1. Mentoring for Leadership
Jane Ziebarth, Ambassador
Senior Vice-Presidents’ Conference
Kansas City, MO
January 2019
Good Morning/Afternoon.
Madam Senior Vice President…..ALOHA

2. Respect the Past Embrace the Present Plan for the Future
Respect the Past – Mentoring provides a look back on the traditions of the Auxiliary.
Embrace the Present – Mentoring provides the insight to the current practices.
Plan for the Future – Mentoring creates knowledge helpful for leadership skills.
The Past is your lesson. The present is your gift. The future is your motivation.

3. They work in . Mentoring helps broaden leadership skills.
Leadership provides guidance for mentoring members.
Result:
They work in .
Mentoring helps broaden leadership skills and leadership provides guidance for mentoring members, as a result, they work hand in hand.
Senior Vice President Peggy clearly recognized the need and value of mentoring by elevating the importance of Mentoring for Leadership through creating a National recognized program. With this recognition it will provide a great learning opportunity for all of us to share together. I believe a goal Peggy may have envisioned for creating this program was to assure our members receive the attention and guidance they deserve and to help shape the leaders of today and tomorrow.

4. The Mentoring for Leadership program compliments the Extension program
The Mentoring for Leadership program compliments the Extension program. It also is a valuable resource linking all the National programs. We ultimately want our mentoring process to involve understanding, participating, and leading various aspects of the Auxiliary as volunteer, officer, and/or chairman. Through Mentoring for Leadership this goal can be met.
Youth
Activities

5. The Mentoring for Leadership description located in the Program Book clearly provides the objectives, strategy, implementation and expected results for the program so I am not going to review but ask you to take time to read and absorb the concept and then support and act upon it.

6. I do not believe there is anyone here today that achieved the position currently held without a mentor or mentors in their life, whether it was a companion mentor or a silent mentor. Some have had the luxury of many years of mentoring but with the changing of times this can mean not necessarily going through all the chairs of the local, district and department, but stepping in when only holding membership for a short time. Some are not granted the opportunity of many years of mentoring and have made the best of the little time they’ve had to learn.
To enhance the member experience and provide assistance to create a positive outlook and prepare future leaders, the Mentoring for Leadership program is here to assist.
Department Senior Vice Presidents: When making your choice of a Chairman, I encourage you to take your time, really evaluate who in your Department is respected, a great communicator, creative and understands the value of mentoring accompanied by encouragement to excel in to some type of leadership role.

7. Top Four Words Respect Integrity Communication
Member (Customer) Service
I’d like to share four of my top words for the Mentoring for Leadership program to help guide and engage in the mentoring and leadership experience.
Respect
Integrity
Communication
Member (Member) Service

8. Respect
Respect
All members and other individuals we are in contact with deserve respect. This doesn’t mean you need to be best friends, it does mean you can disagree in a respectful demeanor. Everyone’s opinion shall be valued. Be kind to each other. If you disagree or chose not to participate for whatever reason, express yourself in a kind way. Once those negative, hurtful words are said, you can’t take them back.
Respect the value of time. Our members have outside responsibilities and each individual has a span of time they are able and willing to share. Accept the time an individual is able to provide and maybe over time their situation will change allowing them to invest more of themselves in to attendance, projects and leadership.
We all possess unique skill sets, passion and have different reasons for belonging. Respect those values. One thing is certain respect each other and the common denominator we share….Serving our Veterans with Aloha.
Through respective ways of mentoring and observation, this experience will help carry over to a positive leadership role. Mentoring for Leadership.

9. INTEGRITY
Integrity
The integrity of our organization and its members will continue to be built upon the attention to educating our members and communities. The positive experience firsthand and the value of accepting and providing mentoring is a great influence of understanding the past traditions, the NOW of the organization and the value of preparing for the future. Countless hours have gone in to creating positive and helpful tools for our programs and responsibilities which can found on the Auxiliary website. All the information used wisely will assist in maintaining the rich integrity of the organization. Mentoring for Leadership.

10. MEMBER (CUSTOMER) SERVICE
While the organization isn’t perceived as that of a commercial business, the members, veterans served and community are Auxiliary customers. As consumers, we have a high expectation when making a purchase or obtaining a service. Why wouldn’t we expect the same high quality of service as a member?
In the Gandhi Quote: Customer Focus , think of the customer as our members.
“A customer is the most important visitor on our premises; he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so.” Gandhi.
The members and those we serve (Auxiliary customers) deserve the best our organization has to offer. Positive meeting experience, kindness amongst members, attention to details, seizing volunteer opportunities, invest in training and mentoring members, and always in the forefront, providing the best service and support to veterans, families and communities. Mentoring for Leadership.

11. COMMUNICATION Communication
Open and positive dialog between members inside the meeting room can provide a pleasant experience for all members. If you are using social media to communicate Auxiliary business the same concept should apply…positive communication.
Communication includes really “listening” to what is being said. Put down your electronic devices or ignore whatever other distraction there might be. Look directly at the person speaking, respect, understand and participate in the conversation. Be engaged. Hear what is really being said. Communication is “key” to being a mentor and on the receiving end as mentee. Mentoring for Leadership.

12. Resources Programs and Publicity Resource Page
Online Auxiliary Academy
Building on the VFW Auxiliary Foundation Guidebooks
Mentoring at the VFW Auxiliary: Relationship Building for the Future (CARE) Guide
Resources
Multiple resources are available to assist in the “how to” and “engage in” the mentoring processing to help prepare towards leadership roles.
Programs and Publicity Resource page at
Online Auxiliary Academy at
Building on the VFW Auxiliary Foundation guidebooks
Mentoring at the VFW Auxiliary Relationship Building for the Future guide. CARE concept

13. Opportunities Awards for Members Awards for Auxiliaries
Awards for Departments
Opportunity Awaits All Members in the Organization.
An opportunity is available for all to excel in the Mentoring for Leadership program.
Three Auxiliary members from your Department that are instrumental in fulfilling the role as mentor/leader will be recognized with a National citation.
Every Auxiliary in your Department that implements a Mentoring for Leadership Program will be recognized with a National citation.
Will an Auxiliary from your Department be the recipient of the one and only citation and $50 award that will be chosen for the most outstanding implementation of a Mentoring for Leadership program?
Request your Mentoring for Leadership Chairman to plan and implement an effective School of Instruction at a Department function. Please allow sufficient time in your schedule of events for this to be a meaningful and positive experience for the members. Don’t feel limited to one session, expand and consider taking the training on the road to Auxiliary or District meetings. I really want every Department Chairman to have the opportunity to vie for the one award given within each of the ten program divisions for the most informative School of Instruction at a Department function.
My expectation is that every Department has a submission for these awards.

14. Mentoring for Leadership is each one of our responsibility
Mentoring for Leadership is each one of our responsibility. Won’t you join me in this new venture and open the door to endless possibilities for our members and embrace the excitement of having a role in creating and supporting new leaders.

15. Serving our Veterans with ALOHA
Strive to be someone that people were glad you were involved.
Serving our Veterans with ALOHA
Strive to be someone that people were glad you were involved. I am so proud and excited to be here with you. I hope by the end of the program year, you will be glad I was a little part of your journey, too.