How would you handle a subordinate who is full of potential, but just wants to get by?

2019-12-05T00:58:56-05:00

As a leader, there are probably people under you that you believe could go far in the military, and be great leaders. Yet for some reason (fear, complacency, etc.) they don't rise to the occasion. They do their job, keep their nose clean, but that's about it. How would you encourage that person to pursue something more, or would you just let it be?

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 5 at 2019 2:04 AM

2019-12-05T02:04:26-05:00

That was me once upon time!

I think about this stuff a lot. How do you get those types to bite? How do you inspire the average Joe who doesn't really give a damn anymore? Forgive me while I ramble a bit:

When I was just a private, I had a lot of potential. At least that's what my leadership told me. They tried to fast track me, but I would get bitter when things got hard, especially after I was dealt a bad hand in life for a few years at Bragg. It was only through the encouragement of new leadership and being forced to work with other people who were vastly better than me, that I got my head out of my ass and started living up to my potential.

I think I have learned two important things. Being in the military means working hard, nobody ought to "get by," that ain't the job. But the discplined work ethic of our military profession will only be sustained by effective leadership. So the first thing is, leaders have to intentionally develop their people and lead by example. Officers are important and drive policy and yada yada whatever, it's the NCOs that really shape and mold others to give a damn. Anyone can be a leader, but NCOs are in the unique position to lead others in the context of your question, especially at your level. So my point is, you handle that subordinate by placing them under the care of a hard-working NCO who is an expert at their job and intentionally cares about the people under them. Having a long term relationship where that subordinate is working with someone who 1) has a lot of potential and 2) is working damn hard to utilize that potential is a great way to kick them into gear.

The second thing is that each person is different, context always matters. Leaders have to get to know their people, there is just no way around it. There is no cookie cutter solution to inspiring men and women. It seems to be more a general philosophy. Once you know why a person is slacking, then you work to discover how they learn and what they care about. Put those together and you get to work on developing them.

And as I get older I steer away from the "light a fire under their ass" method into more of a "I believe you can do better" style. Meaning, be upfront with them and tell them how you see it. Let them know their dragging ass and they can do better. And then work your ass off trying to give them every opportunity to better themselves and come out of their slump.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Dec 5 at 2019 3:43 AM

2019-12-05T03:43:57-05:00

Motivate, motivate, motivate!

You say this individual "does their job." Who defines what the job is? YOU DO. Raise the standard. If they bitch about unfair treatment explain that the treatment is fair - PFC Jones is expected to clean a rifle in 1 hour because that is the best PFC Jones can do. You, LCpl Smith, are expected to do it in 50 minutes because that is the best YOU can do. The expectation and standard is the same for both - do YOUR best.

Expect and encourage excellence. But also reward it. Tailor the reward to the individual and what makes that person tick. If they value their time, give early release or days off (with approval, of course). If they value privacy, maybe offer a solo barracks room as a long term reward for achieving a certain standard. Maybe it is as simple as a sit down and you letting them know that YOU know they can do better - and you are disppointed in their efforts thus far, because you KNOW they could be great if they were just willing to work at it. Even something as small as a weekly 20 oz. bottle of soda or a candy bar or a homemade team-level certificate when presented in front of peers for the top performer of the week (month/exercise/whatever) can spark a fire and get not just one Marine, but the whole team working and competing to be your best troop.

Ultimately, you hope to find a way to allow that Marine to find their own internal motivation to be the best Marine they CAN be. But until they find that internal motivation, you have to be that source of external motivation.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 5 at 2019 4:10 AM

2019-12-05T04:10:31-05:00

Hey brother I had the same issue with one of my LCpls. I worked and worked trying to inspire him to do more and after two years of trying, there was nothing else I could do. If your Marine isnt passionate about what it is their doing, then they wont do anymore than what is necessary. As the saying goes, "you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink".

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 5 at 2019 6:35 AM

2019-12-05T06:35:04-05:00

You can only lead a horse to water.
As his leader it is your job to motivate him, but in the end, it is up to him how much he dedicates to his job. As long as he meets standards there isnt much you can do. If you try and hold him to a higher standard you have to be careful how you do it or he could file a complaint that he is being singled out.

Response by MAJ Monique Ruiz made Dec 5 at 2019 7:51 AM

2019-12-05T07:51:15-05:00

Cpl Kevin Henderson Get to know him. Do wellness checks outside of unit business. Perhaps if you take that time, he’ll see some people care more about him, not just what he can do for everyone else. By getting to know him, you may find out why he’s not investing in himself. Motivate him that way and include him in what you’re doing that you believe is raising the bar to meet his full potential. The danger with this approach is you must be consistent and patient to avoid him going back to the way he was before you started taking a deeper interest in him. It could take up to a year to see a change in him. It’s not an inappropriate approach. I believe it’s something everyone should do to learn more about the Soldiers they lead. It helps you be a better leader and understand how your decisions affect them, including their families. Isn’t that what we’re lacking in our military culture? People first, mission always? Meaning you take care of Soldiers and the mission still goes on with or without them because we’ll support them and cover their duties when they aren’t 100% or absent. We’re a team.

For your own sanity, be aware of how much you’ve invested in him. If he isn’t budging, don’t get yourself down. It’s not a reflection of your leadership if some people don’t respond as you hoped. But people are different, they react and process the same experiences differently. They already know how to do their job and NCOs teach them a way to do it. Learn people and you’ll know how you should lead them.

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Dec 5 at 2019 9:51 AM

2019-12-05T09:51:31-05:00

A "good enough" person eh? I guess in-and-of itself that's not a bad thing; besides, there's far too many people in this world these days who don't even rise to THAT level. Still it is unfortunate to have someone with all the ingredients to make themselves great, but won't.

You can model excellence for them and try to motivate them to rise to their potential by letting them know just what they've got going for themselves and how others too will benefit by their excelling. But first sit them down and find out if there's some identifiable reason why they are not excelling. If that reason can be addressed, work with them; however, if the answer you get really is that they don't want for themselves what you think they should become, then leave it be. They may change their mind at some point in the future, but for now you'll have your answer.

I had a buddy from my old unit who I nicknamed "Future 1SG", because he had the bearing, the soldiering skills, intelligence & education--and he knew this about himself--but he simply wasn't looking move into leadership. He was happy as a Specialist and when his contract was up, he moved on to the next chapter in his life. He would have been an asset to Uncle Sam, but only if he wanted the same.

Good luck.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 5 at 2019 9:52 AM

2019-12-05T09:52:25-05:00

Give them responsibility, such as a task requiring they lead others. If they fall short, correct and repeat. If they succeed, recognize it and tell them. They might realize unknown potential through leadership.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Dec 5 at 2019 10:16 AM

2019-12-05T10:16:28-05:00

Has it not occured to you that perhaps this individual is living precisely the life they want to be living? For some, the military is important. For others, it's just something they're putting up with for other reasons, finances, college, etc...
Talk to him. See what their goals are help them accomplish THEIR goals. Not just yours.
If you try too hard to fit a 19 inch square into a 2 inch round hole, you'll likely end up having to clean up a lot of broken off pieces.

Response by SPC Stewart Smith made Dec 5 at 2019 3:05 PM

2019-12-05T15:05:45-05:00

Talk to him/her. Open a dialect and be open and honest. Perhaps he/she just wants to finish their contract and get out to pursue a career that pays what they are worth. Maybe they are doing college classes and don't want to be bothered with the extra responsibility that comes with "doing more". The very first step would be to talk to the individual and express how you feel. You can't force them to be something they don't want. If they want to hit the average mark then they want to hit the average mark.
Do not single them out and require more from them. That's just plain wrong and can foster a negative attitude, especially in someone with higher intelligence(<---psychology, not just my opinion)

Response by SFC Christopher Taggart made Dec 5 at 2019 9:26 PM

2019-12-05T21:26:30-05:00

I say don't worry about it. There are two types of people, Leaders and Followers. Those people that you see as "slackers" are probably Followers and Supporters. A Leader is as good as his/her followers...otherwise YOU are on your own...good luck with that one.

Response by Sgt Dale Briggs made Dec 9 at 2019 7:25 PM

2019-12-09T19:25:42-05:00

I’d let it be, that kinda guys dies at E5 at best and he’s out, a better bet is to focus on guys who want more. To be honest that was me, I made E5 in 31/2 years and I was ready to get out, sometimes guys aren’t made for more than 4 years. I couldn’t envision ever making Staff.