Formal One-Year Guided Program
National Rollouts
Time: 2- per year
National Rollouts are mentoring events where recruitment is the focus. They occur twice a year, Spring and Fall and are an all out recruitment blitz. Protégés are sought and encouraged to apply for a mentor. Applications are received from every discipline and all regions. The purpose of these National Rollouts is to increase the availability of formal mentoring to the USGS employees. The benefits of National Rollouts include widespread availability, increased mentoring, increased sharing of knowledge, cost-effective learning, decreased learning curves and increased acculturation.
Details:
- Two per year
- May 4, 2011 (Make-up date May 24, 2011)
- December 7, 2011 (Make-up date January 5, 2012)
- Funding for 25 pairs
- Recruitment efforts 6 weeks prior to rollout date
- Matching based on goals and objectives of Protégé
- Targeted mentor recruitment
- Cyber training
- Learning Exchanges
Continuous Mentoring
Time: Continuous
Continuous mentoring involves pairing those individuals that apply to the program between National Rollouts or are “leftover” from a preceding National Rollout. Continuous Mentoring is an extension of the National Rollouts. The purpose of Continuous Mentoring is to enable those applicants applying between rollouts to be serviced in a timelier manner. This would enable applicants to begin their partnerships sooner thereby delivering the learning more quickly. The benefits of implementing Continuous Mentoring include a shorter learning curve for the applicants, quicker acculturation into the USGS, a sense of value for the employee and the facilitation of continuous learning within the USGS.
Details:
- Applications are reviewed and the pairing process begun immediately upon receipt
- Paired applicants are incorporated into the current mentoring partnerships with full access to all the mentoring resources
- Partnerships run for 1-year beginning the month they are paired and concluding 12 months later
- Training cyber seminars are conducted once monthly
- Celebrations are conducted once monthly via a cyber seminar
- Upon completion of the 1-year term, applicants receive the same type of certificate as National Rollout participants
- Funding for the Continuous Mentoring participants comes out of the budget for the National Rollouts
Outcomes:
- Greater participation in the USGS Mentoring Program
- Shorter learning curve for participants
- Decreased time for acculturation
- Increased availability for training options
Transitioning Mentoring
Time: Now
Transitioning Mentoring is mentoring for those who are transitioning into new/other jobs within the USGS. These participants include those with greater than 5 years of service. This component of the USGS Mentoring Program would be part of the Formal Program. The purpose of Transitional Mentoring is to provide all the employees of the USGS a formal mentoring opportunity. This component expands the opportunity to those employees with greater than 5-years of service but who have transitioned into a new position or role. The benefit of Transitional Mentoring is that it offers a mentoring resource to those who are in need of a role model, guidance and information even though they may have several years of service to the USGS.
Just in Time Mentoring
Time: Immediate
Just in Time Mentoring is mentoring that involves meeting the mentoring needs of an individual, Cost Center or Team for a short duration and for a specific transfer of knowledge. The purpose of Just in Time Mentoring is to provide a resource for those with specific short term mentoring needs who need assistance in finding and pairing employees within the USGS who possess that necessary skill. The benefit of Just in Time Mentoring is that it enables employees to receive timely information, knowledge and learning in a cost-effective manner.
Details:
- Put information on the Web site of potential mentor profiles
- Build database of potential mentors
- Self-Matching
- Funded by the Cost Center seeking the information/mentor
E-mentoring
Time: Spring 2011
E-mentoring is mentoring utilizing the capabilities of the internet. E-mentoring communities are created to enhance transfer of knowledge, build networks and to increase retention. The benefits of E-mentoring are that it is very cost-effective, can reach a large number of people very quickly, builds community quickly and offers a vast opportunity to share large amounts of information in a very short amount of time.
