Posted on Mar 7, 2016
For officers, NCOs, & junior enlisted members, what would you want to know about a new Battalion Commander within the first day/week/month?
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I will take battalion command this summer and wanted to get an "outside the unit" perspective of what others would want to know about a new BC if they were in the unit.
NCOs
Officers
Junior Enlisted
Junior Officers
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 101
I would say people in general want to know where the BC will fall on things that are typically mutually exclusive. The following is a short list. We all like to say we want both, but knowing where a person naturally leans is helpful:
- Does he prefer extreme details in paperwork or to reduce administrative burdens and accept some risk?
- Does he prefer more direct communications with leaders or stricter use of the chain of command?
- Does he prefer to "don't fix what's not broken" or does he heavily promote innovation/experimentation?
- Does he expect zero defect or does he encourage people to push themselves more, knowing that some people will fail at some things outside of their comfort zone?
- Does he lean toward "inspect what you expect" or more of inherently trusting leaders to make the right decisions? Or "trust by verify"?
Other questions:
- Does he have any pet peeves?
- What principles drive his decisions? (i.e. what is the universal Commander's Intent?)
- What will be the unit's priorities?
- How will the FRG be utilized?
- What in his past does he think helped him get him to where he is now, and how would that influence the development of his subordinates? (i.e. perspective on what is success)
Just a few things off the top of my head.
- Does he prefer extreme details in paperwork or to reduce administrative burdens and accept some risk?
- Does he prefer more direct communications with leaders or stricter use of the chain of command?
- Does he prefer to "don't fix what's not broken" or does he heavily promote innovation/experimentation?
- Does he expect zero defect or does he encourage people to push themselves more, knowing that some people will fail at some things outside of their comfort zone?
- Does he lean toward "inspect what you expect" or more of inherently trusting leaders to make the right decisions? Or "trust by verify"?
Other questions:
- Does he have any pet peeves?
- What principles drive his decisions? (i.e. what is the universal Commander's Intent?)
- What will be the unit's priorities?
- How will the FRG be utilized?
- What in his past does he think helped him get him to where he is now, and how would that influence the development of his subordinates? (i.e. perspective on what is success)
Just a few things off the top of my head.
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SGT Ronald Audas
The fact that you would seek input from outside of your command,speaks volumns of your ability to command a Battalion.You will do just fine,Sir;
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SSG Don Maggart
@ Sir we already have the Power for Good or Ill what we lack at any given moment is True Commander Intent... MilitantCrip
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COL (Join to see)
SGT Ronald Audas - Thank you for the vote of confidence. I'm looking forward to this next adventure with my Soldiers more and more each day!
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The primary thing I would want to know is does the new commander focus on mission with the welfare of the troops in mind, or does this commander focus only on mission irregardless of how the troops are affected. There is nothing wrong in my opinion with a commander willing to do what needs done as long as that commander takes care to mitigate impacts on troops. Troops want a commander who will fight to ensure their troops are used appropriately, rather than say taking an assignment where a medical company is guarding detainees. Providing support for those guarding the detainees would be fine, but taking on missions that are a poor fit for the troops available just to check the box related to the commanders own career tends to disengearten troops. Most commanders do a good job of fighting against inappropriate missions, but the few that put their career as the focus without regard to what their decisions will do to their troops, reduce morale and effectiveness. Therefore what I would want to know is, if the commander will fight to ensure that their troops are used appropriately.
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COL (Join to see)
SFC Dan Whipple - I love the sound of the BC you had who was a prior enlisted Marine. He sounds like he did things the way my CSM-select and I plan to do some things when I take command. Getting out with Soldiers (sometimes telling the CO CDR we're coming, sometimes not) is a key component of how we plan to operate.
Thanks for your input ... I appreciate it!
Thanks for your input ... I appreciate it!
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TSgt Andrew Harper
First and foremost, know you troops, from top to bottom, their capabilities, and where to position them parallel with mission objectives.
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COL (Join to see)
TSgt Andrew Harper - Very good advice, and I concur wholeheartedly. My CSM and I will always work together, along with our other senior subordinate leaders, to make sure this happens. Thanks for your input!
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I'd be curious about the new Bn Cmdr's background, vision, leadership philosophy, priorities, standards and expectations, what decisions does he want centralized and which will he allow to be decentralized. As an institution, there's so much lip service paid to empowering junior leaders and allowing the latitude to make mistakes and learn without losing your job, but I've seen the opposite happen in practice. I'd want to know what changes are in store for the unit from the get-go and what areas he'll be watching for possible changes. Will communication be strictly through the chain of command? Will the staff assessments in his meetings be relegated to the opinions of only staff primaries or will he include section chiefs and other officers? What level of detail to you want to see in what areas of various orders and products and what areas are you willing to accept more risk? I certainly want to hear about areas where you and your Command Sergeant Major see eye-to-eye as well, along with any areas where you go against the grain of your peers.
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COL (Join to see)
Capt Johnson, all the items you mention in your first sentence will be covered in the initial inbrief my CSM and I will give on the day I take command. We will start with the company commanders / 1SGs and battalion staff primaries, then have subsequent iterations of the brief to present the same information to each company (to include the Headquarters company / rest of the battalion staff) so every Soldier in the Battalion hears directly from the CSM and I. I want to "remove the mystery" of how the command TEAM thinks, what we expect, standards, etc. I will have formal policies on what UCMJ actions I withhold to my level and will also give guidance on what type / level of decisions need to have commanders come to me first and what they can make on their own. I fully believe in empowering subordinate leaders to exercise disciplined initiative within the scope of my vision and intent. I will underwrite honest mistakes and will take care of other issues as they arise.
As for changes, I'll assess what may need immediate attention and what can wait until I have more time to observe and make a more informed decision. Change decisions will be made in consultation with my CSM and other appropriate leaders. Change is not something to be afraid of because that's how growth happens, but change is also not something to be done simply for the sake of changing something.
Communication will be both formal and informal, meaning I'll have certain meetings as part of the battalion battle rhythm where I will get feedback from the staff on key items such as training, personnel actions, etc. I will expect staff primaries to train and empower their subordinate staff Soldiers to know how to do the jobs of the person above and below them (cross-training) to ensure continuity of operations if the staff primary is absent for whatever reason. I will also periodically pick a time where I direct the briefs be given by someone other than the staff primary so the more junior members have a chance to gain experience in briefing a senior commander. I see this as a professional development opportunity. I will also communicate with Soldiers at all levels as I visit and talk with them in their work areas during operations and at training events, to include joining them for physical fitness periodically at their unit formation.
As for the relationship between my CSM and I, I feel very blessed to have a CSM-select with whom I've served previously and with whom I have a rock-solid relationship. From the day we each came out on the command / CSM selection list, respectively, we've been communicating on a shared command TEAM vision, priorities, how we will run the battalion with our subordinate leaders, the type of command climate we want to establish and how we will build an environment of trust with every Soldier. This is a very important foundation upon which a successful unit is built.
Thanks for your input, Capt Johnson ... I truly appreciate it. Feel free to provide more feedback if you think of something additional you'd like to share. OORAH!
As for changes, I'll assess what may need immediate attention and what can wait until I have more time to observe and make a more informed decision. Change decisions will be made in consultation with my CSM and other appropriate leaders. Change is not something to be afraid of because that's how growth happens, but change is also not something to be done simply for the sake of changing something.
Communication will be both formal and informal, meaning I'll have certain meetings as part of the battalion battle rhythm where I will get feedback from the staff on key items such as training, personnel actions, etc. I will expect staff primaries to train and empower their subordinate staff Soldiers to know how to do the jobs of the person above and below them (cross-training) to ensure continuity of operations if the staff primary is absent for whatever reason. I will also periodically pick a time where I direct the briefs be given by someone other than the staff primary so the more junior members have a chance to gain experience in briefing a senior commander. I see this as a professional development opportunity. I will also communicate with Soldiers at all levels as I visit and talk with them in their work areas during operations and at training events, to include joining them for physical fitness periodically at their unit formation.
As for the relationship between my CSM and I, I feel very blessed to have a CSM-select with whom I've served previously and with whom I have a rock-solid relationship. From the day we each came out on the command / CSM selection list, respectively, we've been communicating on a shared command TEAM vision, priorities, how we will run the battalion with our subordinate leaders, the type of command climate we want to establish and how we will build an environment of trust with every Soldier. This is a very important foundation upon which a successful unit is built.
Thanks for your input, Capt Johnson ... I truly appreciate it. Feel free to provide more feedback if you think of something additional you'd like to share. OORAH!
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