The police profession is analogous to the military in many respects. Formal mentoring programs in military academies support what is suspected to be a critical component of professional development. One extensive study determined that formal mentoring programs correlated to less and significant to their respective careers (Hu, Wang, Sun & stress commitment Chen, 2008). Mentoring correlated to leadership potential and the increased potential to serve as mentors. This is noteworthy as organizations and other paramilitary organization strive to maximize their investments in officers and officer candidates for the future. A longitudinal supports the existing data as well. Three specific contributions were identified over more than a five year study of graduate students; 1) Self-efficacy, 2) Motivation and 3) Performance (Paglis, et al., 2006). Self-efficacy or the belief in one’s ability to accomplish specific tasks, correlates to positive performance and intrinsic motivation. These three were clearly ideal attributes found in successful graduate students. A mentoring program correlates to consistent value over an extended period of time which validates its worth both in the short and long term. Implementation of a viable mentoring program or career development program can be daunting considering the generational gaps that are ubiquitous in all organizations. Those selected for mentoring others can sometimes encounter a vast age difference that can be problematic for fostering a positive relationship. Whitesell (1999) succinctly states the importance of the mentor/mentee relationship. It is important to get a sense of the mentee’s hopes and dreams, goals and ambitions, strengths and weaknesses. Failure to know the understudy will result in the mentor trying to create a younger version of themselves. This hamstrings the effort by limiting potential and perhaps in some instances holding them to an
The police profession is analogous to the military in many respects. Formal mentoring programs in military academies support what is suspected to be a critical component of professional development. One extensive study determined that formal mentoring programs correlated to less stress and significant commitment to their respective careers (Hu, Wang, Sun & Chen, 2008). Mentoring correlated to leadership potential and the increased potential to serve as mentors. This is noteworthy as organizations and other paramilitary organization strive to maximize their investments in officers and officer candidates for the future. A longitudinal supports the existing data as well. Three specific contributions were identified over more than a five year study of graduate students; 1) Self-efficacy, 2) Motivation and 3) Performance (Paglis, et al., 2006). Self-efficacy or the belief in one’s ability to accomplish specific tasks, correlates to positive performance and intrinsic motivation. These three were clearly ideal attributes found in successful graduate students. A mentoring program correlates to consistent value over an extended period of time which validates its worth both in the short and long term. Implementation of a viable mentoring program or career development program can be daunting considering the generational gaps that are ubiquitous in all organizations. Those selected for mentoring others can sometimes encounter a vast age difference that can be problematic for fostering a positive relationship. Whitesell (1999) succinctly states the importance of the mentor/mentee relationship. It is important to get a sense of the mentee’s hopes and dreams, goals and ambitions, strengths and weaknesses. Failure to know the understudy will result in the mentor trying to create a younger version of themselves. This hamstrings the effort by limiting potential and perhaps in some instances holding them to an
Mentoring_and_Its_Influence_on_Career_Development_and_Job_Satisfaction_-_Juan_Barrientes.docx