How are your senior leaders most out of touch with junior enlisted.

2013-12-09T20:11:14-05:00

No bashing, and if you post a gripe, post a solution. Try to be productive.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 9 at 2013 9:57 PM

2013-12-09T21:57:13-05:00

The new SFC that just took over as our Dept NCOIC held a meeting with all Army/Navy NCOs saying how she was going to change A, B and C and that monthly NCO meetings would be held to keep her abreast of all issues going on in her dept......

.......I lost track of how long she's been here but we have not had one of those meetings yet.

Because she is my first line supervisor, I've brought ideas and suggestions to her (as she requested during her initial meeting) but she has yet to utilize any of my recommendations.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 11 at 2013 5:56 AM

2013-12-11T05:56:35-05:00

Some senior leaders give off the impression that they stay in touch with junior enlisted Soldiers as a "check the block" kind of thing and not because they care. This isn't to say that they don't care but body language and presentation speaks a lot louder than putting on a smile and saying "Talk to your squad leader" without really answering their question or addressing their concern. I have witnessed this with a few senior NCOs and Officers; even addressed it once in a sensing session and it just was blown off so I don't see the need for those anymore. The only resolution I can think of is that all leaders need to have genuine care for their troops but those in senior ranks and/or positions are the ones often looked at as an example of character and attributes. We all need to be consistent with our care for our Soldiers. If it ever happens that you act the part just to get by, it's probably time to let go and let someone else take the reigns. Listen to your Soldiers and show them their concerns are a priority for you, even if it means saying "That's really out of my control". Explain why. Just because we're senior does not mean we can't explain ourselves.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 12 at 2013 9:53 AM

2013-12-12T09:53:24-05:00

I have recently become one of them! The problem is not so much in losing touch, as much as it is remembering where you came from. I say this because our field is and will be in a state of flux. Be it focus on current conditions or new technology. The important thing to know is I/we don't know every thing. But I got reach back to find out. Pride will get you killed my friend. The best way I can describe the change is to picture yourself as three baskets. One is yours, the second is your soldiers, and the third is the Army. As you progress in your career, you have to shift your eggs around to meet the current need. For example, when you are a PV1. Your eggs are spread between the Army basket, and yours. As a private you have no soldiers. As you progress, you get more responsibility but the same number of eggs. Now you have to do a risk assessment based on which basket can function with the least amount of eggs. If you have a leadership challenge ( we all have had that guy at one time or another) then you may have to put some more in the Soldier basket, also if you have a star performer you could put less. Ok, I will get to my point. Some folks don't do well at the balancing act, so they keep most of their eggs in their basket. Not so much in thier Soldiers or the Army's baskets. I am firm believer that the Army has it backwards. It should be Soldiers first! The mission will get accomplished if they know you got their backs!

Response by SSG V. Michelle Woods made Dec 12 at 2013 10:03 AM

2013-12-12T10:03:17-05:00

In my experience, senior leaders are most out of touch with junior enlisted because they do not speak to juniors one on one. One of my BDE's prior DCOs went out to the motor pools and started asking Soldiers "do you know who I am?" Do you know who your BDE CSM is or BDE commander? He was shocked to see how many troops had no clue.

Senior leaders are most effective with juniors when they are face to face with them.

Response by MSG Phil Herndon made Dec 12 at 2013 10:21 AM

2013-12-12T10:21:40-05:00

I think for me, I'm most out of touch in a few ways.

First is technical proficiency. They have seen me critique their performance, but they haven't ever seen me do the job. It takes a massive amount of effort on my part to keep them in line. I can't just dedicate the entire FTX to me doing their job for them either. It's a huge waste of resources

When I grew up, I executed the order and later went back and asked why we did what we did. Today's kids have to be explained to first, then they go and execute. That's just frustrating.

Next is physical fitness. Let's face it. By the time we've gotten here, we've been beaten and battered for the last two decades. I expect them to try to be where I was when I was a kid, but can't get them there myself. That takes a lot of mentoring.

The last I would say is writing. I was taught how to do most everything without computer aids. I learned how to do it right the first time because the whole thing had to be retyped if we made an error. It takes the same amount of time now as it did then. I learned to check the whole document for errors. Now they only fix one at a time and just reprint.

Response by SSG(P) Brian Kliesen made Nov 16 at 2021 10:04 PM

2021-11-16T22:04:15-05:00

Oftentimes, junior enlisted are the subject matter experts on a particular system, program, policy or procedure. I have seen senior enlisted or junior officers try to come in and change things around to their liking and in the process mess up an otherwise finely tuned machine. The system falls apart, metrics are not met, someone is sent down to see 'what is going on here that this dept. has turned into a basket of shit', and the new senior NCO or Officer places the blame squarely on their subordinates for failure to follow their program. Sometimes an investigation is completed, a long term Senior NCO is brought in and changes are made back to the way things were when the worked. The NCO or Officer is schooled on how to do things the big Army way. Unfortunately sometimes no investigation is made, no one asks why it has gone from working to not working and are simply told 'make it happen' and the program falls further into disarray. Soldiers are not motivated, no one wants to listen to the SME's and finally the NCO or officer is re-assigned with no negative outcome. The soldiers get back underway and hopefully all becomes well and good in the world, sometimes not.

Response by SSG(P) Brian Kliesen made Nov 16 at 2021 10:14 PM

2021-11-16T22:14:27-05:00

Many senior leaders have no concept what it is that their junior enlisted do or go through. Young, first time away from home, sometimes married, sometimes with children, or single and in the barracks with a bunch of other young people feeling their freedom for the first time in their life. It is a hard transition and the leadership fails to understand the stress and strain and fail to lead. DUI? Never happened in my day, reduction in rank, reduction in pay, extra duty. Problems at home? Figure it out on your own time. Not enough food or money to pay the rent? You never should have gotten married/had kids. They refer back to their own past experiences that do not even remotely apply to todays soldiers. Housing, family programs, schools, infrastructure, facilities, education, all under funded and/or in need of repair. But the Army always has millions for new weapons systems or testing. If the Army was serious about retention and recruiting, they would spend the money on their greatest asset, their soldiers.