Coaching & mentoring

Coaching and Mentoring are two valuable career development opportunities offered to NAVFAC employees. Both provide a way to connect with subject matter experts who provide personalized guidance and feedback on maximizing job performance and career potential.

Coaching

Performance driven – emphasis on improving current on-the-job competencies
Conducted through structured meetings, scheduled regularly
Coaches set the agenda, lead the conversation, and asking probing questions
Short-term, usually between six months and one year!

Mentoring

Development driven – focus on long-term career development
Informal meetings scheduled as-needed
Employees (mentees) suggest topics of discussion and asks questions
No specified timeframe (typically more than a year)

coaching

Coaching offers NAVFAC employees an opportunity to receive tailored advice and feedback on maximizing their career potential. While coaching involves many topics, it has a particular emphasis on leadership competencies including strategic thinking, conflict management, developing others, and effecting long-term culture change within an organization.

Watch this video to learn more about how coaching can improve your skills and performance at work:

Open Through YouTube (URL: youtube.com/watch?v=-c4f4i9fxHo)

Note: Users will need to disconnect from NMCI or ONE-Net to view

There are two Executive Coaching programs currently available to qualified NAVFAC employees depending on their pay-plan/grade and Acquisition Workforce (AWF) status:

Program	Pay-Plan/Grade	AWF Status
NAVFAC Executive Coaching	GS-14 - GS-15s or equivalent in leadership positions	Open to all (AWF and non-AWF)
Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Executive Coaching	GS-15, O-6, or equivalent in leadership positions	AWF Only

If you are interested in a coaching program, please visit our Leadership Program page for application deadlines, requirements, and other important program information. For any additional questions, contact your civilian training advocate

Coaching Eligibility Requirements and Application Requirements

Eligibility Requirements
Application Process

To qualify for a coaching program, employees must meet the following criteria:

Meets pay-plan/grade and AWF status requirements (see table above);
Have a current approved Individual Development Plan (IDP) either completed through TWMS or the approved NAVFAC Career Compass IDP form;
Be fully compliant with mandatory training and certification requirements for your current position (e.g., DAWIA compliance);
Maintain a fully successful rating or equivalent within Defense Performance Management and Appraisal Program (DPMAP);
Has not graduated from an entry-level or career ladder program within the last three (3) years; and
Agree to complete all requirements of the program (as stated above) and completing the Leadership Development Assessment Tool (LDAT).

In addition to these requirements, the following items may preclude consideration:

Have received professional coaching within the last three (3) years without a significant increase in scope and/or complexity of responsibility; or
Currently participating in a NAVFAC-sponsored Leadership Program as of application submission deadline.

If you are interested in applying for a coaching program, please carefully review the eligibility requirements above and contact your civilian training advocate through the Contact Us link at the top of this page to get started.
For any coaching program, you will need to create an application package which includes a current resume, a signed statement that you will complete all requirements of the program, and a written endorsement from a designated senior leader depending on your command:

Echelon
Echelon II Command: Executive Director
Echelon III Commands: Vice Chief, Commanding Officer (CO), or Executive Officer (XO)
Echelon IV Commands: CO or XO

Additionally, the following factors may be considered as applications are reviewed:

Complete & Compliant Nomination packages: Nominees must meet all of the stated requirements and nomination packages must be complete to be considered.
Command Needs: SYSCOM and local Command development needs.
Job History: A job history that may include experience across multiple echelons, multiple Business and Support Lines, career progression, length of time at NAVFAC, other Commands, and other employment/military experience, and future plans will be taken into consideration.
Preparation for Developmental Opportunity: Application and resume should demonstrate appropriate progression of developmental opportunities. Completion of a NAVFAC Leadership Program or similar development/demonstration of leadership skill will be taken into consideration.

Once complete, all application packages are submitted to HQ BD17 for final review and approval. Please contact your Civilian Training Advocate for more information.

Note: If you are not currently eligible for a NAVFAC or DAU coaching program, consider the Department of Navy Civilian Human Resources (DONCEAP) sponsored coaching program (see resources below for more information).

mentoring

Mentorship is one of the most effective approaches for imparting valuable knowledge between employees. Mentoring typically involves a mentor who has valuable experience others can learn from, and mentees who are looking to apply that knowledge to their own career growth.

Provides employees with an opportunity to expand their leadership, interpersonal, and technical skills through a unique learning style.

Create a pipeline where senior-level employees can impart their deep institutional knowledge to employees still in the early- to mid-stages of their career.

Help teams retain valuable information that could otherwise be lost as employees move to other career opportunities or retire.

There are two different types of mentoring:

Informal mentoring occurs between employees when one gains knowledge and experience from the other through an unstructured professional relationship. Informal mentoring does not include specific goals or desired outcomes.
Formal mentoring programs are more structured, where mentors and mentees are matched together based on specific selection criteria or common professional backgrounds. Formal mentoring often includes specific goals and measurable outcomes.

If you are interested in participating in a current mentorship program, you can register as a DON Mentor or Mentee via the TWMS Mentor Match Service Tool to get started (see resources below for more information below).