How did CPO 365 influence you as a leader and what would you change about the program?

I had mixed feelings about CPO 365 when I was on active. I did 10 initiations and almost an eleventh before I punched. 365 was a fairly late-happening thing relative to my active service. It didn't really come into vogue until FY-12. I found the whole notion a bit patronizing because I perceived that somebody was directing chief petty officers to be chief petty officers 365 days a year. I didn't need to be told that; I lived it as an axiom since I put on anchors in '03. But I kind of get why that was put forth.

That said, I was still referring to the whole process as 'initiation' in selectees' charge books after what used to be called 'transition' (I think) got sundowned by Mike Stevens. We had a base CMDCM who had come from Seventh Fleet and he brought his C7F attitude with him. Needless to say, that season had something to be desired and I wrote a SCATHING after-action report when it was done. I was in Afghanistan the following season where we were pretty much left to our own devices and not being micromanaged by politicians more concerned with zero defects than they were with rocks and shoals. Strangely enough, that was probably one of the best seasons I'd experienced in years.

As has been mentioned elsewhere, the whole side-by-side thing once the list comes out is, to me, patronizing, self-defeating and acrimony-building. If you didn't get selected this year, well, better luck next year, study harder, work harder and good things will come. Even if you retire as a seasoned first class petty officer, that's still a very succesful career. One of these damn days, somebody's going to wake up to the notion that the everyone's-a-winner mentality is probably the most unhealthy mindset we can put people, much less senior staff NCOs, in. I hope it's sooner rather than later.

Initiated by choice, proud by tradition. Hopefully, nothing changes the tradition of making Chief. It was the best day of my life.

After My Time Shipmate. They had already HYTd My Ass before this was a thing. In a 365 review I might have done better. I walked on water with about everyone except some of my SEAs. I was good, I was Cocky, I didn't Play Games. Militarily Speaking I was not "Politically Correct".

The quality of the CPO 365 program depends entirely on the command. At its worst it is a once a week death by power point session that everyone dreads. At its best it forges trust and open communication within the First Class mess, and between the Chiefs and First Classes.

That being said there was not much value in the Phase 1 programs I was involved in as a PO1. Phase 2 was a different story. The Phase 1 programs that I have participated in since making Chief are much better.

I take it you've recently attended your first CPO 365 event?

I think it started coming across as busywork after the first couple times. If you are one of the lucky ones being groomed for Chief, absolutely, it's for you.
To others of us, however, waiting on either a nod from the made-man in the topside offices that never came, some magical mass retirement of senior enlisted leadership, or in severe cases, somebody to die, in order to open an advancement billet-it was an exercise in futility, and is very much like the man with a fishing rod dangling a dollar bill in recent insurance commercials.

CPO 365 was dick rubbing gay. Never participated in it, didn't even try. I had actual work to do. And so did my Chiefs. We just kind of "signed the muster" and turned it in.

Anyone who thinks that they need permission to lead, or permission to do the job is everything wrong with the Navy.

Before I pinned on anchors...it didn't. There was no program back then. On the other hand, when I deployed to Kuwait in '04 I started meeting with my PO1s for leadership and professionalism training (this was also well before CPO365). Proud to say all of those who deployed with me pinned on anchors except one, and she pinned on a butter bar when she completed her BSN degree within a year of re-deployment. Two pinned a star above the anchor.