In my opinion, a robust coaching program for new forensic scientists must focus on five specific priorities.  All are very important, but laboratories often err in not placing an equal emphasis on each of them.

1. Training and Assigning Coaches - Prior to a new employee’s first day of work, a laboratory should assign a coach to welcome the employee and provide encouragement during the first two or three years on the job.  Ideally, the coach will be trained by the laboratory and instructed on how to interact with new employees and encourage them in a meaningful way.  Not everyone is cut-out to be a coach, so select your coaches carefully.  More important, if the coach is a practicing scientist or supervisor in the laboratory, it is best if he or she is not assigned to the same unit as the new employee. 
   
   
2. Technical Skills and Decision Making - Most forensic science laboratories do a very good job at developing technical competencies.  Training programs are geared toward building scientific excellence and ensuring that new employees become trusted case-workers within a reasonable period of time.  Coaches can provide encouragement and guidance when new employees encounter challenges or frustrations.
   
   
3. Self-Awareness - Good coaches continually help their understudies pay attention to their own strengths and weaknesses.  This is done by joining new employees in continuous self-reflection and discussion about how they are feeling, behaving, working, and developing as new forensic scientists.  It is in this area that we see the advantage of coaches being independent of their understudies’ work units.  Many of the conversations can be deeply personal and even emotional as new employees work to overcome the inevitable snags and turbulence that come with transformation and personal growth.
   
   
4. Professionalism - As new forensic scientists develop their technical and scientific abilities, coaches can provide invaluable mentorship in helping employees build a strong sense of professionalism.  Professionalism is what we see in people who are committed to their work while demonstrating self-control, interpersonal warmth, tactfulness, courtesy, and a willingness to place the interests of their teams and stakeholders before their own. Through effective coaching, the natural selfishness of youth can be replaced with humility and a genuine desire to serve others.
   
   
5. Leadership Awareness - We don’t expect our newest employees to become supervisors in the near future. But we can expect them to appreciate the challenges of leadership and the importance of being gracious by offering support and understanding to those responsible for the administration of their laboratories.  Coaches can build leadership awareness by championing the mission and vision of their laboratories, while also encouraging new employees to withhold judgement in matters about which they have limited information.  Forensic science is uniquely challenging.  Laboratory cultures require employees to focus on their core responsibilities without unfairly questioning the motives and methods of their senior colleagues and organizational leaders.

Today’s young people are not prone to blind loyalty.  They do not commit themselves to organizations or team priorities simply because they are told to do so.  They commit themselves when they are inspired to do so.