Publication:Sea Talk Spring 2006/Navy officer development
By Annie Casey
Officers below the rank of captain are eligible for support with career planning, professional and personal development through the Navy Officer Development Program (NODP).
Director General Navy Personnel and Training (DGNPT) CDRE Nigel Coates, has assumed sponsorship of the navy-wide coaching and mentoring program which is managed within NPT by the Director of Workforce Management - ensuring a standardised approach to coaching and mentoring in the RAN.
Each Head of Community which trialled the program found it exceeded expectations. The model used was a coaching and mentoring combination developed by the Supply PQ.
We all have aspirations and goals in our careers and Seaman Officer LEUT Andrew Pepper, who became a participant of the NODP in 2004, has identified an important aspect of the program saying "it's the gap in between that the program explores."
He added: "We all have financial advisors, consult fitness trainers and generally receive training and advice every day of our lives but these things are only a small part of our lives, it makes sense to see someone about your life ambitions and goals and how to achieve them."
However he cautioned: "You can't just turn up and expect someone to do the work for you... unless you're committed to the process you won't get results that mean anything."
The NODP has also been well received within Supply and Engineer communities as supported by the feedback from the independent evaluation conducted by the Defence Personnel Executive (DPE).
Respondents from the evaluation said: "Having someone independent of chain of command to discuss things of a career and personal nature - a lot more freedom to speak (your) mind." Another participant was "ultimately achieving more both personally and professionally."
The format of the NODP differs from traditional mentoring in that it has both a coaching and mentoring component - mentorees (participants) are paired one-on-one with a coach, not with a mentor.
"The beauty of having a coaching component is the participant is confident they can discuss whatever they like with their coach and it won't negatively affect their career because the coach comes from outside", said NODP Co-ordinator, CMDR Rod Robinson.
Coaches are drawn from Naval Reserve officers with prior RAN service, but most importantly they are not in the participants' chain of command. So this provides participants with both an informed and independent third party to discuss issues impacting on them.
The coaches are involved with participants for a six month period while mentoring is encouraged to continue beyond the six month program. The sessions between coaches and participants typically focus on achieving career milestones combined with enhancing personal performance, workplace challenges and work/life balance.
The program is self-paced ensuring the workload for participants is manageable with the support of their coaches.
The mentoring component is performed by permanent officers from each professional qualification with a charge/minor command qualification, a good reporting history and a genuine interest in contributing to the development of others.
The NODP is not a remedial program and it does not replace the formal chain of command for supervision and support.
To become a participant in the voluntary program email details to navyofficerdevelopmentprogram@defence.gov.au or for more info visit the Defence Restricted Intranet (intranet.defence.gov.au/navyweb/sites/DNWM/, select Navy Mentoring and then Mentoring for officers, or phone CMDR Rod Robinson on 02 9377 3702.
