Motorcycle Mentoring 101

1. Motorcycle Mentoring 101

2. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLYNote: This Slide is Mandatory • 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

3. OVERVIEW • Why • What • Case 1 • Case 2 • Case 3

4. DEVELOPMENT TEAM • NCOIC SSgt David Grant

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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”

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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 WHAT Mentoring Techniques

14. 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.”

15. 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 1

16. 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?

17. 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?

18. 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

19. 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