Morale
Morale
10
10
0
The answer is obviously never. When the Soldier in question is an NCO, its is equally important. Today, I had an NCO, the only female Soldier in my PLT, tell me she had no trust in the unit because of past leader actions. I'm a new PL, but I had spent the last 24+ hours trying to accommodate to her situation (CQ, BH, training requirements) in light of the mission in a way that I felt was reasonable. I was met with attitude, apathy, and strong elements of insubordination. COVID, the overall mission, and a shortage of NCOs have introduced more complex variables than I have never encountered. However, I was dumbfounded by an NCO that could not grasp her duty.
She was scheduled for a 24 CQ shift. She also was part of a crew that needed to certify in the next couple weeks, and her crew had not had time to train properly. I suggested she train during the day she had CQ. My plan was for her to train during the day with a 5 hour break before she would resume CQ, and this was unacceptable to her. We found a compromise where she would go train for 1 HOUR, but she still told us she did not trust us because we "put the mission before Soldiers." This was a smack in the face given my efforts to disagree with other NCOs, me trying to consider all elements of the situations.
Any thoughts? Questions are also welcome.
She was scheduled for a 24 CQ shift. She also was part of a crew that needed to certify in the next couple weeks, and her crew had not had time to train properly. I suggested she train during the day she had CQ. My plan was for her to train during the day with a 5 hour break before she would resume CQ, and this was unacceptable to her. We found a compromise where she would go train for 1 HOUR, but she still told us she did not trust us because we "put the mission before Soldiers." This was a smack in the face given my efforts to disagree with other NCOs, me trying to consider all elements of the situations.
Any thoughts? Questions are also welcome.
Leadership
NCOs
Air Defense
Morale
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 36
24
24
0
When do you give up on a Soldier? The answer is certainly not "never".
In short, when one Soldier is consuming their respective leaderships time and attention to the point that the rest of the Soldiers in that leaderships charge is being neglected, it's time to consider chaptering that Soldier.
The old adage of "ten percent of our Soldiers occupying 90% of our time" is a well intentioned, but flawed thing to accept.
All Soldiers are entitled to leadership, mentorship and guidance. Not just our problem children. When one member of the unit is causing the rest of the units morale and readiness to decline by making the leadership absentee parents to the rest of the unit, it's time to go.
It's not abandonment. All the attention and wishful thinking in the world will not turn a cancer into a kidney or liver.
The unit deserves leadership that will remove cancer instead of allowing it to metastasize.
In short, when one Soldier is consuming their respective leaderships time and attention to the point that the rest of the Soldiers in that leaderships charge is being neglected, it's time to consider chaptering that Soldier.
The old adage of "ten percent of our Soldiers occupying 90% of our time" is a well intentioned, but flawed thing to accept.
All Soldiers are entitled to leadership, mentorship and guidance. Not just our problem children. When one member of the unit is causing the rest of the units morale and readiness to decline by making the leadership absentee parents to the rest of the unit, it's time to go.
It's not abandonment. All the attention and wishful thinking in the world will not turn a cancer into a kidney or liver.
The unit deserves leadership that will remove cancer instead of allowing it to metastasize.
(24)
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12
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Do not accommodate. Down that path lies heartache. You let your subordinates know that you are not your predecessor and do not expect to be judged on the actions of your predecessor any more than you would judge them by the actions of your other subordinates. I would say that would be the extent of explaining of your actions you need to do. Hold them to standards fairly and firmly. Tell her that you do put the mission before soldiers because that is how the military works and remind her she is there to serve, not to be served. There is no requirement that they like this arrangement, only that they acknowledge it and conform to the standards why still under obligation of service. They are not required to reenlist at the end of their contract, but they are under contract.
It is said God helps those that help themselves, and you are not God, so don't set a higher standard for yourself, nor for this individual.
It is said God helps those that help themselves, and you are not God, so don't set a higher standard for yourself, nor for this individual.
(12)
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10
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The Army doesn't run on cliches and motivation, that stops working after Basic. The Army runs on reality and finite resources. The most finite resource of those is time, you cannot allow one Soldier to absorb all the time that other Soldiers deserve and need.
(10)
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