How should we influence Lieutenants to discontinue being sharks toward each other?

2020-04-13T15:12:21-04:00

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 13 at 2020 3:16 PM

2020-04-13T15:16:51-04:00

Wasnt my experience, but I think it entails having leaders being involved. You cant take credit for someone else's work if your boss saw who was doing the work. So my thought is that engaged leadership stops it. Not well worked out, but my initial opinion on the matter.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Apr 13 at 2020 3:23 PM

2020-04-13T15:23:28-04:00

Lt's need to work together, not against each other, gives the enlisted personnel mixed messages.

Response by CPT Griff Tatum made Apr 13 at 2020 3:32 PM

2020-04-13T15:32:54-04:00

The standard you walk by is the standard you accept. Meaning there is no room for sharks or spot lights, just a group of people with different strengths and weaknesses. If you criticize someone without helping them first, you’re just as bad as the person you’re criticizing.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 13 at 2020 3:38 PM

2020-04-13T15:38:35-04:00

By listening to the SFC and SSGs in the platoon - they will steer LT to do the right thing, accomplish the mission AND take care of the Soldiers.
Stop worrying about the career and the next OER, just accomplish the mission, let the NCOs hip pocket train, let the NCOs be NCOs. By doing all of this, the LT will be viewed as excellent compared to others and therefore won't have to worry about "sharking".

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Apr 13 at 2020 3:56 PM

2020-04-13T15:56:30-04:00

As long as promotions and career designations exist there will always be competition to be better than your peers.

With that said there will always be negative and toxic people in the work place. Just steer clear of the D bags. You can’t force people or police them to be better humans.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 13 at 2020 4:02 PM

2020-04-13T16:02:03-04:00

I would agree with LT Hoyt. Senior leadership involvement and mentorship (good mentorship) would help. Also a mature mentality towards the big picture. I feel that could be influenced from the very beginning of training by Cadre, NCOs, peers, seniors, etc. So I guess it comes down to investing time into development.

Response by CSM Richard StCyr made Apr 13 at 2020 5:03 PM

2020-04-13T17:03:39-04:00

Teach them to compete against the standard and not each other. The best still rise but they don't do so while cutting their peers legs out from under them.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 13 at 2020 7:58 PM

2020-04-13T19:58:30-04:00

What is the situation?

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 13 at 2020 8:15 PM

2020-04-13T20:15:14-04:00

It’s the same for Officers, Warrants and NCOs. As others have said, competition can drive people to do things out of character or in some misguided goal to achieve future promotions. I had a Brigade Commander who was conducting my initial counseling as one of her Company Commanders. She said “I value officers who do what is best for the unit and the team, without seeking the spotlight of recognition.” By helping to lift up your peers, you will earn their respect and trust. It takes a strong Rater and Senior Rater to set the climate amount subordinate leaders. When the message is that teamwork is priority one, people get the message. Great question LT.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 13 at 2020 8:25 PM

2020-04-13T20:25:14-04:00

An Officer's Call has solved many disagreements, or they at least allow a chance to socialize and communicate. Not with all the bosses, just the Junior Os. Some end up out back of the O Club, but that's how it goes sometimes. At least you are communicating.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Apr 13 at 2020 10:28 PM

2020-04-13T22:28:59-04:00

The nature of the competition changes as you go up in rank. At O-1/2, your current target is O-3. Given the promotion percentage is so high, there isn't much need for reporting seniors to provide a hard spread on the OERs, but rather not tickle the dragon over their grade average. As having senior Skipper jobs and sitting numerous promotion boards, different things are important at different times. To be able to provide a spread at O-3 and above, reporting seniors frequently (I did it) divides the reporting groups into segments. Those you must promote, those you don't harm, and those that need a message. A light message uses words like "potential". The hardest messages I've seen are telling. "LT Jones pushes doors marked pull" or "LT Jones hit rock bottom and started to dig." At each grade, there is a shopping list of pedigree items. You don't want to be short on any of those. At each grade there are what I'd call Upper and Lower jobs. Understand what they are. At O-1/2, there are few Upper jobs with most being ticket punching, developmental, etc. People are looking to see how well you'll grow up. At O-4, the split is about 50/50. At O-5, about 35/65. At O-6, about 20/80. Junior Officers don't typically appreciate you only need a couple lost opportunities to get chopped at some point. If you want do do well and progress, be shrewd about what you do because you absolutely own yourself. Doing your job well is only half of it. Helping others do their job well and visibly moving the Command forward is a piece you're never too junior to do. It gets noticed big time along with the respect from your seniors. One thing I did was Captain's Call with all my officers. I told them point blank how I was going to rate them at each group and grade level, the important things for them to pay attention to, AND that the XO would do some serious butt mowing if anyone started sniping around. Did that early when I assumed a Command and a briefer version individually when a new officer showed up. So if what you describe has been going on for awhile, it speaks volumes about the so called CoC leadership. In case you haven't guessed, I weeded out any problem child early. Amazing what that does for morale.

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 14 at 2020 3:35 AM

2020-04-14T03:35:27-04:00

The add to some already good advice. I would say ignore the noise and compete against yourself. Always strive for self improvement and get feedback from those who matter and be willing to accept that feedback. If you are trying to improve yourself, in the long run what the others are doing won't matter.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 15 at 2020 11:02 AM

2020-04-15T11:02:49-04:00

Tyshaun,
I haven’t had to experience that! However, here in Japan all the LTs are willing to help each other out. There’s a strong bond between all of us and we know that we need each other to accomplish the mission.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 16 at 2020 9:07 PM

2020-04-16T21:07:29-04:00

I never realized we were lol

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 17 at 2020 6:19 AM

2020-04-17T06:19:06-04:00

When I was a Battalion S3/XO I always tried to drive home the point that being the "worst" Company Commander in the "best" Battalion was still better than being the best Company Commander in the worst Battalion (within the Brigade) since the Brigade commander senior rated them. I think the same could be true for LTs. Company Commanders should build teamwork be striving to make their unit the best company in the Battalion, and then go to bat for their LTs with the Battalion Commander when it comes time to give out senior rater comments.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2021 10:21 AM

2021-04-23T10:21:13-04:00

Reserve TPU Soldier here but, that hasn't been my experience so far. We have a LT Wolfpack that works roundtable style to get everyone on track. It started with just figuring out the steps to get to BOLC and has progressed into a tight-nit group willing to raise the tides for all.