How can we better mentor our junior personnel?

I have dealt with this recently. I would say that you have to be engaged and make time to mentor your junior personnel. It shouldn't be viewed as a burden. It should be a time that planned and well thought out. Not just a second thought.

Lt Col (Join to see) ... by actually caring... walking the walk... not just talking the talk. Many leaders talk a good game... but many are also more concerned about themselves and their job, promotion, etc... Be a good leader and mentor means genuinely caring about your subordinate leaders and making it your mission to help them achieve their maximum potential. It is not about you, as you know, it about the team.

The first thing that needs to happen is for folks to stop forcing themselves on others as a mentor or even worse.....having mentorship programs in which individuals are assigned as mentor.

A mentor must be sought out by the individual being mentored the relationship cannot start in any other way.

The most important thing us "mentors" can do is realize the just because we are the command chief, first shirt, sq sup, sec NCOIC, etc.....we may not be the right mentor for everyone.....and if/when we identify someone in need of assistance/guidance that is not responding to us we need to help them to find someone to whom they can respond and have this type of relationship.