ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE ROUTINE R 061520Z AUG 03 ZYB MIN PSN 341460J18 FM CNO WASINGTON DC//N1// TO NAVADMIN UNCLAS //N05000// NAVADMIN 217/03 MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/-/AUG// SUBJ/PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT BEST /PRACTICES FROM THE FLEET// RMKS/1. THIS MESSAGE FOCUSES ON THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS EMPLOYED IN THE USS ENTERPRISE STRIKE GROUP. THESE "BEST PRACTICES" STRESS INVOLVED LEADERSHIP THAT ENHANCES THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF SAILORS AND DIRECTLY ENHANCES MISSION READINESS. WHEN COMMAND LEADERSHIP INSTITUTIONALIZES SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES, THE RESULT IS A MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENT IN MISSION AND COMBAT EFFECTIVENESS. 2. ENTERPRISE STRIKE GROUP'S (ESG) SUCCESS IS BUILT ON SHARING IDEAS AND IMPLEMENTING GROUP-WIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. RECENT INITIATIVES INCLUDE: A. QUARTERLY MESSAGES: IMPROVES GROUP RETENTION AND ADVANCEMENT PRACTICES THROUGH SHARING INFORMATION. THESE CAN BE VIEWED ON THE STAYNAVY WEB SITE AT WWW.STAYNAVY.NAVY.MIL UNDER THE COUNSELOR'S CORNER TAB. B. SKILLS FOR LIFE TRAINING: INCLUDES DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE PREVENTION, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, ANGER MANAGEMENT, AND SUICIDE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION. THE COMDESRON EIGHTEEN CHAPLAIN INITIATED THIS AGGRESSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM DRAWN FROM REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCES. IT PROVIDES BOTH MENTORS AND JUNIOR SAILORS LIFE SKILLS TRAINING AND CONTRIBUTES TO BUILDING ADAPTIVE SKILLS NECESSARY FOR FUTURE SUCCESS. C. COMMAND-WIDE MENTORING PROGRAM: ASSIGNS A MENTOR TO ALL HANDS, A MENTORING PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR EVERY DEPARTMENT, AND ESTABLISHES THE REQUIREMENT FOR SAILOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT BOARDS AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND PERIODIC REVIEW OF INDIVIDUAL GOALS. D. GOAL CARDS FOR NEWLY ASSIGNED SAILORS. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THEIR COMMAND ASSIGNED MENTOR, THE ESG SAILOR ESTABLISHES, WITHIN SEVEN DAYS OF REPORTING, PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS TO INCLUDE PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS, PERSONAL BEHAVIOR, AND FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. THE GOAL CARD ALSO INCLUDES A LISTING OF THE DEPT/DIVISION SPONSOR, MENTOR, LCPO AND LPO, AND REPRODUCTIONS OF THE SAILOR'S CREED AND NAVY CORE VALUES. 3. EXAMPLES OF PROGRAMS SHARED THROUGHOUT THE ENTERPRISE STRIKE GROUP VIA THE QUARTERLY MESSAGE: A. USS MCFAUL EXCEEDED NAVY-WIDE ADVANCEMENT STATISTICS ACROSS ALL PAYGRADES FOR THE MAR 2003 EXAMS. MCFAUL'S CURRENT RETENTION FOR ZONE A IS 91 PERCENT FOR FY-03. MCFAUL INVESTED IN THEIR SAILORS' FUTURES BY: (1) PURCHASING RATE STUDY GUIDES AND MAKING THEM READILY AVAILABLE. (2) DEVELOPING A GENERAL MILITARY QUESTION BANK OF OVER 400 QUESTIONS ON THE SHIP'S SHARED DRIVE, DIVIDED INTO EIGHT SECTIONS BASED ON PAY GRADE. THE QUESTION BANK INCLUDES IN-RATE AND GMT QUESTIONS FROM THE STAY NAVY WEB SITE. (3) DESIGNATING TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS AS SHIP'S TRAINING DAYS AND ENFORCING MANDATORY STUDY ON THESE DAYS. MANY DIVISIONS IMPLEMENTED "JEOPARDY"-TYPE GAMES TO MAKE TRAINING MORE ENJOYABLE. (4) PUBLISHING TRAINING TOPICS AND LECTURE LOCATIONS WITH LEADERSHIP ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN MONITORING THE TRAINING PROCESS. (5) ALLOWING NON-DESIGNATED STRIKERS TO SPEND 1-DAY PER WEEK WITHIN THEIR DESIRED RATING FOR OJT. A REAL MOTIVATOR FOR THE SAILORS. (6) EXAM PARTICIPANTS WORK HALF-DAYS PRIOR TO THE EXAM. NO EXAM TAKERS WERE GIVEN WATCHES ON EXAM DAY. B. USS ENTERPRISE HAS A CPO MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR SAILORS WHO DISPLAY PERSONAL BEHAVIOR NOT WITHIN CORE VALUES. A STRUGGLING SAILOR IS ASSIGNED A CPO MENTOR WHO MEETS WITH THE SAILOR ON A DAILY BASIS TO POSITIVELY INFLUENCE HIS/HER BEHAVIOR. 4. THIS HAS BEEN THE SEVENTH IN A SERIES OF MESSAGES WE'VE USED TO HELP ALL LEADERS HAVE SIMILAR OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS. AS WE CONTINUE TO TRANSFORM THE NAVY, EVERYONE IS ENCOURAGED TO SHARE THEIR OWN CREATIVE "BEST PRACTICES" WITH THE CENTER FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT FOR FURTHER DISTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT THE NAVY. 5. POC IS NCCM(SW) RANDY MILLER AT RANDY.MILLER@NAVY.MIL OR AT (901) 874-2362/DSN 882. 6. RELEASED BY VADM G. L. HOEWING, N1.// BT NNNN