Leadership goes far
beyond giving direction and ensuring the immediate safety of your
employees. Leadership also includes the development of others around
you including your subordinates. Some wildland fire agencies have
formal mentoring programs and they should be taken advantage of
where appropriate. Informal mentoring has been a part of the fire
community for decades though and should continue to be utilized
whenever possible.
According to the NPS
Mentor and Mentee Training, mentoring is advising, guiding, counseling
and role modeling. It is a partnership based on respect focused
on promoting professional and personal development. It is a relationship
that changes over time as each grows, learns, and gains experiences
in the relationship.
Mentors focus on a
mentee's achievements and areas for growth through a one-on-one
relationship that is non-threatening and non-judgmental to both
parties.
Mentoring is a tool
that allows the transfer of experience, knowledge and history to
be passed on throughout the fire community.
There are a multitude
of advantages to mentoring within the fire community.
1. Transfer leadership
skills
2. Build better decision
making skills
3. Help with retention
4. Help staff promote
5. Mentors can create
a more conducive work climate
6. Transfer of information
Natural mentoring relationships
between two individuals can often be very productive with little
or no official mentoring training. However, these mentoring relationships
could be strengthened with a little work on your part as a mentor.
There are many good books that could help you out. Three good examples
are:
- The Mentor's
Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships by Lois
Zachary (Jossey-Bass Inc., 2000);
- A Mentor's Companion
by Larry Ambrose ( Perrone-Ambrose Associates, Inc., 1998);
- Leader As Coach:
Strategies For Coaching and Developing Others by David Peterson
and Mary Hicks (Personnel Decisions International Corporation,
1996).
LEADERSHIP TOOLBOX REFERENCE
Pay it Forward
February 2004
