Ray,  for me it started with OPD, then an NCODP.  I needed to create the space for NCOs and Officers to agree to allow I intend to…..  I saw this as a key first step.

During my final OPD on Leader-Leader model we conducted a pre-mortem.  In a pre-mortem you assume whatever you tried failed.  You then list the reasons why it failed.  Its a great…[Read more]

Ness,

Great question and the eternal bane of being an M-day leader in the reserves.  My solution has been this:

1)  Create an understanding and expectation that as officers and leaders we are expected to do “homework” in order to be successful.  Leadership doesn’t end with final formation.  Therefore, as a staff officer we expect you to com…[Read more]

@vmabshire I have a couple of great answer gather from other Reserve Compo Professionals.

Please bared with me as I post each answer…there is great information in all, hope it helps!

1. Is the whole BN being stood up? The BDE should be putting people on ADOS- or TPU’s from the BN- to do this. There is a unit in my building being stood up…[Read more]

Ness, I feel you on this one. I just assessed to USAR as an AGR and have struggled at this. A couple of thoughts right off the bat:

1. Geography matters. How close are you to a USAR Mission Training Complex or to your assigned 1st Army partner brigade?  Both can be leveraged to provide some mentors to facilitate MDMP during your BA weekends.…[Read more]

Immediacy of recognition is important. I couldn’t agree more with the sentiments in Chapter 24.

I don’t even know if I would call these “rewards” but rather, necessary actions a leader needs to take to promote a positive work environment, strong team culture, and an environment where employees know their time is appreciated. I know I am much…[Read more]

A great article I read recently on the transition to becoming a field grade officer (I need to find the link and post it) posed a thought I love. ALWAYS give credit where it is due. I try to do this in everything- especially because my staff are the SMEs in the products we deliver. If I am ever speaking about a project/product we are submitting, I…[Read more]

http://www.asamra.army.mil/cwt/career.html

Now I’m learning too! Apparently the “53” applies to the Medical DA Civilians. But that site shows what other “series” are available.

Lead honestly, with integrity, and always find the “Joy” in work. Love on your people and don’t ever forget to thank them. These are my guiding principles in a nutshell and they tend to get me on the right azimuth anytime I am stressed out and need to be centered. I love Chapter 22 for the principles Marquet is bringing to the forefront. Playing…[Read more]

Ray, do civilians outside of MEDCOM get access to CP53 courses? I can’t remember when this program started but we have sent a few of our civilians on these TDYs and they love them! AND they’re centrally funded for us. I’ve even had our employees incorporate ones they want to go to in their annual IDPs.

I love the idea of shifting “responsibility” from the briefer to the participants. We have tried to incorporate this practice more at the hospital in order to teach and mentor our practice managers better. We found out after restructuring the administrative support staff in our organization that the majority of people attending briefings do not…[Read more]

Who is the next person to leave in your organization?

I have to catch up in the book but I wanted to chime in on a relevant discussion that I’ll be bringing to the rendezvous. Our military and civilian physicians are leaving in droves. The Defense Health Agency has brought a lot of fear, anxiety, and changes to our healthcare system and a lot of…[Read more]

Where can you personally learn in your organization right now?

My “organization” looks a bit different right now since I am in graduate studies. What’s been a great learning experience for me has been encountering many of my peers who are on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.  I had not encountered many diverse gender identities or sexual expressions in…[Read more]

For JOs, Readiness means Availability (of equipment, personnel).

-property, load plans, assigned to user, common sets, kits configured for EDRE/fight tonite.

-Cross-training, licensing, cohesive crews, able to support any mission under any condition

-organization, trackers, streamlined designed to buy time, reduce ankle-biters.

MOST IMPORTANT:…[Read more]

Regardless of your branch, every officer is first and foremost a logistician: you manage time, people, and resources. Readiness is about maximizing the management of all three.

Understand there’s a difference between readiness and responsiveness. When alerted, your focus as an officer becomes all about responsiveness. You as a company-grade…[Read more]

• Where can you set the example of “thinking out loud”?

You can set an example of “thinking out loud” by being transparent with your staff. When you are putting out guidance or instruction, gage who may benefit from your explanation of how you got to that decision. Example: I had to do an info paper on a topic relevant to our department data…[Read more]

• Do you act first and think later? Or do you think first and then change your actions?

I have learned over the years to take my time with decision making (as much as time will allow). Decisions in my field tend to be pretty complex and proper analysis needs to be done to determine the best course of action. Much of my life over the past year…[Read more]

— How do you recognize situations where you need to resist the urge to provide solutions?
I work closely with the CPT who took my previous job from me. There are a handful of people in the facility who come to me with questions pertaining to his job- because they know I’ll know the answer. I used to answer these questions for them because I love…[Read more]

“Discomfort with uncertainty” – that’s exactly what I was going to say. I may take control of a situation because I am nervous about the outcome. It could be because it’s a project that my boss has shown interest in so I’m on edge about the final product looking good.

I love how these chapters paint a picture that a leader having too much control…[Read more]

Is there a topic of discussion here? Happy to weigh in since I have worked with and supervised far more civilians than soldiers 🙂