What are some challenges you see among Company Grade Officers?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 May 2015 09:09:02 -0400

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2015 9:19 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 May 2015 09:19:32 -0400

My biggest challenge thus far has been counseling and mentoring. Most Officers have strayed from the practices of actual mentoring and providing guidance to junior officers. Officers should be counseled every quarter just as NCOs are. As a developing Officer, mentorship is cruicial and most often sought out but our Senior leaders, too often, don't have the "time" to just talk and help young Officers grow in the right direction.

Response by COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM made May 14 at 2015 9:18 AM

COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM — Thu, 14 May 2015 09:18:58 -0400

A few challenges that I am seeing:
- Company commanders have about 550 days of requirements to fit into a 365 day year (numbers pretty close to reality). Therefore company grades need to know how to assess requirements, mitigate risk, and prioritize. Most do not know how and try to do everything.
- How to plan, prepare, execute and assess training. Most company grade officers have not had to do this and don't know how. Many try to do in garrison what they did in combat (figure it out each day). Recommend open up and study the training doctrine.
- COIN vs high intensity conflict. The Army is moving towards re establishing our high intensity conflict competency. Many second and third order implications of this but bottom line is that company grade officers are not trained, educated, or experienced in this. Recommend talk with mentors or gray beards on this.
- MDMP vs check list. Most company grade officers can execute a check list well since this is what they did in combat but many do not understand and can not properly execute MDMP to solve complex problems they have not seen before.
- The above are not meant to be indictments of a generation but rather an assessment of gaps that I am seeing as the US Army Engineer School Director of Training and Leader Development.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made May 14 at 2015 9:26 AM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Thu, 14 May 2015 09:26:00 -0400

Great question!

I actually heard the following during a podcast a while back. Most people are only able to maintain about 100~ actual relationships total. That's business, family etc. Any more than that, and it's just too many. Our brains just aren't wired for it. So... how many people are in a Company? About 100. Add in the BN Staff, add in your personal relationships. And you are running 50-100% "over capacity." A

Sounds crazy right?

But think about your time as a Lt. You've got 40~ folks, plus peers, plus family & friends. You were probably at 85-100% capacity. Which, not to equate humans to machines, we're able to do all day long. Bursting above that isn't too hard, but go too high for too long, and you just can't keep up. That's why the command structure works as well as it does.

Now, why do I bring this up? It's a "social stressor." The transition from the PLT to CO level interactions is a hard shift, as people have to make that mental adjustment. It's a challenge. You can't keep the same level of interactions, or relationship. It's like a harddrive that just gets too full. You can't access all the bits anymore.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2015 11:02 AM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 May 2015 11:02:17 -0400

There are several issues I have seen among CG officers, most of which are fairly easy to rectify.

1. Many CG officers seem to be unwilling to push back against directions from higher that are counter productive. While I fully understand that we reach the decision point you shut up, salute and execute, everything before that is fair game to let your point be known. This is not to say that CG officers should whine about things that they don't think make sense, but present a valid argument with supporting facts and try to influence the commander. Many I divide also I have worked with are too afraid to rock the boat or be the lone dissenter, to the detriment of their Soldiers.

2. Mentorship! CG officers should actively develop those under the command as well as seek out their own mentorship. The Commander who doesn't counsel and develop their subordinates is doing a disservice to their branch and their subordinates. Additionally, there is always something more to learn, so don't rest on your laurels just because you're the company boss.

3. Delegation. As a Commander there are far too many requirements to be able to be able to do them all. Delegate, follow up, and either reward/punish those who take one those tasks. We cannot be a zero defect organization, your subordinates need to be pushed out of their comfort zone in order to develop.

Just my 2 cents, take it as you will.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2015 11:14 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 May 2015 11:14:13 -0400

Do your job, not everyone else's. Know when to task others. There is no reason that someone should be overworked and have their platoon leaders or squad leaders just sitting around.

Make a decision and go with it. Admit it if you are wrong and adjust the plan.

Do not suck up. Do your job. Take care of your Soldiers. That is your mission. Take the heat rounds and pass the praise to your troops.

Lastly, you can learn from everyone regardless of rank. Yes even that brand new Soldier or LT.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2015 12:25 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 May 2015 12:25:26 -0400

Learning to think outside the box when it comes to training.
I wish that my CO'S would stop just checking the box on things like land nav, team and squad stx, etc. Who has done a combat patrol where the orp was a picket with a 12" white and orange box on it? Be creative, have a cumulative event at the end of a training cycle that challenges your soldiers to use the skills they learned!

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made May 14 at 2015 5:53 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Thu, 14 May 2015 17:53:08 -0400

Having to report you put 100 lbs of crap in a 50 lbs bag in a non defect battalion.

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Mar 10 at 2016 5:11 PM

CPT Pedro Meza — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 17:11:20 -0500

Lack of common sense, failure to delegate, and micro-managing their NCOs, this challenges are caused by fear and lack of experience as leaders.