Military Review English Edition July-August 2015 | Page 58

(Photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell, MND-B PAO) Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Payton speaks with Cpl. Kyle Morris after the soldier was presented with a certificate of achievement 27 March 2009 for his work in helping to build life-support facilities at Joint Security Station, Zafaraniyah, Iraq. Payton is the the senior enlisted advisor for 1st Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. Morris is an engineer assigned to the 46th Engineer Battalion. peer, or teacher. Mentoring is probably a better fit for someone of considerable experience, outside the chain of command. Yet another view is from the developmental interaction. Counseling focuses on demonstrated job performance, coaching focuses on performing specific tasks or skills, and mentoring focuses more on developing the capabilities and competencies required for future positions. There is overlap in the functions associated with each term, but each term has its place in leader development. Mentor is often used in the sense of the verb to mentor—to give wise counsel and advice as one who is trusted. In ADRP 6-22, the Army clarifies the meaning of mentor, aligning it with the noun usage of mentor—a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.18 With this emphasis in meaning, leaders should not and cannot be a mentor to all of their subordinates. This responsibility is too time consuming and important for a leader to try to do, as this relationship extends beyond the immediate supervisory role and beyond the chain of command. Taking this to 56 extremes, the more people a leader supervises, the greater the potential that the number of mentees could run into the hundreds or even thousands over time. On the other hand, leaders have a coaching role with all their subordinates as well as the responsibility to counsel them on their performance and professional growth. Through thei ȁɽ