motorcycle mentoring 101

Headquarters Air Mobility Command

Enabling the “Global” in “Global Vigilance, Reach and Power!”

Motorcycle Mentoring101

2Enabling the “Global” in “Global Vigilance, Reach and Power!”

Informational purposes only Use all information with due regard to existing

standards of the Air Force with respect to rank, position, authority

Note: Do Not Remove “For Official Use Only” From Any Slide

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLYNote: This Slide is Mandatory


Why What Case 1 Case 2 Case 3

OVERVIEW


DEVELOPMENT TEAM

NCOIC SSgt David Grant


WHY

New motorcycle operator • Looking for help

• Wonders if what they are experiencing, others have

• PCS’d and are looking for friends

• 90 day AEF turned into 210 days in a tent, lots of money to burn


WHY

Charles Lindbergh, Roy Rogers, T.E. Lawrence, Elvis Presley, Malcolm Forbes, Ann Richards, Sen. Ben “Nighthorse” Campbell, Jay Leno, Robert Fulton Jr., Ewan McGregor, and YOU

• All started somewhere

• All had someone to help guide them

• All helped someone else

Senator Campbell


WHY

Feelings conjured on a motorcycle can be

• Joyous

• Powerful

• Peaceful

• Frightened

• Vulnerable It is life compressed All will be looking for help in

understanding these feelings, remember this is…

• …not for or to

• …but with and by


WHY

Motorcyclists’ need structure, not rules

• Tell them what to expect

• Be ready for anything they reply back with A beginners’ mind has many possibilities' An expert’s mind has few

• You might NOT be their mentor Personality Peer Age Gender Rank Position Media


WHY

You do not know everything

• Guide them in their learning

• Look for others to help

• Ask what their view is Description of T.E. Lawrence,

aka Lawrence of Arabia.

“ His clear-sighted intellect could not conceive of moral freedom without physical freedom too; pain was an invaluable instrument in experiments to determine the extent of his moral freedom”


WHAT

You’re not controlling their handlebars You’re not controlling their throttle

• They must learn on their own

• Will look to you as an example, good and bad Encourage any conflicting information as a way for

them to learn what works for them Put your ego away

• Clearly communicate the expectations

• Visit them often

• Discuss culture, tradition, history


WHAT

Understand the full range of the non-operation side

• Image created by just carrying the helmet

• Words they use

• Views they express Like it or not, when you

operate a motorcycle, you’re now the example of all motorcyclists to non-motorcyclists


WHAT

Pitfalls

• Strict Don’t like you Dismisses everything you

say

• Confidence Lack of creates doubt Preponderance creates

intimidation and awe

• Opinionated What makes you know it

all Don’t experience the same

things I do


WHAT

Conceptual

• Sense of size and proportion; understanding central ideas; reason, analyze and solve problems

Pedagogical

• Generate metaphors and ideas based on knowledge, ability, and experience of yourself or another

Epistemological

• Understanding the nature of operating a motorcycle

Attitudinal

• Having respect for, and an appreciation of, knowledge generated through discovery

Mentoring Techniques


WHAT

It is mostly HOW a person comes to know and understand something.

• Merely covering basic knowledge does not guarantee retention or usefulness

• Must be motivated through curiosity and interest

Striding into the living room, he threw the phone book at me. “You’ll need a lawyer,” he snapped. “Look it up yourself”.

“But Dad, I’m dyslexic,” I whimpered, the tears rolling down my cheeks. “I don’t even know how to spell it.”


CASE 1

Scenario

• Deployed for 90 day AEF

• Turned into 145 days

• Didn’t ride your motorcycle a month before leaving

• While deployed, a supervisor bought an AAFEES motorcycle, they’ve never ridden a motorcycle before but always wanted one, now looks to you for advice, “On how to ride the thing”

What do you do?


CASE 2

Scenario

• A subordinate comes up to you and says: I want an R6. And I have this friend who’s selling his for

really low money and its in great shape. I don’t have the endorsement or taken the safety class, but I’ve ridden dirt bikes as a kid so I should be fine.

• What do you do?


CASE 3

Scenario• You rode your motorcycle to the squadron picnic at an off-

base picnic area, your First Sergeant rode his motorcycle also and parks next to you. You notice he’s having a slight problem parking next to you and almost falls over attempting to put the sidestand down. His helmet is plastered with stickers that say, “Helmet Laws Suck” and “Loud Pipes saves Lives”; the helmet is old, cracked and does not have a DoT sticker on it He takes his helmet off and says, “Wow, I can’t believe I almost

lost it on that gravel parking this thing.” There is no gravel under him.

You notice he has no base sticker or temporary pass and enquire as to why, his reply is, “I don’t ride it on base so I don’t need it.”

• What do you do?


REVIEW

The preceding scenarios are based on actual mishap reports• If just one person said the

right thing, maybe the person would still be here

• Then again, maybe not…

• You can’t save everybody Give them the tools to make

an informed decision Be prepared to forgive if they

make a bad decision


REFERENCES

The Perfect Vehicle. Pierson, M. 1997• W.W. and Co., New York, NY

Long Way Round. McGregor, E. & Boorman, C. 2004

• Atria Books, New York, NY What Successful Mentors Do. Hicks, Glasgow &

McNary 2005

• Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA Teaching Comprehension. Carr, Aldinger, Patberg

2004

• Scholastic Teaching Resources, New York, NY How to Ride a Motorcycle. Hahn, P. 2005

• MBI Publishing, St. Paul, MN

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