Posted on Nov 9, 2013

Do some Army civilians believe it is fine to be rude to service members?

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We may be service members who are use to a little aggressiveness from our superiors which would be viewed as "rude" by others looking in from the outside but that comes with the nature of the job.  We deserve respect from our civilian counter parts for we give them a reason to have a job and to have a pay check.  Normally my interaction with civilians is in a customer relationship basis.   I myself do not tolerate rude civilians who work for the government.  I do not put up with that.  I simply get their first and last name and I go to their supervisor.  After a few weeks I follow up with a phone call.  Do not let civilians treat you or talk to you as if you were a servant.

Posted in these groups: Military leadership skills civilian employment

Civilians

Posted >1 y ago

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Responses: 19

CPT Laurie H.

Posted >1 y ago

I find that DA Civilians respond like most other people, in a comparable manner to how they are treated. Many who are initially disrepectful and impatient toward servicemembers behave that way because they have recieved similar treatment. Bridging that gap and getting to the root of misunderstanding on an individual basis can serve wonders for fostering a mutually beneficial professional relationship.<div> </div><div>There will always be individuals who are rude to whomever they are working with, but for the most part we all just have treat eachother like humans. They deserve our respect as much as we deserve theirs. </div>

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SSG Mike Angelo

10 y

1LT Laurie, I agree with your commentary, "we all just have treat each other like humans." Many DA Civilians are veterans and they too have a common knowledge base of a different generation and experience level. Change may come slow to those in a dynamic setting. Leaders of both uniformed services and non-uniformed services are the change agents within their organizations. Post and Deputy Commanders should envision the conversation between the 2 groups with fluidity and consistency for growth, down the chain. This supports the learning organization for change. It also identifies the risks and other constraints for a corrective action plan. Both groups can benefit from monthly or quarterly Town Halls. Balance Score Cards may also help. ICE does identify a metric for a measured outcome, yet it leaves out the human dimension. IMO.

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CPT (Join to see)

Posted >1 y ago

SGT Martin, you are on point.  I've always commented that there is a serious lack of customer service by a great deal of DA Civilians.  It's not like you have the option of going somewhere else to get better service.  I'd rather hang out at the DMV than CIF.

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SSG Lisa Rendina

>1 y

I've always had excellent experiences at CIF!  I always go back to the "Golden Rule" and I treat everyone the way I would like to be treated.  I have had to make some arguments in the past, but it still came down to how would you like to be treated.  For example, a newly arrived Soldier was assigned a barracks room and I went with him to inspect it.  The walls were dirty and stained and I told the barracks manager (a civilian) that the walls needed painting.  He responded that they are only required to paint every 3 years and it wasn't time yet.  I asked him if he was going to move into an apartment or house with walls that looked the same and not request them to be painted.  He admitted that he wouldn't sign a lease with the walls in such a state and I reminded him that although it is "just" a barracks room that it becomes a Soldier's home while he is assigned to the post.  The walls were painted the next day.

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CW5 (Join to see)

10 y

1LT Brantley,If you or your Soldiers are having issues at the Ft Campbell CIF I recommend you ask to see Mr. Larry Basden.  Mr. Basden manages the CIF and is a retired CSM.  You likely won't find him setting at a fancy desk in a back office but rather on the line with some of the many other veterans continuing to provide service to our troops.

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