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Organization key to managing DEP

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Dorscilla Nenninger
  • 369th Recruiting Squadron
ENCINO, California --  As an Air Force recruiter, I have the role of managing, mentoring and preparing my future Airmen for success in the Air Force. Managing a team of more than 20 individuals calls for me to be proactive at all times. The most important aspects of Delayed Entry Program management are feedback sessions, mentoring, planning and organization.

I provide feedback to everyone who enters my DEP and all expectations are documented on the Performance Feedback Worksheet. The feedback session informs them of their new responsibilities and allows time for any questions or concerns that may arise.

I also go over what my responsibilities are: I will prepare them with the tools and knowledge they will need to be successful in basic training, ease the transition into the Air Force for them and their family members, assist in developing a plan to achieve their goals while in the Air Force, and serve as a role model, supervisor, and mentor.

Mentoring is the part of DEP management that I enjoy the most. The rapport I build with my future Airmen are professional and unique to each individual. Every person has different needs and goals, and it is important to recognize how to motivate each person in a way that will empower them to be successful.

Communication and active listening skills are necessary to ensure that my trainees have confidence in my ability to serve as a mentor and trust that I have their best interest in mind. I make sure to set aside time for each individual to talk and catch up on things that they have going on in their lives and help them set goals that they want to achieve while in the Air Force. Constantly talking about what they want to accomplish in the Air Force keeps them in the picture and motivated about their decision to join.

Planning and organization are vital to successful management. I plan time each month solely for the management of my DEP and protect the time to ensure that I follow through. I prepare for my commander's calls and plan time to update afterwards. Planning allows me to stay organized, which makes management easy for me no matter how small or big my DEP is!