Category: Uncategorized

25th Navy Commanding Officer Fired

Captain Sean McDonell, CO Naval Mobile Construction Battalion FOURTEEN, was fired by Captain Roger Motzko, Commodore, 3rd Naval Construction Regiment (NCR).  Captain McDonell was fired due to “loss of confidence in his ability to command”.

According to NAVYNEWS, Captain McDonell was relieved because of mismanagement and major program deficiencies.

Captain McDonell is the 25th Navy Commanding Officer fired in 2012.

MCPON "zeroing in on excellence"

At our Leadership Mess Symposium in September, I mentioned that my refrain as MCPON will be Zeroing in on Excellence.  For me, that is about solidifying our lines of operation with three fundamental focus areas:

  • Developing Leaders
  • Good Order and Discipline
  • Controlling What We Own

Zeroing in on Excellence is a universal theme we can all apply in our respective positions.  It does not distract from or add to existing individual roles and responsibilities – it provides a sturdy framework around which we can build sound, durable readiness.  Each of you has your own professional obligations, and your sustained success in meeting them is a large reason our Navy is the world’s preeminent maritime force.  I simply ask that as you carry out the business of leading Sailors, you do so not only with energy aimed at accomplishing a stand-alone task but also at building an environment where our entire organization gets stronger.

MCPON Mike Stevens

Check out the MCPON’s post on the Official Blog of the United States Navy HERE.

RDML Jan E. Tighe to head the Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, California

Secretary of the Navy has appointed RDML Jan E. Tighe serve as interim NPS school president, and O. Douglas Moses, the current vice provost of academic affairs, will serve as the acting provost. SECNAV also has created a working group that will implement the recommendations in the IG report.

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Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has fired the top two administrators of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., for mismanagement and fostering an atmosphere of defying Navy rules and regulations.
The firings of the school’s president and provost come after an investigation by the Navy’s inspector general. It found that the president, Daniel Oliver, failed to comply with federal and naval regulations, circumvented federal hiring authorities and inappropriately accepted gifts from a private foundation that supports the school.

The investigation also found that the provost, Leonard Ferrari, did not comply with Navy regulations and accepted gifts from the foundation.

“Navy inspection and investigations into management practices at the prestigious school determined that the school’s leadership fostered an ‘atmosphere of defiance of statutory requirements and Department of the Navy rules and regulations’”.

You gotta have a plan

In the Navy’s Command Excellence study, superior commands were distinguished from others in part by several of the following planning characteristics:

  • Planning is a regularly scheduled activity. Besides planning for special events, planning may be scheduled weekly for tracking progress toward goals. 
  • Planning occurs at all levels. Commands, departments, divisions, and work centers plan.
  • Planning is long range. A work center may have a monthly long-range planning meeting in addition to weekly short-range operational planning sessions.
  • Plans are specific. Plans are documented with milestone charts and a matrix showing who is responsible and when tasks are due.
  • Plans are publicized. Plans are not the private information of leaders but are published in the Plan of the Day (POD), posted on bulkheads, and explained at quarters.
  • Systems are put in place to implement plans. Routine tasks and operations are standardized with someone in charge of the process.
  • The Command makes every effort to stick to the plan. Plans are taken seriously. Though circumstances may require it to change, considerable effort is put into abiding by the plan.

We teach this to 3rd Class Petty Officers yet many seniors don’t understand it

As a leader in any organization, understanding the basic theories of motivation and how they relate to performance is a valuable asset. The more you understand your own needs, the better chance you have of recognizing the needs of your peers, seniors, and subordinates. 
Knowing how individual needs influence attitudes, behaviors, and performance, and using that knowledge, will increase your ability to influence others and enable you to be a more effective leader. 
As a Navy leader, you must focus on motivating your subordinates to maintain the standards required in naval service. 
From NAVEDTRA 38201 – Petty Officer Indoctrination Course.