Mentoring Program

Department of Commerce Mentoring Program

The Department offers employees a comprehensive mentoring program. Mentoring is a tool that individuals can use to nurture themselves and enhance their careers. Mentoring is offered informally as well as formally. Mentees observe, question, and explore. Mentors demonstrate, explain and model. The following supports the positive use of mentoring for employees and organizations:

• Deliberate learning is a cornerstone. Our program trains mentors so that they are able to promote intentional learning, which includes a capacity for building through methods such as instructing, coaching, providing experiences, modeling and advising.
• Mentoring Networking and Partnering. Our Mentors, as leaders of various learning experiences, share their “how to” skills with their mentees. Mentors are also advised to share their failed experiences.
• Mentor experiences. Our Mentors are trained to offer personal scenarios, anecdotes and case examples, because they offer valuable, and often unforgettable insight. Mentors who can talk about themselves and their experiences establish a rapport that makes them "learning leaders."
• Development matures over time. Mentoring -- when it works -- taps into continuous learning. Mentors share experiences and observations offering the mentee thoughtful analyses.
• Mentoring is a joint venture. Successful mentoring means sharing responsibility for learning. Successful mentoring begins with setting a contract for learning around which the mentor, the mentee, and the supervisor are aligned.

http://hr.commerce.gov/Employees/TrainingandDevelopment/DEV01_006169