Category: Uncategorized

Some good advice for Commanding Officers counseling their Junior Officers

“I continue to be amazed by the number of junior officers who do not receive counseling on their career and performance. That is one of your most important responsibilities. Explain the fitness report and its im­portance in an officer’s assignment and promotion. Give them some insight into various assignments, the importance of a “service reputation” and taking advantage of opportunities. Make sure no officer is surprised by their fitness report. They should know where they stand, all the time. And, I expect total honesty in how we evaluate our people – we simply must be more effective in this area.”

Jim McFarland
Rear Admiral 
Commander, Naval Security Group Command

CRYPTOLOGIC OFFICER NEWSGRAM 1-87

The  nice thing about this is that the problem was solved in 1987 and we no longer have to worry about these issues.  I have been told that all officer counseling: (1) is done on time, (2) provides insight into various assignments, (3) explains “service reputation, (4) is totally honest and (5) includes no surprises.

Ages old problem

Remember that officers are people, just as the men and civilians are people.  Among their numbers will be reflected to some degree, the weaknesses, as well as strengths, of the general public.  But officers are most carefully selected before they are appointed.  As a group, they should be FAR better than a cross-section of American citizens.  We are well advised to remember that fact.

Some of the faults of these officers received prominence.  We should candidly admit these faults.  Unfortunately a few officers abused their positions, regarding their commissions as a means to personal gain and not as a means of greater service.  Some were greatly inefficient.  During the Navy’s expansion, the selection process could not be airtight.  Unduly rapid promotions placed some officers in positions of responsibility beyond their capabilities.  Some were lazy and indifferent.  The sum of such individuals would be a very small percentage of the many thousands of officers in the Navy.  But the effects are serious and fine officers have suffered in the eyes of the general public.

THE NAVAL OFFICERS MANUAL
1951

Second Commanding Officer Fired in 2013

Rear Admiral Rick Breckenridge, Commander, Submarine Group TWO, fired Commander Luis Molina, commanding officer of USS PASADENA (SSN 752) on January 25, 2013 due to “loss of confidence in executing his duties as the submarine’s commanding officer.”
The admiral said, “I have lost confidence in Commander Molina’s ability to effectively lead USS Pasadena through its maintenance overhaul.”

More advice from JOs from a ‘seasoned’ Navy Captain with more than a few years at sea

The worst two chains of command (or leadership interactions if you will) I have had were AFTER my command tour. In both cases there was enough blame to go around – on my end on theirs – but I ended up in the “senior has the personality” realm because I was junior.

The basic takeaways as I look back are these:

1. Don’t assume your senior sees everything you are doing.
2. Don’t assume your junior knows your rule set or boundaries.
3. Early, early, early and non-confrontational discussions can solve most problems before they are a real problem.
4. If a senior lets something slide once, the junior should not expect all is forgiven and forgotten.

Anyway, DHs need to give guidance early, and positively if they way to have an impact. NEVER assume that a DivO knows what the rules are, what to do, or how to do it. Don’t assume they are idiots either. Find the middle ground, that’s your job as a leader. If you can’t hit the right note with that DivO, talk to his peers and see if they can help. Either by helping you understand, or by translating to that DivO.

DivOs need to look, listen, read, and learn. And ask questions. Lots of questions. And know what the books say. And not be afraid to say to their DH “but…” even when the DH tries to crap all over them.

DivOs, if your DH is one of those “crap down and forget” types, go find another DH as a mentor that you can talk to. NOT another division officer, no matter how salty that LDO may seem. Another DH.

Today matters

Some questions for Today from John Maxwell:

  1. Is your attitude a plus or minus?
  2. Are your priorities keeping you focused?
  3. Is your health enabling you to succeed?
  4. Does your family situation provide support?
  5. Is your thinking more mature and productive?
  6. Have your commitments been kept?
  7. Have your financial decisions been solid?
  8. Has your faith been active?
  9. Are your relationships being strengthened?
  10. Has your generosity added value to others?
  11. Are your values giving you direction?
  12. Is your growth making you better?

How you answer these questions today allows you to plan a more successful tomorrow.

‘Taking’ versus ‘accepting’ responsibility

Excuses for failure or negligence are always unacceptable. Officers should take responsibility for their failures and not depend on alibis. If at fault, they should readily accept blame and the consequences.
Bootlicking, a deliberate courting of a senior’s favor, is uniformly despised in the Navy. Seniors may temporarily mistake such tactics for a sincere desire to please and to do a good job. However, through long experience with such behavior, they in time recognize this false sincerity. However, junior officers must make a genuine effort to be friendly and cooperative to succeed.
Officers with a continued willingness to undertake any task assigned and perform it cheerfully and efficiently eventually gain a reputation for dependability. They also ensure their professional acceptance by fellow officers. Continued complaining has the opposite effect. The satisfaction of having done a good job should be sufficient reward in itself. The junior officer should not report each personal or divisional accomplishment to the senior officer.

National Handwriting Day

Today, 23 January 2013 is National Handwriting Day.  This day is meant to honor the birthday of John Hancock.  John Hancock, as nearly everyone knows, possesses one of the most famous signatures on the Declaration of Independence.  His signature is the original john hancock.  This day is also meant to highlight the notion that hand writing nearly anything is a lost art.  
Years from now, people will wonder who John Hancock was and will only be able to imagine the skill involved in hand writing anything at all.  

Now I am beginning to understand

Hypengyophobia or Hypegiaphobia – Fear of responsibility 
Hypengyophobia is an overwhelming, irrational fear of assuming responsibility. This person is usually self-indulgent, neglecting all responsibilities, at the expense of others. Some individuals coping with this phobia simply refuse to accept responsibility for anything and blame others when their failure to take responsibility leads to mistakes.
This phrase derives from the Greek hypengyos, meaning responsible and phobos meaning fear. 

What Causes Hypengyophobia? 
An individual suffering from hypengyophobia may have taken responsibility previously and failed. In that failure there may have been severely unfavorable consequences. This person may experience anxiety and emotional turmoil that is very disruptive to their ability to function at any professional level. 

What Are the Symptoms of Hypengyophobia? 
The signs of Hypengyophobia vary greatly from person to person. Some people, when confronted with responsibility, may begin to perspire, feel increasingly uncomfortable and may actually develop into nausea. Other individuals may be so severely compromised by this phobia, that they might experience crippling nervousness and/or panic attacks. 

Your command is in a serious jam if your Commanding Officer or Executive Officer are suffering from this malady.