January is #MentoringMonth across the Public Service

January 4, 2021 - Defence Stories

As part of this year’s #MentoringMonth, civilian employees, military members, and students are invited to participate in virtual mentoring through the Defence Team Mentoring Program (Accessible only on the National Defence network)! Staying connected has become more important than ever.

Register (Accessible only on the National Defence network) today to be a mentor, a mentee or both!

Virtual mentoring allows you to expand your professional network, engage in career development discussions, and foster a more inclusive work environment at DND/CAF regardless of your work location. Through Traditional, Reverse, Peer, Community, and Official Languages mentoring, participants can gain valuable insights from different career and life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds (culture, ethnicity, gender, ability, etc.).

Here are five tips for a successful virtual mentorship:

1. Embrace and Learn with Technology: There are a variety of virtual platforms, such as the Defence Team’s Office 365 platform, which offers chat and videoconferencing tools that are accessible on both work and personal devices. Be open to trying new platforms and learning together.
2. Consistency is Key: Regular interactions are important to get the most out of virtual mentorship. You may schedule virtual mentoring meetings (e.g., meet the first Tuesday of each month) to establish a routine to ensure that mentoring meetings remain a priority.
3. Clear Expectations: Just as face-to-face mentorship requires goal-setting, having clear expectations is central to virtual mentoring. Consult the various tools (Accessible only on the National Defence network) available to you to set up your mentoring relationship for success – such as mentoring checklists, tips, mentoring agreement, and more.
4. Get Creative: Mentoring relationships don’t have to exclusively be one-on-one conversations. There are many other ways to virtually support a mentees development, such as sharing education resources or reviewing a resume.
5. Adjust as Needed: As personal circumstances change and mentoring goals evolve, it’s important to remain flexible and adapt. Also, remaining open to diverse perspectives can lead to a truly meaningful developmental experience for both mentor and mentee!