In the end the program will kick off with a luncheon Oct. 2 and a signed mentoring agreement of understanding. After that there will be monthly gatherings between mentor/mentee and a quarterly luncheon where a guest speaker will present topics pertaining to the mentoring program. 

Individuals participating will be matched based on a mentoring survey and self assessment so that the mentor and mentee are on the same track or by request of a specific mentor/mentee. 

"Team Eglin has stepped up with a program geared to offer a way to help by mentoring people in building knowledge, experience, confidence, credibility, and by using communication skills and educational value training," said Ms. Stapleton. "These skills will provide a bridge so that you can be recognized as the asset you are, become a key player and become marketable. If you are new to an organization, another career field or a junior colleague has asked you for advice...we need you. Within your unit community we understand the meaning of synergy and the benefit of combined effort within an operation." 

Reservations are currently being taken for the Team Eglin Mentorship Program Orientation Aug 14 at the base theater via the Academy (A-3) cite: https://afkm.wpafb.af.mil/ASPs/Reg/RegisterSelect.asp?Filter=OO-ED-AA-A2&%20EventID=190&GroupID=10645 

For the convenience of scheduling, they are offering four sessions: 8-10 a.m., noon to 2 p.m., 3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. These sessions are required for any prospective Mentor and Mentee who wish to participate in this program. A make-up date is schedule for Aug 25 with two sessions, 8-10 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. 

Doocuments explaining the mentorship program can be retrieved from the intranet, https://afkm.wpafb.af.mil/ASPs/DocMan/DocMain.asp?Filter=OO-ED-AA-A2&FolderID=OO-ED-AA-A2-9-16&Tab=0. 

For more information, contact Ms. Stapleton at 882-2741, e-mail donna.stapleton@eglin.af.mil or Ms. Coleman at 882-8798, e-mail lula.coleman@eglin.af.mil.