Photo Kevin Link

The importance of creating a culture of support within an organization, including public safety communications agencies, cannot be overstated. When people get up each day and look forward to going to work not only because it’s their chosen profession but because the atmosphere lends itself to increased job satisfaction, their commitment and performance will improve.

As leaders we have an obligation to our people to be mentors and help them achieve their greatest potential. Mentoring, when made a priority, has short- and long-term benefits for the mentor, the protégé and the organization. In fact, one of the first responsibilities of a leader should be to support and promote the professional development of their people. In essence, leaders must be mentors and embrace the concept of putting staff development high on their priority list. Unfortunately, all too often, we get caught up in the minutia of the day-to-day operations of our communications centers and organizations and lose sight of this responsibility.

A mentor is a trusted advisor to the protégé and will have a variety of roles and responsibilities, which include coach, facilitator, counselor and networker. At times, the mentor must be more directly involved, such as when coaching a subordinate on proper task accomplishment. At times, the mentor will simply make a connection for the protégé or offer advice and then step aside, allowing the protégé to learn by doing, be a self starter and follow through with the project they and their mentor agreed on. Mentors must value the development of others and be willing to devote the time and energy necessary to establish a meaningful mentor-protégé relationship.

In the mentor-protégé relationship, the focus is on the protégé’s development, and therefore, they must be able to make their needs and desires known. This will help the mentor provide appropriate guidance while at the same time provide an opportunity for the protégé to be a “citizen” and not a “tourist” in the relationship.

A mentoring relationship is typically defined as “a committed long-term relationship in which a senior person (mentor) supports the personal and professional development of a junior person (protégé).”[1] For the protégé to get the most benefit, they must take responsibility for their self-improvement, growth and development. With the mentor’s help, the protégé must set reasonable goals and expectations, contribute ideas and participate in the plans to develop and implement them. Most importantly, they must be open to feedback and constructive criticism.

Delegation as a Mentoring Tool
Delegating a task is often looked at by managers solely as a means of task accomplishment and increased productivity. However, it can also be used as an effective subordinate development tool. By empowering a subordinate to take on a challenging assignment, they will learn through doing while at the same time gaining the intrinsic value of having a superior who believes in and supports them.

When employing delegation as a professional development tool, it’s important that direction be provided regarding what needs to be done and that the mentor gauge progress and be prepared to step in and assist or train as needed. Through this evaluation of both progress and results, the protégé gains new skills and confidence, the mentor gets to work on their coaching and leadership skills, and the organization benefits through increased productivity and morale. In short, people who have responsibilities delegated to them have an increased sense of empowerment and often take more ownership of a project and its importance to the organization’s underlying goals and objectives.

Benefits for the Mentor
Although the primary focus of mentoring is on the development of the protégé, the reality is that the mentor also benefits. Mentoring provides an opportunity to demonstrate expertise and share knowledge. Mentors enhance their own coaching, counseling, listening and modeling skills while practicing a more personal style of leadership. While contributing something to others and the organization, mentors learn new perspectives and approaches to personnel and communications center issues.

Succession Planning & Preparation
Using mentoring as a succession planning tool provides continuity and ensures that the benefits of your work and the work of your people will be sustained beyond your tenure. Development of future leaders won’t occur overnight; therefore, it’s vital that you and your organization remain on track with this process. One way of doing this is to build leadership and subordinate development activities into everyday operations.

Establishing a Formal Program
Just as each organization has its similarities and differences, so too will each mentoring program. Perhaps the most important aspect of creating a formal program is making sure everyone knows its purpose and parameters. Mentoring is a professional development process and not a substitution for or subversion of the chain of command. It does not replace union representation for organizations with union employees. Most importantly, it must be monitored to ensure that mentors and protégés alike are not taking advantage of their roles for selfish or other inappropriate reasons.

We know from experience that not everyone can be a preceptor or training officer for a new dispatcher and the most effective are the ones who have a desire to take on the added responsibilities.

Because both mentors and protégés have specific responsibilities, perhaps the best way to begin to establish a program is allowing people to voluntarily go into the program. Additionally, training should be provided for mentors, and an orientation should be held for all staff informing them of the program’s benefits, requirements and safeguards.

If formalized, a program should include a mentoring agreement that’s clear-cut and signed by both the mentor and protégé. It should include parameters, duration and a means for no-fault cancellation at any time if the individual mentoring relationship is not working out well.

Once established, consideration can be given to assigning personnel, especially those new to your organization, to a mentor. But mentor selection should be carefully done and include people who desire the extra responsibility.

When pairing a protégé with a mentor, it’s important that the mentor be more experienced than the protégé, but not so much so that they no longer have a clear memory or understanding of the challenges facing them. Example: One rule I have seen work well is to pair those who are not more than two ranks above, but no less than two years difference in experience level. Whatever the parameters you choose, the important thing is that they make sense to your mentoring program and work for your people.

Summary
Whether formal or informal, mentoring can and should be part of everyone’s career development. It affects everyone involved in many ways and helps mentors and protégés alike not to lose sight of their own needs and the needs of the people around them. An effective mentor will be a sounding board for the protégé to express and explore their thoughts, feelings and desires in the context of the challenges they face. By approaching the protégé in a positive way while providing insight, opinions and support, the mentor will provide benefits to everyone involved that will influence them for years to come.

About the Author
John R. Brophy is an EMS communications supervisor, EMT instructor and fire department captain who served 10 years as a U.S. Navy corpsman, both at home and abroad. His insights are a culmination of his more than 27 years of experience in emergency services. Contact him via e-mail at brophyjohnr@aol.com.

Roles of the Mentor

• Coach: Demonstrate how to carry out a task or activity.
• Facilitator: Create opportunities to use newly acquired skills.
• Counselor: Help explore the potential benefits and consequences of decisions.
• Networker: Refer the protégé to others when their own expertise is insufficient.

Reference
1. McCauley CD, Van Veslor E: The Center for Creative Leadership Handbook of Leadership Development, 2nd Edition. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 2004.

Originally published in Public Safety Communications magazine, Vol. 76(01):36-39, January 2010.