UNCLASSIFIED//You know - I usually redact POC info on messages - but in this case I'm not. I'm sorry Chief - I know it isn't your fault, you are only doing what you are told. Nothing personal but my readers are nice. I'm just helping spread the good word, right?
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
UNCLAS//N05050//
NAVADMIN 226/10
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/JUL//
SUBJ/NAVY WOMEN E-MENTOR PROGRAM OPEN ENROLLMENT//
RMKS/1. THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES A NEW OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD FOR THE NAVY WOMEN E-MENTOR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. THE NAVY WOMEN E-MENTOR PROGRAM IS A WEB-BASED MENTORING PROGRAM WHICH SUPPORTS THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICER AND ENLISTED NAVY WOMEN. THE PROGRAM CONNECTS NAVY WOMEN FOR ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS FROM WITHIN A LARGE POOL OF DIVERSE PARTICIPANTS. THE PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE ALL RANKS FROM SEAMAN TO ADMIRAL, AND REFLECT A BROAD RANGE OF EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE.
2. THE NAVY WOMEN E-MENTOR PROGRAM HAS 1200 WOMEN PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED, INCLUDING 800 MENTORS FROM ALMOST EVERY DESIGNATOR AND RATING. THE PROGRAM HAS A MORE USER-FRIENDLY INTERFACE AND HAS ADDED AN EXCITING NEW FEATURE TO THE BASIC ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING OPTION CALLED SITUATIONAL MENTORING. THIS FUNCTION ALLOWS MENTEES WHO HAVE IMMEDIATE SHORT-TERM SITUATION-SPECIFIC NEEDS TO SELECT ONE OR MORE MENTORS TO ASSIST THEM WITH THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATION OR TO POST THE ISSUE, ALLOWING MENTORS TO VOLUNTEER THEIR SUPPORT.
3. THE NAVY WOMEN E-MENTOR PROGRAM IS OPEN TO ALL ACTIVE DUTY AND RESERVE NAVY WOMEN, TO INCLUDE OFFICERS, OFFICERS-IN-TRAINING, AND ENLISTED MEMBERS. UNIFORMED NAVY WOMEN OF EVERY RANK AND RATE ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM. THE OVERALL TIME COMMITMENT IS MINIMAL: AN EFFECTIVE ONLINE MENTORING RELATIONSHIP CAN BE ESTABLISHED AND MAINTAINED WITHIN ONE TO TWO HOURS PER MONTH.
4. MENTORS AND MENTEES ARE ENCOURAGED TO ENROLL DURING THE OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD ENDING 15 AUGUST 2010. THERE ARE 400 NEW OPEN SLOTS FOR MENTORS AND PROTEGEES/MENTEES. INTERESTED PARTICIPANTS CAN REGISTER AT HTTP://WWW.ACADEMYWOMEN.ORG/E-MENTOR/NAVYWOMEN. WITHIN TWO DAYS OF REGISTERING, NEW USERS WILL RECEIVE AN E-MAIL INVITING THEM TO LOG ON TO THE E-MENTOR PROGRAM SITE TO CREATE PERSONAL PROFILES, INCLUDING AREAS IN WHICH THEY NEED AND/OR ARE WILLING TO OFFER GUIDANCE AND, IF MENTEES, SEARCH FOR AND SELECT A MENTOR(S).
5. THE OFFICE OF WOMEN'S POLICY MONITORS AND ASSESSES THE PROGRAM. SUCCESS METRICS FOR MENTEES ADDRESS IMPROVEMENTS IN ACCESS TO ROLE MODELS, EXPANDED PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS, AND IMPROVED RETENTION INTENTIONS BASED ON SURVEY RESULTS. PARTICIPATING MENTORS ARE SURVEYED TO MEASURE INCREASES IN UNDERSTANDING OF JUNIOR SERVICE MEMBERS, AWARENESS OF ISSUES AFFECTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF NAVY LEADERSHIP, AND IMPACT ON RETENTION INTENTIONS.
6. POINT OF CONTACT: OSC JESSICA MYERS, OPNAV N134W, AT (703)695-1391/DSN 225, OR VIA E-MAIL AT JESSICA.MYERS(AT)NAVY.MIL.
7. RELEASED BY VADM MARK FERGUSON, N1.//
I got an email earlier from a reader who is a bullet-proof CAPT who actually went through the motions of trying to join - as a guy who has mentored females most of his career - but was told "You are a male - you can't mentor."
He knew that - he just wanted to hear it. I just wish he had it documented.
This is kind of sad, isn't it? From my generation of officer on down, we spent most of our career mentoring females. A good Sailor is a good sailor. Your #1 Div O is your #1 Div O - it didn't matter. Heck, I'm retired and via email and phone calls, I am "mentoring" a female LT, a female ENS, and a couple of MIDN. Gender based SeaMommyism is no way to grow leaders.
What a strange place the people who push these programs come from, because it isn't like the Navy I know.
Gender sectarianism is no way to build unit cohesion either ... but then again ... that isn't its purpose, is it?
61 comments:
Couldn't agree with you more, CDR S. Recently retired from a full career in the Navy, I continue to mentor several officers, many of them women. Solid sailors are solid sailors, and you take care of them because THEY are the future of our Navy. Directed mentorship programs do not work IMO. They make people feel good, but they don't really accomplish anything. Another misguided attempt to fix things that aren't really broken...
Sigh.
Our command started the mentor program and I sent in a letter saying why I was opposed to the formalized system. We all mentor or seek mentors based on our surroundings, needs and troops around us. Good leaders will mentor, even w/o a formal program. People hoping to learn and hone their skills will seek a certain level of mentorship w/o being told their specific mentor is CDR Shmuckatelli. Foster a good command climate and reward excellence and mentorship will naturally happen, IMHO. The fact the Navy JUST wants females mentoring females is a big problem. But, then again, somebody got a 5 and a FITREP bullet for this. Putz!
I wonder what a young female would think if they got assigned some idiot as an official mentor, and knew that some great officer had been willing to do it to but got turned down because he's a guy.
"No, you can't have Capt. Awesome because he's a man and won't understand you. But Cdr. Shithead will certainly have some great advice on how to make sure you never actually get a command."
Also, how many people are in this "<span>OFFICE OF WOMEN'S POLICY"? </span>
So sad. As a civilian, I have had mostly male mentors in my life.
I think back to my first principal when I was a brand new teacher who so effectively had my back in a tumultuous and career-threatening year that when he moved up to district office I left the school because I didn't want to be facing down the immense challenges of that school without him. My last principal was a female who was equally valued and had as profound an impact on me personally and professionally.
Right now I'm being unofficially mentored in NCO-style by the man who supervises my volunteer work--I'm learning an immense amount about leadership, networking and (and even some interpersonal skills) as he's shepherding me in opportunities to stretch my wings. The people who were side-by-side with me as I became involved with Soldiers' Angels were mostly men, and to this day when I need a recommendation letter in the nonprofit field, two of the first three people I think of are men.
The idea that only women can mentor women is not only silly, it can be downright limiting to the mentor and mentee. We learn from our differences--going both directions in a mentor-mentee relationship. The assumption that women must mentor women is an implicit statement that men and women ARE different,and so it must follow that in the male-female version of this kind of relationship the mentor has much to learn about the female perspective/experience and the mentee is introduced to perspectives and ideas she might not have considered otherwise.
IMHO, this is not only stupid, it works counter to the stated intention of the program.
<span><span>I got an email earlier from a reader who is a bullet-proof CAPT who actually went through the motions of trying to join - as a guy who has mentored females most of his career - but was told "You are a male - you can't mentor...</span></span><span>He knew that - he just wanted to hear it. I just wish he had it documented.</span><span><span></span>"
May I suggest -- it's time to steal a page from the Alinsky playbook and start (legitimately) using the Diversity Mafia's tools against them. Said CAPT should file an EEO complaint, alleging discrimination on the basis of gender which limits his ability to discharge his duties. The documentation issue may be a problem, but filing the compliant in and of itself ought to set off a few alarm bells.</span>
How is diversity being "served" in the relationship? Supposedly, the differences in race/gender/etc. are our strengths.
Why are these differences NOT relevant in this case?
Can anyone who is classified generally as "diverse" (not "white male") counsel someone who is also considered "diverse"?
Or can people who are "diverse" only counsel within their specific "diverse" group? Seems to be a kind of "separate but equal" thing which will ultimately marginalize the "diverse" servicemember.
This is somewhat ironic in execution, I guess. I would have though the "non-deverse" members (white males) would have been forced, in a sense, to mentor "diverse" members in order to open up the "secrets" of promotion and success to those who are members of "diverse" identifications.
I guess not.
What's next...all female ships? Race segregated ships? Sexual orientation segregated ships? If officers cannot provide mentorship to subordinates because of their gender, what other leadership qualities are they incapable of providing?
Ham, it won't matter. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT won't prosecute civil rights cases unless minorities are the victims. Just as AG Holder!
I thought we got rid of the designator "WAVES, WACS, Woman Marine, etc." Guess not...
I Pity the fool!
Jibber jabber nonsense! OUCH!
Spade, when you go here: http://www.npc.navy.mil/ABOUTUS/BUPERS/WOMENSPOLICY/ and then click on the highlighted term <span>"Office of Women's Policy</span>," after "...please feel free to email..." you get three names. None of the names listed seem to be culutrally traditional male names.
Do the cadre of the Diversity Directorate really want to go down the logical rathole of this kind of thinking...or can they even think that far ahead? Well, maybe these folks want Obama to be known for resegregating the military. He and his fellow travelers seem to be doing such a fine job of splintering the rest of America into identity groups. My son's generation instinctively bridles at this type of crap. Most of the SMT is spent on instruction in all things diversity and how not to rape. You would think that it had become a favorite pastime. This pitting of one against another and exclusion has got to stop not only in the Navy, but in the civilian world as well. What ever happened to just being an American?
<span>CDR Sal,</span>
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<span>THE NAVY WOMEN E-MENTOR PROGRAM is obviously intended to serve two undeclared objectives considered critical for the Navy's future:</span>
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<span>1. Female recruitment- Provides a docementable incentive for potential female recruits concerned about relatively poor retention and commensurate examples of career progression.</span>
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<span>2. Female selection advantage - Successful participation in this program gives female mentors a gender-biased justification, not to mention advantage, for selection and promotion. </span>
<span>Not only is the logic of the program impeccable, it goes without saying that male officers like the bullet-proof O-6 and retirees like yourself may continue to mentor junior female sailors.</span>
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<span>Isn't it wonderful to be considered a member of an advantaged class? Let's not try to sell that to mid-career males. As they depart and standards decline, quotas will be filled as women fill the ranks.</span>
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<span>I am so impressed by our SECNAV's obvious brilliance this early in his term. Perhaps he can even find a way to further downgrade our Navy, if not eliminate the branch altogether. </span>
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Total nonsense, only useful to build empires and pad resumes. This proves that the New Navy is run by gutless folks too cowed by the PC bullies to stand up and just say a single word: "BULL$!T"
What a waste of time. This adds nothing to readiness, puts no ordnance on target, trains no one to fight or save a ship, only add feel good programmatic nonsense.
"PITY THE FOOLS!" pretty well sums it up.
So would the DDG(Male) have to check with the CVN(Female) before they could go out for a beer? The range of humor there is immense....almost as big as the damage this kind of thinking can and will do.
Greetings:
Back in the early '80s, I was working as a civilian printer for the Navy at the Naval Station in Newport, RI. One day, I was looking over the copy for a Change of Command program and I came upon the career history of a female LCDR. She had been in the Navy for twelve years, ten at Newport in various positions and two at the Navy Public Affairs Office on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York. Oh yeah, her "nom de guerre" was "Legs".
Sal, I really was wondering how long it would take you to get to this...
Salty Gator, it might take care of more than one problem if they would put all the women on one ship (along with the gay males.)
Have them all mentor each other.
I have a serious question based on fact. Does that mentoring include a command having an unofficial notebook passed down from one DO to another describing the workers and putting gossip and other things down about workers and shipmates that prejudice incoming superior officers before they have a chance to get to know the people in the division?
Yes, I know of such a practice and it confuses me as to whether it is professional. And it's been going on for years and I wonder if that's one of the little tricks these "mentors" pass along to their underlings.
True, that.
It is about time that females got a chance at mentoring. We all know the way to end racism and sexism is to treat people specially because of skin color or gender.
And no, Phib, you aren't "mentoring". In fact, any pollution you caused through contact with those females may have to be undone by programs such as this. You are, after all, Public Enemy Number One. The heterosexual white male. Shame on you.
E Pluribus Magis.
Just out of curiosity what jobs within the Navy Department are performed with one's genitals? None? Really, none? Then treat sailors as sailors.
The Navy budget should be seriously slashed if we have so much excess money that we can waste manpower and dollars on an Office of Women's Policy.
And I'm sure this will be a model for future mentoring programs, which will be put in place for each minority. Will it hit the fan if a white female is told she is not allowed to mentor a hispanic fmeale? I assume it wil, but...you know, the women so snubbed won't have much of a leg to stand on when complaining, for they will have cheered this very effect on, when they could be hollering "BOOYAH!" at those males who had so oppressed them.
decisions, they most alwys have "unintended consequences." If my addled, retired mind can foresee this one, I'd hope the active duty component would have gamed this out in their plan...but then again, it's now about feeling trumping readiness. Always a bad path: It fails to deflect ordnance headed your direction.
FbL: And that frame of mind is what makes you so special. I'm hoping your voice can be a voice of reason if you ever encoounter such madness where you are....oh, I know it will be. Never mind.
The sad part is, if someone showed up, lableing this as "Waste" or "Abuse" of the public treasury, they would be slapped down, saying, "NO IT'S NOT!"
IN which case, explains why so much WF&A is so visible, yet never fails to be extirpated from the system. Great word, BTW....
Aww, xformed, that's very sweet of you. Thanks! I needed that today--not feeling so special this morning... at least not the kind you're talking about, haha!
A more fabulous ship in the fleet we will never find.
It is a violation of the privacy laws - not keeping the book, but giving it to the next person makes it a government record system, subject to all the rules, including required notices in the Federal Register.
How is a formal mentorship program consistent with the "no favortism" that is stressed in the non-frat training?
Ah, DB, you do have that southern ladies' vicious sense of humor :)
xformed, excellent use of our new favorite word. :)
Tee-hee (giggles as she swirls her mint tea).
CDR Sal, Your story about the bullet-proof male O-6 proves to me once again that despite all their talk about "gender equality/neutrality" the folks who run these programs are incapable of understanding that a male/female relationship can be something other than romantic or sexual.
Kristen, I don't know...the word "mentee" is my new favorite.
Does that make "ment" a verb? For example: "I'm gonna ment the heck outta that cute new Yeoman." Hey, get your mind out of the gutter. I meant show her the ropes and give her some career advice. O:-)
That's why I hang out here. You guys always make me laugh.
Wow...I was stationed in Newport in 84-86 and 88-91. Wonder if I ever ran into her? Can't imagine that anyone with a "homesteading" record like that was ever transferred any place else.
DB,
Not only is it against the rules as Andrew described, but it's also a bad idea to pass on "gossip." A new boss takes over his subordinates should feel to some degree that it is a fresh opportunity to prove themselves. Having said that, major or ongoing problems or concerns should be briefed to a relief so it can be monitored. Going the other direction, accomplishments and positive information should be passed on to the new guy so the next eval properly reflects what he or she did for the Navy.
Thanks, gentlemen. I know that's the way it SHOULD be, but... some places have their own ideas.
This actually solidifies the glass ceiling by artificially building barriers between the genders as they advance. How many women are there in the Navy? What male upper leadership will be there to advocate if they do not know their accomplishments and leadership styles?
Unfortunately this is no surprise from a service that appears to be using "lack of character" as a criterion for advancement to the highest levels all too often. Ten COs fired this year; the majority related to lack of character. Headlines like "3 Star Liar," and the recent firing of the Naval Academy superintendent for actions directly related to lack of character. I had to laugh when I saw the "Quick Poll" message on the message board today asking people to comment on "character in the Navy." Seriously, it sucks, and it seems like it sucks in direct proportion to rank and power.
In our effort to become as businesslike as possible, it appears we have adopted one of the worst aspects of business. The more senior, the more willing to compromise principles, do the wrong thing, and expect to get away with it. A return to time honored principles of military leadership as opposed to management would be a nice start. How about some of that honor, courage, and committment stuff?
Only a total lack of leadership and leaders with character could spawn abominations like this.
Don't confuse the Diversity Diktat with logical reasoning, their minds are made up. Off to the reeducation camp with you, comrade, and don't forget your shovel!
<span>He and his fellow travelers seem to be doing such a fine job of splintering the rest of America into identity groups.</span>
From the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Refrom and Consumer Protection Act, to wit:
NEW OFFICES OF MINORITY AND WOMEN INCLUSION
At federal banking and securities regulatory agencies, the bill establishes an Office of Minority and Women Inclusion that will, among other things, address employment and contracting diversity matters. The offices will coordinate technical assistance to minority-owned and women-owned businesses and seek diversity in the workforce of the regulators.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100626-701056.html
Wouldn't retention be the real goal?
Of course, I'm willing to bet that there is no science showing enhanced recruitment or retenion for these program, officially making them a waste of time and money.
I do believe that it's helpful for women to have women mentors because there are issues women face that men do not, and it helps to get perspective on how to deal from someone who's been there, not just observed it. HOWEVER...I strongly disagree with this canned BS. I have GREAT mentors of both genders and I have never needed a freaking Directed Program to get them. You look around, you identify people you admire and want to emulate, you call them up and say "hey Sir/Ma'am, I was wondering if we could grab lunch some time. I'd like to talk to you about X." The officers that we WANT as mentors will say yes.
look, I get as a leader that there are things my male sailors may not be as comfortable talking to me about as they will another guy. That's why I've always let my chiefs handle the "guy talks" and trusted them to backbrief me if there was a serious issue. We have two separate issues here that are unfortunately being convoluted. Men and women are different. Full stop. This does not mean one gender should be excluded or elevated at the expense of the other. I don't think it is wrong at all to acknowledge women need women mentors just as men need male mentors, nor is it fair to say a male can't mentor a woman or a female can't mentor a man. But there are some questions both genders would rather ask their own. Nothing wrong with that. But where we can agree is that having a mandated program for one over the other is a waste of funds. I've never had an issue finding a sympathetic senior officer to help me out when I've asked.
<span>AR,
I did mention you are correct. But my guess is that the common sense slide was the first to be deleted from the power point deck, and those who are feminist activists/advocates would never say what you stated above. They believe (and this includes DACOWITS) that women are superior to men in all ways, and if they ran the country/military/economy/school systems/hospitals, everything would be perfect.
To have those people hold sway over Navy policy is another sign of gutlessness on the part of senior leadership. Fill in any minority/race/ethnic activist, by the way, for the above assertion.</span>
~Sigh~. Drink. Repeat.
<span>AR,
With all due respect, if I were to posit that there were issues men face that a female leader wouldn't be of help with, I would be pilloried.
You are treading very close to the double standard.
Men who want male mentorship because a female leader wouldn't understand certain "issues" are sexist pigs to be "extirpated".
Women who seek female mentorship because male leaders wouldn't understand certain issues have official sanction of the US Navy.
The irony is, you are right.
The Navy should get it through some thick skulls that men and women may be equal, but they aren't the same.</span>
AR,
My apologies. I screwed something up when I corrected an error in the above post. We lost your comment and my reply to that comment.
<standing></standing>
Pulling alpha check's little stunt...
Deleting your comment so you can revise history the Stalin way.
Bad Marine. Bad.
8-)
More along the lines of "don't let the bald guy touch NOTHIN'!"
Sid, don't cry, it'll be ok. I deleted your personal attacks by deleting my comments, you're welcome to re-post them, just not on my comments.
The Commander doesn't like it when I disagree, but he really doesn't like it when I correct the cabal that makes personal attacks. No reason to make him clean up your nastiness, I'm happy to do it myself.
No reason to insult the host with your own projection. -1.
Damn. Spitting on the quarterdeck. Bad Ju-ju. Been nice knowing ya, NOT.
Back in the day of back to back deployments bookending COMPTUEX's and other sundry at sea periods thrown in, I sure would have been up for gaining knowledge under this female mentor...
Could've learned a bunch about Navy "Enterprise" I'd bet....
<span>Sid, don't cry, it'll be ok. I deleted your personal attacks by deleting my comments, you're welcome to re-post them, just not on my comments.</span>
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<span>Alpha...we all know the deal...</span>
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<span>You delete what you say in a vain attempt to pose yourself as the moral superior in the debate.</span>
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<span>Actually your points over on the obamanomics thread weren't so bad....when you stayed away from the put downs anyway.</span>
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<span>And gotta, the good CDR Sal is as fair and open as gets in allowing opinions to flow here.</span>
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<span>You post 'em; leave 'em up...</span>
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Wow. I regret clicking on that link. I'd like my 30 seconds back please.
Don't you have a 9/11 conspiracy to chase?
Poor choice of links on my part Salty...
Should have picked this one...
Which just tells the facts.
Hey, at least she chose an enduring business model.
Hey, don't rag on MilitaryCorruption too much...they might be a little crazy, but they're about the only ones out there that stuck with the Jill Metzger story, which is worthy of a Diversity Thursday post in and of itself.
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