Mentorship's impact life-long, felt throughout Air Force Published March 16, 2009 By Senior Master Sgt. Idalia Peele 721st Communications Squadron PETERSON AFB, Colo -- -- Mentors make a difference - you don't have to be a Yoda to a Luke Skywalker, you just have to make time and show you care. There are several ways mentors impact their protégées to include helping them achieve goals, avoid career and life mistakes, or simply help them achieve their full potential. Mentors also have an indirect impact on the Air Force, such as increasing retention umbers, furthering career progression and doing well on an Inspector General inspections. One of Air Force Space Command Year of Leadership Aimpoints focuses on highlighting the need to invest quality time developing and furthering careers of deserving subordinates ... from performance evaluations to award submissions to performance feedback." So what does it take to be a mentor? It takes a level of interest, commitment to your protégé and confidence in your own abilities. It's not about you, but about the protégé. It requires getting personally involved and being sincerely interested in someone else's growth. Sometimes we will be sought out as mentors due to our position, background, common interests, or hobbies. Whatever the reason, the most important attribute is to relate to the member seeking advice, coaching or guidance. As supervisors, we can't always wait to be sought out. We need to seize every opportunity to make a difference in our daily interactions with our subordinates. Some of the more formal settings where we have a chance to mentor are during a feedback or training session. Through these sessions, we coach, challenge, inspire, and demand subordinates to do their best and even lead them to job opportunities they may have not considered. There are a few rules to consider in being a successful mentor or supervisor: - Set and enforce boundaries; Never let your role as a mentor compromise your duties and responsibilities - Know your limitations; Never give advice or guidance in areas you know little about - Keep your promises - Be approachable; Listen and ask questions - Commit to continuous learning - Don't undermine the power of feedback; Corrective feedback is usually the most important mentoring we can give. I have personally had many mentors in my life and career, but those I remember the most helped me recognize my weaknesses and make improvements. We can also make a difference informally by getting to know our co-workers and subordinates. This is a sure way to share our experiences and knowledge. One great example, and currently very relevant to the 21st Space Wing, is how to ease the anxiety that comes with an Inspector General inspection. How many operational readiness or unit compliance inspections have we gone through? How many have our subordinates gone through? Is this their first one? Tell them about your first inspection experience and assure them they are the "experts" on their field and there is nothing to be intimidated about. Develop them by providing them the tools and resources to succeed. Prepare them by practicing drills and interviews as if you were the IG inspectors. The time and effort we invest in our Airmen will build their confidence and succeed with flying colors. Nothing can quite match the self satisfaction gained from sharing our experience to help others but, even better are the relationships we build along the way.