Jul
11
If it helps, do it
Back when I was in the world’s finest navy, we had a mentor program. It was mandatory. I hated it. I didn’t think there was anybody on that ship who could help me with anything. I had goals that had nothing to do with the Navy. I was already taking classes online, getting certifications, and basically getting ready for when I would be a free man again.
But when my end of enlistment was getting close, I started going crazy. My wife and kids were in Houston, I was out at sea, and all of the hoops I needed to jump through to get processed out were back in Japan. The last thing I wanted to do was to stay out at sea or in Japan any longer than I had to. Not even a day. I hadn’t seen my wife and kids in 4 months.
I started talking to my mentor. In fact, I even got an extra one. One of them was a really crusty, salty, old and single master chief. I didn’t really want to learn to be like him or anything, but he new the Navy inside-out. He knew all of the forms and policies, and he even knew a lot of the people at the offices I needed to call or go to.
The other guy was very cool, he was a chief and had been married for twenty-something years and I really respected him. I told him I was having a rough time and he gave me some solid advice as well as listening and understanding.
So that is why I have initiated a formal mentoring program where I work. I had mentioned it to my boss before. I even put it on my annual review in the “what would improve your job satisfaction” section. But nothing happened. So yesterday I sent an email to one of the VPs, and he forwarded it to the CEO. I now have a meeting set up on Monday with the director of Human Resources.