The Power of Mentorship: Lessons and Takeaways From the Military and Veteran Communities for Organizations and Practitioners

Submitted by Destinee Prete, PhD, chair of the SIOP Military and Veterans Inclusion Ad Hoc Committee, and Catherine Wright, member of the SIOP Military and Veterans Inclusion Ad Hoc Committee, as part of a regular series of articles SIOP runs each November in recognition of Veterans’ Day in the United States. The first article ran earlier this month.

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Mentoring is crucial to pass along knowledge, nuance, and experience that will never be gained through formal training and without which success is more difficult to achieve.

In the Navy, each new member is encouraged to find at least one “Sea Daddy” (mentor) to help fill in the gaps left by their formal training and assist with their acclimation to military life and their new duties. Additionally, some organizations have formal mentoring programs with required training for both mentors and proteges along with a set of standards expected in the mentoring relationship. Whether formal or informal, mentoring is an integral part of the military experience as it should be in the civilian workplace.

• Lee Crowson, CPO(RET), US Navy, SIOP Military and Veterans Inclusion Ad Hoc Committee Member

For those who are serving or have served in the United States military, it is challenging to discuss military service without the use of the word mentorship. Through organizational perspectives, mentoring is becoming a popular workplace practice and is bolstered by a substantial body of literature that has underscored its positive outcomes for mentors, mentees, and organizations as a whole (Ivey & Dupre, 2022). From a human resources management perspective, the transfer of tacit knowledge resulting from the mentorship relationship might be the most important benefit to organizations (Laiho & Brandt, 2012). The practice of mentoring, its impacts, and its application by military-connected communities may benefit organizations and the overall workforce.  Lessons from within and outside of the military ranks give insight into the power of mentorship. 

Military members share similar personal and professional experiences and obstacles, including separation from families, deployments, job stressors, and career challenges. Through this, they quickly, and often organically, build strong rapport and a trusting relationship that enable an impactful mentoring relationship to occur. Mentoring within military ranks has been pinned as a key contributor to military career success throughout all service branches.  Mentorship can begin preservice when an individual is considering joining the service and connects with current serving service members and veterans, and continue postservice when the veteran enters the workforce. Typically, military mentors are not only capable but are excited to share their experiences and mentor the next group of service members. Mentees can connect with mentors who have ranked up within their same job specialty within the same organization. 

Military mentorship programs have spilled over to the civilian or veteran transition sector as well, for both veterans and military spouses to engage in. There are stand-alone programs that are not linked to a particular employer that link a variety of veterans to mentors, as well as programs developed by companies to connect their military-affiliated employees. Both types of mentorship programs have proven to be extremely beneficial for all involved parties, including decreasing the gap between military and civilian transition. Through participation in these programs, military veterans and spouses experience a sense of camaraderie during their transition similar to that which they found during their service time and have linked the programs to their success. Avenues such as LinkedIn and other social media platforms have allowed for growth within these programs and extended networking. Mentorship programs have also been found to benefit veteran morale and engagement within their civilian careers. 

A study conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA, 2013) found that mentorships allow veterans to achieve lower stress while engaging in authentic, more natural, and casual relationships that contribute to a smoother transition and a higher probability of retention. Mentorships may provide inclusivity while connecting veterans, which can promote growth and ease in learning and understanding a company’s culture and how the veteran fits into that space. Last, knowledge or companies providing veteran mentorship programs can attract highly valued veteran talent and top candidates. Veterans and spouses value connections and a feeling of belonging, especially when transitioning, and a company that puts this at the forefront of its recruiting and retention efforts can benefit from the veteran network and their respected loyalty.

As industrial and organizational psychology practitioners continue to focus on the various avenues of DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility) within their structures, consideration can be made to mentoring and its areas of focus. The positive emotions, attitudes, development, and performance outcomes experienced by mentees and mentors are of benefit to organizations (Ivey & Dupre, 2022). High levels of organizational commitment and low turnover intentions among mentees and mentors reduce costs for organizations associated with recruiting, selection, and training (Ivey & Dupree, 2022). Using military-connected communities as a source of insight may be beneficial to practitioners and organizational leaders alike.

Stay tuned for more informational papers from the SIOP Military and Veterans Ad Hoc Committee members on this topic during National Mentoring Month, January 2023.

References

Ivey, G. W., & Dupré, K. E. (2022). Workplace mentorship: A critical review. SAGE Publications.

Laiho, M. & Brandt, T. (2012). View of HR specialists on formal mentoring: Current situation and prospects for the future. Career Development International, 17, 435-457. 

Veterans Affairs (VA). (2013). Veterans in the workplace: Recruitment and retention. https://www.va.gov/VETSINWORKPLACE/docs/Veterans_in_Workplace_Final_Report.pdf