Employee
& Management Development
 What is Mentoring? Mentoring is one of oldest forms of human development.
-
Archeologists
and anthropologists have
found evidence in Stone
Age cultures of talented
artisans who instructed
younger people to perpetuate
their skills.
-
In
The
Odyssey, when King Odysseus
went off to fight the Trojan
War, he left Telemachus,
his son and only heir, with
a trusted friend to teach
him how to be a good leader.
That wise
and sensitive man's name
was Mentor.
Definitions:
"Anyone who has a beneficial life- or style-altering effect on another person,
generally as a result of personal
one-on-one
contact; one who offers knowledge,
insight, perspective, or wisdom
that is helpful to another
person in a relationship
which goes beyond duty and
obligation." Gordon Shea
"A mentor is simply someone who helps someone else learn something that
he or she would have learned
less well,
more slowly, or not at all
if left alone. Mentors are learning coaches-sensitive, trusted advisors." Chip Bell
USDA Mentoring Program Overview
Program Objectives
The
following objectives of the
USDA Mentoring Program may
be summarized into three key
categories. Each
objective
addresses either career development,
diversity, and/or improving
morale.
-
Promote diversity within the Department to assist mission areas in meeting their
goals of improving employment
and advancement opportunities
for all employees.
-
To support cultural changes that are occurring with the implementation of new
programs and other major
changes within the Department.
-
Assist employees in becoming more knowledgeable and better equipped to advance
within the Department or
within their mission area.
-
Improve present job skills and abilities of employees in managerial, supervisory,
and non-supervisory positions.
-
Improve morale of all participants by providing satisfying experiences through
participation in the program.
- Support career enhancement by providing employees with resources, guidance, and
networking.
- Support the orientation of new employees.
-
Improve communication among our diverse work force at different grade levels
and in different mission
areas within the Department.
Ground Rules
-
Both parties
must keep all information
discussed in the sessions
confidential, within Agency
ethical parameters and legal
restrictions.
-
No matches will be made
within the pair's supervisor/manager
chain of command
-
Every attempt will be made to rematch the protege, if he/she applies for a job
within the mentor's chain
of command during the program
-
Up to 5 hours/month
-
No restrictions on informal
mentoring. Participants are urged to frequently
"check in" with
each other via informal
phone calls or e-mails.
It's a good idea to schedule
informal activities to assure
regular contact.
Cost of the Program
The first class will
be a pilot project. The USDA
Diversity Council has prepaid
for all of the participants
in the pilot project, excluding
travel cost. Following the pilot project, agencies will have to pay a fee, plus travel cost
for the protege. Mentors will
receive instruction free of
charge (travel cost must be
borne by the agency).
Program Length
The program is designed to last on a formal basis for a period of one year. Each participating protege and mentor must agree to work together for
one year. The
program does make provision
for rematching in the event
that a mentor/protege relationship
is unworkable.
Time Requirement
A reasonable amount of official
time (up to 5 hours per
month) will be allowed for mentoring
relationships. Supervisory approval
will be required to participate
in the program. At
the discretion of the protege
and mentor, other sessions may
be scheduled on their own time.
Each mentoring relationship
will vary according to needs
and interests
The Matching System
The Office of Human Resources
Management (OHRM) will propose
tentative matches of mentors
and proteges. A system has been
incorporated in the program
in the event that an initial
match or ongoing relationship
is not satisfactory. The mentor and protege may turn to OHRM for guidance and assistance.Unsatisfactory
mentoring relationships may
be terminated at any time during
the one-year period by contacting
OHRM. An attempt
will be made to match the protege
with another mentor, although
normally, rematching will only
be undertaken during the first
six months of the program.
Protege/Mentor Agreement
The first activity that each
protege/mentor pair will work
on together is the development
of a set of measurable goals
that can be completed during
the program yea. The protege
and mentor will incorporate
the goals into a short written
agreement that each will commit
to and sign. The Agreement format
will be provided by the OHRM.
Application Procedures
Submitting an Application
Interested candidates should review
the information provided in this
brochure and then take the following
steps:
-
Obtain a copy of the Application Package.
-
Complete the appropriate application form (protege or mentor).
- Complete a supervisor form
and obtain the supervisor's
signature on the form.
Submit application forms to the following address:
United States Department of
Agriculture Mentoring Program
Attention: Malinda Johnson
Program Manager
OHRM, WPEDD
Room 316 W
Jamie L. Whitten Bldg.
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20250
Fax: 202-720-7850
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