Down Votes! Why does it feel like a counseling statement?

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 16:47:28 -0500

In one year, I have been down voted 3x. I walk around with my head down for the rest of the day. Is there some serious down voters out there. Maybe it should be changed to Agree and Disagree...

I bet someone is behind a keyboard right now, saying, "I down voted 62 people today, it was a good day".

I will send you a PM if I want to down vote you. I am not thin-skinned but it a litte ridiculous without an explanation...perhaps a down vote requires a reply...I pitch that up the chain of command.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Dec 12 at 2014 11:32 AM

CPT Jack Durish — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:32:09 -0500

I think that I've only been voted "Down" on one comment that I've posted on RallyPoint. It didn't really bother me except that I was curious to know what the person thought. Seriously, I'd really like to know. It's not as though I had said that I was "For" or "Against" something.

If seems that voting up or down is like saying "Yes" or "No" which doesn't make a whole lot of sense unless the person is asking something that can be logically answered that way.

I think that any up or down vote should be accompanied by a comment unless they are asked to merely vote up or down on a topic. It seems only fair...

Response by SPC John Cummings made Dec 27 at 2014 7:55 PM

SPC John Cummings — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 19:55:32 -0500

I think I down voted you once. In actuality I down voted a position. Like a topic just voted being right or wrong has nothing to do with the respect of the individual from whence the statement came.

Response by Maj Mike Sciales made Feb 7 at 2015 12:48 PM

Maj Mike Sciales — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 12:48:01 -0500

Counseling statements were designed to document substandard performance, but more importantly, they were supposed to help mentor a troop and improve those deficiencies. Instead they de-evolved into a "force shaping tool." As a defense counsel I saw too many times where a supervisor would finally get tired of a troop and put them into "hell week" where every single thing they did that irritated the supervisor would go into an LOC to provide documentation in anticipation of an admin separation. This was never the purpose. Some of our best performers have been troops who had trouble fitting in at first. These are the ones who question things (usually to better understand the purpose) which drives a poor supervisor crazy because might not be able to effectively communicate the answers to such questions and take questions as an assault on their authority. The don't recognize that blind adherence without any kind of question can lead to some very bad outcomes, especially if it is a weak/poor leader who subscribes to a "cult of personality" leadership style.
If people want to cast a down vote, they really should consider including a brief explanation of the "why" to help the person receiving the vote understand. Like "I voted down because you made personal, unwarranted and unsupported attacks on the character of X. You should stick to the issue at hand." This is constructive criticism that will help foster better communications. We owe this professional training and guidance to our peers.

I know this because I got 5 LORs and multiple LOCs as a first term airman, in my first assignment. In today's USAF I would have been admin separated, yet once I got my stuff together I went on to win "Base Airman of the Month" at that same base. People change.

Response by SGT Dave Sphar made Feb 8 at 2015 9:14 PM

SGT Dave Sphar — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 21:14:38 -0500

Hold your head up man, I get a lot of them. Not everyone is going to agree with U.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 26 at 2015 12:55 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 12:55:40 -0400

I see what you are saying. I hope we don't take this with too much judgement. I see it as a sign of disagreement. I really don't have an issue with it at all. You will find others that don't agree with you. As least you are not an LT. So far I have 107. So that is not so bad. I am due for one really. It has been a while.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 26 at 2015 2:20 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 14:20:31 -0400

Those obtuse thumbs can mean almost anything without the explanation.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 26 at 2015 2:56 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 14:56:19 -0400

The post I made where I expected a down vote did not garner one, I was and am surprised.