Posted on May 25, 2021
What are some effective methods to avoid wasting your soldiers' time as a platoon leader?
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In a worst case scenario, some examples of what I want avoid are 4+ formations a day, hours long gaps in the schedule and 2 hour long breaks after PT in the moring, and last second changes. This has a demoralizing effect on soldiers. Sometimes there is a lack of purpose, direction, and motivation from leadership, who react to everything last second, rather than planning in advance with a schedule known more than one day in advance. This type of leadership comes across like crisis management, and it is very hard to effectively plan ahead as a PL under such circumstances.
Platoon Leader
Leadership
Time Management
Leadership Development
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 34
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Sir - there is very little that you will have control over once you hit your unit. Many things that waste Soldiers time come down from Battalion or Brigade, and your Company Commanders/XO's/1SG's are reacting to taskings and last minute shit themselves.
The best advice I can give you is this - May you have the strength to change the things you can change, the intelligence to discern what you cannot change, and the wisdom to tell the difference between the two.
The best advice I can give you is this - May you have the strength to change the things you can change, the intelligence to discern what you cannot change, and the wisdom to tell the difference between the two.
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SSG Robert Perrotto
2LT Brian L. - Yeah - but I have also seen the beast that is higher command eat young LT's who could not tell what they could fight and what they would get steamrolled over. Decent NCO's will have hip pocket/concurrent training contingencies, and the training calendar is posted at least 90 days in advance so event focused training can occur as field time and other deadlines approach.
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1LT (Join to see)
Thank you SSG Robert Perrotto. I'll remember your advice in the future. It is not wise to pick battles that are unwinnable. At times a better approach may be in order to go with the flow and simply plan to mitigate the issue.
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SGT Charles Bartell
In some cases, The 1SG is just a dick and use's this to screw with the troops.
The fact is most of us have had one or two of them.
But most of the time like SSG Perrotto said. It is last minute jump thru your but for some one else that did not plain things out.
The fact is most of us have had one or two of them.
But most of the time like SSG Perrotto said. It is last minute jump thru your but for some one else that did not plain things out.
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You as the PL don't have a lot of effect on their daily schedule but you do have the ability to negatively effect it. Don't try to fill all the white space on the training calendar. Don't issue tasks at the end of the day. We know it's only because you're getting tasked at 1600, but you need to push back when possible in situations where it's not critical. Ensure the Squad leaders and Team leaders are pushing down the information to the lowest level by performing spot checks and brief backs with the lowest personnel. You'd be surprised how often the bottom private has no clue what's going on or why and that can be frustrating
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1LT (Join to see)
Thank you SFC (Join to see). My intent with white space is to keep soldiers positively abd productively engaged with something meaningful, rather than to make them board with mindless busy work or waiting around endlessly. If there is away to get soldiers a bit of extr time with their families if all essential tasks are finished I support that. For an extra leftover day on the training calendar I plan on proposing to the CO teambuilding events such as paintballing.
Heard and acknowledged on ensuring effective dissemination of information.
Heard and acknowledged on ensuring effective dissemination of information.
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SFC (Join to see)
1LT (Join to see) one of the biggest gripes you'll hear from senior NCOs is that some leader above is always trying to fill every inch of white space. White space gives flexibility to Soldiers and your teams. It gives space for appointments and personal matters and when you fill it up it makes Soldiers feel burned out and it makes them feel like their time is being filled with busy work. I definitely support some team building events like paint ball though
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Congratulations, you are a first line leader! You need to decide how your unit gets the work done and to what standard. Listen to your NCOs but know you are the standard keeper and must hold your yourself, your NCO leadership and your soldiers to the same standards. Getting the work done while having a great attitude and setting a leadership tone for this type of environment is critical. God Speed.
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1LT (Join to see)
Thank you sir! One of my main goals as a leader is to provide a positive climate in which my soldiers work together as a team, rather than propogate a toxic environment with individuals and cliques fighting for favors or promotions. I want to be seen as the PL that cares for their soldiers and not be the LT that everyone dreads to see walking into the motor pool.
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