Final Friday with the old commander, which means a final crud game. Crud is essentially full contact pool played in teams without the pool on a snooker table. I outweight everyone else in the game by at least 20 lbs, so I like this game. Now this is really the first time I've seen the commander since my deployment idea was shot down, and I want to say I'm over it, but i still took it a little personnal. So all the things that happened, like her showing up an hour late to the going away crud game that she scheduled, I just took as yet another sign that I was right and she was wrong. Real mature I know, but what can i say, I tried to put my filter on, and I just couldn't manage it.
It put an interesting spin on things in my mind though. I'm sure I've pissed people off before. Maybe not to the same degree, but upset none the less. Whats the best way to resolve that kind of conflict? What do I want in this situation? What should i do in this situation?
Ultimately, it all comes down to pulling the person aside and talking to them. Without any open sincere communication, people are going to take things like this personally, when it really and truely is not a personal decision. Even though you don't want to, and even though it may be awkward and uncomfortable, you got to pull people aside and give them a chance to vent.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
17 July - entry 1
Today was fairly uneventful. I met with the A1C and the SMSgt about writing a strong package to help the A1C get promoted early. She's an outstanding troop, all she needs is just a little more volunteer/community service and she would absolutely cream the competition. I like some of the troops she's competing against, but in this scenario, this is my troop, and really the goal is to absolutely demolish everyone else's packages with this bright shinning example of pure Air Force goodness.
Yeah, we actually get that serious and competative over paperwork...
Aside from that, its really just been some housecleaning items trying to get my shop in order for the new commander. I ordered a few items to boost up the office morale. First is a set of dualing helicopters. They have lasers which you shoot at the other helicopter, and two hits make it go down. Additionally, I finally got the USB rocket launcher. You connect it through a USB port to your computer, then presto, you have a nerf gun which you can control and fire from your computer. I figure the games are a decent way to blow off some steam and build team unity as we perfect the targeting system so we can hit anyone who enters our office right in the forehead.
Yeah, we actually get that serious and competative over paperwork...
Aside from that, its really just been some housecleaning items trying to get my shop in order for the new commander. I ordered a few items to boost up the office morale. First is a set of dualing helicopters. They have lasers which you shoot at the other helicopter, and two hits make it go down. Additionally, I finally got the USB rocket launcher. You connect it through a USB port to your computer, then presto, you have a nerf gun which you can control and fire from your computer. I figure the games are a decent way to blow off some steam and build team unity as we perfect the targeting system so we can hit anyone who enters our office right in the forehead.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
16 July - entry 1
I'm not in the best of moods as i write this one, so lets see how constructive i can make this and what lessons i can learn. I prepared all the info i needed to apply for the year long deployment. I talk to the acting squadron commander to arrange to get the real squadron commander's approval, and I get completely shut down by the squadron commander. The reasoning given to me is that the knowledge i possess and continuity i provide will be helpful in an inspection that is comming in march 2009. I tried to point out that the continuity and knowledge required already exsists within the squadron, but the only response i got was aggrivation for even bringing up and trying to argue the issue.
This was devistating news for me. I really wanted that job. It looked like an amazing opportunity for me personnally, and I'm being told i can't go for it because an inspection 9 months down the road is more important than helping fight and win the war on terror. Luckily for me, i didn't get the opportunity to make that point before i was hung up on.
So what lessons can I learn from what I'm feeling right now.
1- recognize and reward your hard workers - yes, they are vital to the operations and health of your unit, but they also have a career ahead of them. Lift them up, promote them, and it will boost the morale of your unit and set a positive example for others to follow
2- breathe - yes, frustrating things happen to you, breathe, and take a second before dealing with your subordinates. Don't take out your frustration with unrelated issues on your people
3- recognize your superiors authority - This happened almost 12 hours ago and I'm still absolutely livid. However, when my troops asked me about the outcome, i simply said that the commander did not support my wishes for the deployment. I didn't go into how i felt, i didn't try to tear her authority down, i simply submitted to her judgement. She's the commander, she's earned the right to make these decisions, and there are things here that i probably can't see from where I'm at.
This was devistating news for me. I really wanted that job. It looked like an amazing opportunity for me personnally, and I'm being told i can't go for it because an inspection 9 months down the road is more important than helping fight and win the war on terror. Luckily for me, i didn't get the opportunity to make that point before i was hung up on.
So what lessons can I learn from what I'm feeling right now.
1- recognize and reward your hard workers - yes, they are vital to the operations and health of your unit, but they also have a career ahead of them. Lift them up, promote them, and it will boost the morale of your unit and set a positive example for others to follow
2- breathe - yes, frustrating things happen to you, breathe, and take a second before dealing with your subordinates. Don't take out your frustration with unrelated issues on your people
3- recognize your superiors authority - This happened almost 12 hours ago and I'm still absolutely livid. However, when my troops asked me about the outcome, i simply said that the commander did not support my wishes for the deployment. I didn't go into how i felt, i didn't try to tear her authority down, i simply submitted to her judgement. She's the commander, she's earned the right to make these decisions, and there are things here that i probably can't see from where I'm at.
15 July - entry 1
Today was more or less a rollercoaster. I didn't have the chance to really pull my shop on board with the database expansion idea because i spent so much of the day putting out fires and trying to take care of my personal career path. A year long deployment opportunity came up with a short suspense to apply on, and i decided to hop on the offer. So I spent a good portion of my time just trying to get info about the deployment. Yes, i do feel bad in retrospect because i should have been focusing on bringing this great new idea to my shop, but at the same time, I'm excited, I'm bringing a new level of energy to the workplace, and I'm really promoting the operational side of what we do. That and also it's a really neat job. Being undermanned as my shop is, i was able to leave the TSgt and the Amn alone to their jobs and was confident that everything would run smoothly for their areas. Of course the area with no coverage slacked a little because i'm the only one who knows how to maintain it.
A coworker of mine is experiencing the stress of not only having his boss gone, but an additional 50% of his mid level leadership gone as well. This guy is exceptionally good at taking up the slack, but I know that he's just frazzled after the end of the day so I do the neighborly gesture and offer to take him out for dinner after work. He needed the release and it was a good time. It drives home a good point though, you need to praise openly for subordinates who do a good job, and also give them an opportunity to vent their frustrations in private.
I think I'm doing a good job of letting my troops vent their concerns. My main concern is that there are some things, like the manning issue, that I can't control. I can only try to split up our current workload more equitibly in order to lessen the burden on single members. I just worry that while its ok to complain about things you can fix, things that can be changed, and that complaining and seeing constructive actions take place as a result is a good thing, complaining about things you can't fix only breeds a hostile environment.
A coworker of mine is experiencing the stress of not only having his boss gone, but an additional 50% of his mid level leadership gone as well. This guy is exceptionally good at taking up the slack, but I know that he's just frazzled after the end of the day so I do the neighborly gesture and offer to take him out for dinner after work. He needed the release and it was a good time. It drives home a good point though, you need to praise openly for subordinates who do a good job, and also give them an opportunity to vent their frustrations in private.
I think I'm doing a good job of letting my troops vent their concerns. My main concern is that there are some things, like the manning issue, that I can't control. I can only try to split up our current workload more equitibly in order to lessen the burden on single members. I just worry that while its ok to complain about things you can fix, things that can be changed, and that complaining and seeing constructive actions take place as a result is a good thing, complaining about things you can't fix only breeds a hostile environment.
Monday, July 14, 2008
July 14 - entry 1
So, it started as a small spark. A kinda, "gee, wouldn't that be nice" momentary thought, which throughout the day turned into an obsession. My office collects alot of data. Training numbers, personnel info, deployment data, all sorts of numbers and dates and stats. A while back I came up with the idea of marrying the personnel info i had, such as name and workcenter with the training data i had, in order to give not only the most accurate training numbers i could possibly obtain, but also give them in 1/10th of the time it would have normally took. That idea i was able to realize, and have been using that product for almost a year. Now I've spent those off moments throughout my day thinking of new ways to expand the database I've already created, dreaming of smooth interfaces, and flawless data migration. New and exciting ways of crunching numbers.
I haven't broken this plan to my people yet. I'm still in the "what can i do with this?" phase. But If i can get them as excited as I've been all day about this idea, then i just might be able to create something really useful. Thats the plan at least. I know this is a much shorter blog than i ussually write, but all I can really think about right now is how to integrate data from different sources.
I haven't broken this plan to my people yet. I'm still in the "what can i do with this?" phase. But If i can get them as excited as I've been all day about this idea, then i just might be able to create something really useful. Thats the plan at least. I know this is a much shorter blog than i ussually write, but all I can really think about right now is how to integrate data from different sources.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
11 July - entry 1
There were alot of personnel issues to deal with today. Which, in my temporary role as flight commander, kept me running from one end of my buidling to the other in meetings on how to legally deal with everything.
That fun aside, i did have a chance to quality check some work that the Amn had been doing for me. There were errors as expected and i quitely pulled him aside, addressed my issues with attention to detail in his work, and gave him examples of the errors that i had seen and what he needs to correct.
Due to the personnel issues i was having, that brief counseling session was almost the full extent of my workcenter involvement today. Its sad what a huge impact a few bad apples can have, but on the plus side, at least these are a few bad apples that will soon be escorted out of the air force.
Next week is really my last full week to shine up my office and our procedures before the new boss gets in. People joke about it, but the change of command and how abruptly it happens is really the best time to implement changes, and I need to get my changes implemented this week in order for them to pass. Now the real question is what do i need to change.
I think the answer lies in the application of some tech I've been playing around with. Namely consolidating half a dozen personnel spreadsheets that cover preformance reviews, duty status, ect into a single database that can automatically highlight discrepancies. I put something similar into place with the training system, and i think i can expand it to work for personnel as well.
That fun aside, i did have a chance to quality check some work that the Amn had been doing for me. There were errors as expected and i quitely pulled him aside, addressed my issues with attention to detail in his work, and gave him examples of the errors that i had seen and what he needs to correct.
Due to the personnel issues i was having, that brief counseling session was almost the full extent of my workcenter involvement today. Its sad what a huge impact a few bad apples can have, but on the plus side, at least these are a few bad apples that will soon be escorted out of the air force.
Next week is really my last full week to shine up my office and our procedures before the new boss gets in. People joke about it, but the change of command and how abruptly it happens is really the best time to implement changes, and I need to get my changes implemented this week in order for them to pass. Now the real question is what do i need to change.
I think the answer lies in the application of some tech I've been playing around with. Namely consolidating half a dozen personnel spreadsheets that cover preformance reviews, duty status, ect into a single database that can automatically highlight discrepancies. I put something similar into place with the training system, and i think i can expand it to work for personnel as well.
10 July - entry 1
Today was a mixed group interaction day. There's talk about our folks working with the local air national guard on a project, which means there's multiple meetings in which i get to directly observe two groups, both with their own personal objectives and limitations trying to work together to meet a somewhat arbitrary goal. For me, this is incredibly enjoyable. I know just enough of how the tech works to understand the issues and to solutions they're discussing, so I'm not completely lost in that aspect, but what I'm really paying attention to is the personality conflicts that emerge. The most interesting conflict that i saw was between a SSgt telephone troop who works in my flight, and a Chief from the guard. The Chief didn't know the ins and outs of the tech involved, but he thought he did. The SSgt knows the ins and outs of the tech, and is trying to respectfully tell the chief he doesn't know what he's talking about, and then there's a MSgt who works for the Chief who apparently is used to dealing with the Chief's incompetence and is just trying to smooth things over with the SSgt on the side.
That right there is one of the most common problems with my career field. You have a lot of "leaders" who don't have a firm grasp on the tech, making decisions without consulting the folks who know whats going on. Rather than getting over their rank and just asking the techs for ideas, they make bad policy decisions, and then the SNCOs are stuck trying to smooth things over behind the scenes. So you end up with equipment that works, but only because the techs make it work, not due to the policy decisions made by the leaders.
On the flip side of the coin, you have leaders that are trained and required to make these sweeping policy decisions, and who have been conditioned by years of unnecessary subordinate complaints to not listen to their ideas. How do you filter out good information from a sea of petty and uniformed complaints?
Its easy enough at my level because i deal with most of these techs on a day to day basis. I know who's competent, and who's a moron. So whenever i have to write up checklists or review support agreements, I know who to go to in order to get compacted, pertinent, and accurate information.
However, getting off that train of thought, the meetings of today did point out one very imporant truth. God gave you two ears and one mouth and they are to be used in that ratio. Thinking you know better than folks who have their hands on the problem, not only distances you from them, but also leads to incredibly bad calls. Leason learned, swallow your pride and ask the stupid questions.
That right there is one of the most common problems with my career field. You have a lot of "leaders" who don't have a firm grasp on the tech, making decisions without consulting the folks who know whats going on. Rather than getting over their rank and just asking the techs for ideas, they make bad policy decisions, and then the SNCOs are stuck trying to smooth things over behind the scenes. So you end up with equipment that works, but only because the techs make it work, not due to the policy decisions made by the leaders.
On the flip side of the coin, you have leaders that are trained and required to make these sweeping policy decisions, and who have been conditioned by years of unnecessary subordinate complaints to not listen to their ideas. How do you filter out good information from a sea of petty and uniformed complaints?
Its easy enough at my level because i deal with most of these techs on a day to day basis. I know who's competent, and who's a moron. So whenever i have to write up checklists or review support agreements, I know who to go to in order to get compacted, pertinent, and accurate information.
However, getting off that train of thought, the meetings of today did point out one very imporant truth. God gave you two ears and one mouth and they are to be used in that ratio. Thinking you know better than folks who have their hands on the problem, not only distances you from them, but also leads to incredibly bad calls. Leason learned, swallow your pride and ask the stupid questions.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
09 July - entry 1
So I found myself in somewhat of a pleasant predicament today. My temp worker, the Amn, ran out of tasks to do today. Now, he didn't really run out, because there were a few loose ends on tasks I'd already assigned to him that he needed to tie up, but the fact of the matter is that this kid is hungry for things to do and ways to help out, and he's seriously challanging me to look hard at my workcenter to see what little odds and ends haven't been taken care of. I'm trying my best to marry up the tasks that I give him with training that he'll need to receive anyways as an information manager, and I think I've got a new project to throw at him.
His energy though is quite refreshing. It's causing me to raise my level just to make sure I don't lose this kid. It's forcing me to do what i haven't really had the time to do, audit my area, and look ahead for future problems. Another benefit that came from all this is a new idea for how to do the personnel system. I haven't had any new ideas on how to manage this problem in almost 4 months, but from having to explain how we do things to the Amn, and just hearing him ask those simple why questions, its really given me a chance to step back and re-evaluate how we do things. Not only that, but its given me new projects to give to him in the process.
Due to classes and other events tomorrow morning, it looks like it will just be me and the Amn in the office for a few hours. I think I'm going to just take advantage of the time and really pick the kids brain. He's a smart guy, and i have the feeling that if i just talk to him and try to go over the big picture of how we do things in my office, his perspective could give me some new ideas and revamp a few processes. At least very least it will lead to me modifying our database a little.
His energy though is quite refreshing. It's causing me to raise my level just to make sure I don't lose this kid. It's forcing me to do what i haven't really had the time to do, audit my area, and look ahead for future problems. Another benefit that came from all this is a new idea for how to do the personnel system. I haven't had any new ideas on how to manage this problem in almost 4 months, but from having to explain how we do things to the Amn, and just hearing him ask those simple why questions, its really given me a chance to step back and re-evaluate how we do things. Not only that, but its given me new projects to give to him in the process.
Due to classes and other events tomorrow morning, it looks like it will just be me and the Amn in the office for a few hours. I think I'm going to just take advantage of the time and really pick the kids brain. He's a smart guy, and i have the feeling that if i just talk to him and try to go over the big picture of how we do things in my office, his perspective could give me some new ideas and revamp a few processes. At least very least it will lead to me modifying our database a little.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
08 July - entry 1
It's incredible what a difference in leadership styles can make. My boss is still gone, and my boss's boss is away for the week, which means I'm reporting to a recently retired Major. His philosophy is one of constant optimism. He's on a first name basis with every member in the squadron, he'll walk through the hallways with a smile, slap you on the back and ask you how your day is going. I had a really difficult issue to deal with today. One of my troops's father passed away last night, and he was informed today by his grandmother. Now he's not normally in my chain of command, but once again, with my boss gone, my responsibilities have temporarily expanded.
I didn't have a clue how to deal with this one at first. Sure I've lost all 4 grandparents in the last 10 years, but this is his dad, thats a huge difference. I got really lucky, first off the SMSgt is a very emotionally intelligent leader, second off Mr B (retired Major) really helped me compose myself and approach it all from the correct angle. The SSgt who had lost his father came in, me and the SMSgt sat down and talked with him for 20 minutes. I got a really good chance to watch her talk to the SSgt. It was enlightening and I hope to some day be able to talk to a troop in that manner. The guy was compartmentalizing his emotions, and just trying to deal with the business of getting his dad's estate in order, which is exactly what I'd be doing in that situation. The SMSgt was able to talk to him and give him sort of a working plan on how to settle his dad's estate, gave him some on base contacts he could use to help him get a handle on what he needed to to, and the guy, while still grieving of course, walked out of the office with a direction on what to do next.
I made the leadership comment earlier because while the SMSgt was able to help the SSgt deal, Mr. B Really helped me get a handle on things. I get a little nervious because it feels like there's a lot riding on how i handle things and after talking to Mr. B I really gained a lot of self confidence. Not that my commander is a bad person, she's probably one of the most technically competent leaders I've ever met, its just that she lacks a lot of warmth and relatability. Mr. B was able to take my self doubt and concerns about dealing with this issue in a proper manner and really put things into perspective, after walking out of his office, i felt like i could take on any issue that might come up.
I've noticed some negative moral trends in my section. I honestly think it has alot to do with the conversations that me and my TSgt have in the office. I need to find way to revamp the energy levels in my section. I need to cut out the negative conversations and focus on whats going right and how to improve current processes. Alot of this is dependent upon me lightening up my workload so that i can focus on these conversations, but I think I'm seeing a way to accomplish this in the next couple of weeks.
I didn't have a clue how to deal with this one at first. Sure I've lost all 4 grandparents in the last 10 years, but this is his dad, thats a huge difference. I got really lucky, first off the SMSgt is a very emotionally intelligent leader, second off Mr B (retired Major) really helped me compose myself and approach it all from the correct angle. The SSgt who had lost his father came in, me and the SMSgt sat down and talked with him for 20 minutes. I got a really good chance to watch her talk to the SSgt. It was enlightening and I hope to some day be able to talk to a troop in that manner. The guy was compartmentalizing his emotions, and just trying to deal with the business of getting his dad's estate in order, which is exactly what I'd be doing in that situation. The SMSgt was able to talk to him and give him sort of a working plan on how to settle his dad's estate, gave him some on base contacts he could use to help him get a handle on what he needed to to, and the guy, while still grieving of course, walked out of the office with a direction on what to do next.
I made the leadership comment earlier because while the SMSgt was able to help the SSgt deal, Mr. B Really helped me get a handle on things. I get a little nervious because it feels like there's a lot riding on how i handle things and after talking to Mr. B I really gained a lot of self confidence. Not that my commander is a bad person, she's probably one of the most technically competent leaders I've ever met, its just that she lacks a lot of warmth and relatability. Mr. B was able to take my self doubt and concerns about dealing with this issue in a proper manner and really put things into perspective, after walking out of his office, i felt like i could take on any issue that might come up.
I've noticed some negative moral trends in my section. I honestly think it has alot to do with the conversations that me and my TSgt have in the office. I need to find way to revamp the energy levels in my section. I need to cut out the negative conversations and focus on whats going right and how to improve current processes. Alot of this is dependent upon me lightening up my workload so that i can focus on these conversations, but I think I'm seeing a way to accomplish this in the next couple of weeks.
Monday, July 7, 2008
07 July - entry 1
I was really tempted to take the high road in the blogging tonight and ignore the class presentations, but i don't think i can. That and also work was fairly uneventful today. The first group's presentation wasn't bad at all. Yeah, it was a little dry and didn't provide me with much in the way of real world examples, but I think the ball game made up for that.
The guest speaker I've had some dealings with in the past, and am not fond of to say the least. His method of facilitating gets people to solve their own problems simply because they don't want to spend any more time in the same room with the guy. He's probably very good at the theory, and has extensive real world knowledge, but he definitely has a problem relating to the worker level and really can alienate a group of people by not talking to them in terms that mean anything to them. That could just be my opinion though.
The second groups first presentation was very well done, and had the last part of their presentation not existed, i wouldn't have been the wiser. It was really awkward to see the third member of the group present after the first two. Now, I can take my own guesses after having been forcibly subjected to his presentation as to why he was not included what the other two did however it was still blatantly obvious that they were not a group.
In an outsider situation like this, its got to be hard on how to grade the group. I mean sure the first two did a very good presentation, however it was a group project and the third member appeared to be excluded. Ultimately is your goal to present the material or is it learn and develop group dynamic skills? If its group dynamics then they obviously did not succeed, however if its just about the material, they did clearly present the material (until the meandering bit there at the end). My personal beliefs would be to hold the third member accountable for alienating himself and punish him while not fully absolving the other two of guilt and lowering their grade slightly. I mean after all, the guy's in a masters level management class and if he can't work well in a group presenting a chapter in a book, how can he possibly be a decent manager (or leader or whatever other label you choose to apply)?
Lesson learned however, our presentation needs to include real world examples and be unified. Luckily we have a really good group leader who is willing to compile the teams inputs into a seamless presentation.
The guest speaker I've had some dealings with in the past, and am not fond of to say the least. His method of facilitating gets people to solve their own problems simply because they don't want to spend any more time in the same room with the guy. He's probably very good at the theory, and has extensive real world knowledge, but he definitely has a problem relating to the worker level and really can alienate a group of people by not talking to them in terms that mean anything to them. That could just be my opinion though.
The second groups first presentation was very well done, and had the last part of their presentation not existed, i wouldn't have been the wiser. It was really awkward to see the third member of the group present after the first two. Now, I can take my own guesses after having been forcibly subjected to his presentation as to why he was not included what the other two did however it was still blatantly obvious that they were not a group.
In an outsider situation like this, its got to be hard on how to grade the group. I mean sure the first two did a very good presentation, however it was a group project and the third member appeared to be excluded. Ultimately is your goal to present the material or is it learn and develop group dynamic skills? If its group dynamics then they obviously did not succeed, however if its just about the material, they did clearly present the material (until the meandering bit there at the end). My personal beliefs would be to hold the third member accountable for alienating himself and punish him while not fully absolving the other two of guilt and lowering their grade slightly. I mean after all, the guy's in a masters level management class and if he can't work well in a group presenting a chapter in a book, how can he possibly be a decent manager (or leader or whatever other label you choose to apply)?
Lesson learned however, our presentation needs to include real world examples and be unified. Luckily we have a really good group leader who is willing to compile the teams inputs into a seamless presentation.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
04 July - entry 1
Today provided a great opportunity to just sit down and relax. I didn't go into work, didn't do any homework, and i didn't read any class materials. I just managed to sort of tune out for a day. Monday my new commander arrives. Now officially she won't be here till the 22nd, but she'll be on base monday and thus there will be, starting monday, a chance of running into her and making a first impression.
Now I'm confident in my job, and when it comes to things that are in my area of responsibility, i know i have them covered, which is a huge improvement to the last first impression i had with my current/soon to be previous squadron commander. So already I'm walking into this situation with a good knowledge of whats expected of me and where I'm at in the grand scheme of things, which helps, alot.
I've been told that I'm a little rough when it comes to my first impressions. I tend to be overly formal and somewhat cold. I personnally find that to be polite, i mean when talking to someone of higher rank/position, i leave it up to them to set the level of formality. I find it disrespectful when someone of lower rank/position talks to me in a familiar manner right off the bat, now when they do approach me in a formal manner i almost always lower it to something much more comfortable, but still being in the place of higher rank/position means that its up to you to set the level of formality. You've earned that right.
However, there is ways to be polite but friendly at the same time, and I think that's really the area in which i have a hard time. I tend to project what i respect in others. What i respect in others is the ability to know your subject, explain it as briefly as possible while still ensuring comprehension, and to give you the quick answers you need. So, because thats what I like to see in others, thats what i try to project when first meeting someone. I'm polite, i get straight to the point, explaining only what is neccessary along the way, and i give the answers to the questions I'm asked/know i will be asked, as soon as possible. While I respect that, its definitely a cold and mechanical way of going about things. I'll ask that guy for info all day long, but as far as really liking or trusting him, I wouldn't dream of that until the kid lightens up a bit.
I think that competence, humility with a dash of self effacing humor, and being thorough while keeping it brief is probably the best approach here. It says I know what I'm doing, I'm not a braggart, and I can take a joke. So how to get there, really i just need to get my half a dozen projects knocked out before monday. It means a little work over the weekend, but it will also put me into a much more relaxed position on monday to be able to focus on what I'm projecting to others.
Now I'm confident in my job, and when it comes to things that are in my area of responsibility, i know i have them covered, which is a huge improvement to the last first impression i had with my current/soon to be previous squadron commander. So already I'm walking into this situation with a good knowledge of whats expected of me and where I'm at in the grand scheme of things, which helps, alot.
I've been told that I'm a little rough when it comes to my first impressions. I tend to be overly formal and somewhat cold. I personnally find that to be polite, i mean when talking to someone of higher rank/position, i leave it up to them to set the level of formality. I find it disrespectful when someone of lower rank/position talks to me in a familiar manner right off the bat, now when they do approach me in a formal manner i almost always lower it to something much more comfortable, but still being in the place of higher rank/position means that its up to you to set the level of formality. You've earned that right.
However, there is ways to be polite but friendly at the same time, and I think that's really the area in which i have a hard time. I tend to project what i respect in others. What i respect in others is the ability to know your subject, explain it as briefly as possible while still ensuring comprehension, and to give you the quick answers you need. So, because thats what I like to see in others, thats what i try to project when first meeting someone. I'm polite, i get straight to the point, explaining only what is neccessary along the way, and i give the answers to the questions I'm asked/know i will be asked, as soon as possible. While I respect that, its definitely a cold and mechanical way of going about things. I'll ask that guy for info all day long, but as far as really liking or trusting him, I wouldn't dream of that until the kid lightens up a bit.
I think that competence, humility with a dash of self effacing humor, and being thorough while keeping it brief is probably the best approach here. It says I know what I'm doing, I'm not a braggart, and I can take a joke. So how to get there, really i just need to get my half a dozen projects knocked out before monday. It means a little work over the weekend, but it will also put me into a much more relaxed position on monday to be able to focus on what I'm projecting to others.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
02 July - entry 1
Today was fairly uneventful workwise, its going to be a little hard for me to find something to write about. I've had some personal issues in the dating world that are definitely affecting me. I got enough sleep last night, and while I have been carrying an increased workload lately, I think I've been handleing it fairly well, but I've had at least 5 people come up to me today and ask me whats wrong.
I didn't think i was carrying it all around like that, i suppose i was a bit more brisk, used a little bit more sarcasm than i normally would but i honestly had no idea that i was showing it all that much. Thats kind of an issue i don't know how to deal with. I mean i keep my personal life pretty segregated from my professional. I kind of have to really. And when it invades, effects my military bearing, and becomes so prominent it effects my interactions with my coworkers, i don't know what to do. I mean i can just say I'm having some dating problems, make a joke, and go about my day, which is what i ended up doing, but the issue here that really concerns me is that i had no idea i was visibly upset.
You can't control everything about your appearance, and certainly can't control other's perceptions of you. I need to find a better way to deal with my personal life. I've been trying to find the time to go to the gym mid day, and when i can make it, it really gives me a second wind for the rest of the day. I think I need to adjust my schedule a little better an make some time to go more often. I also took the time out to talk to my peers a little more. It felt nice to talk about it all a little bit, and I think it helped me relax a little.
Tomorrow's another day, lets see if i can go about it a little more calmly
I didn't think i was carrying it all around like that, i suppose i was a bit more brisk, used a little bit more sarcasm than i normally would but i honestly had no idea that i was showing it all that much. Thats kind of an issue i don't know how to deal with. I mean i keep my personal life pretty segregated from my professional. I kind of have to really. And when it invades, effects my military bearing, and becomes so prominent it effects my interactions with my coworkers, i don't know what to do. I mean i can just say I'm having some dating problems, make a joke, and go about my day, which is what i ended up doing, but the issue here that really concerns me is that i had no idea i was visibly upset.
You can't control everything about your appearance, and certainly can't control other's perceptions of you. I need to find a better way to deal with my personal life. I've been trying to find the time to go to the gym mid day, and when i can make it, it really gives me a second wind for the rest of the day. I think I need to adjust my schedule a little better an make some time to go more often. I also took the time out to talk to my peers a little more. It felt nice to talk about it all a little bit, and I think it helped me relax a little.
Tomorrow's another day, lets see if i can go about it a little more calmly
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
01 July - entry 1
First a follow up on yesterdays "action plan". I talked to the NCOIC of the section that houses the majority of the commercial certification trainees and got the A1C into a regular training program every afternoon. She's scheduled to test in 3 weeks.
Today was a little more manageable, i didn't have nearly the avalanche of work that i had encountered on Monday. All the same, i still found myself not being able to do my job as a leader in the mentoring and training of my shop personnel. I have a somewhat disgruntled TSgt who is, rightfully so, getting fed up with the changing manning plans for my workcenter. He's got a program he doesn't want to see collapse when he steps out on leave in october, and he needs a backup to train in order to ensure his programs smooth operations throughout his leave. While I know we are getting some help for him somewhere in the future, i can't promise the guy anything because i don't have the authority to pull personnel from other shops. I'm lobbying the best i can, however with the current relationship i have with my boss, I'm unsure at how loudly my voice will be heard. The only real grace i have is the prospect of a new commander here in a few weeks. I try not to put too much emphasis on this hope, because it is a wildly unpredictable thing, but, it potentially holds the key to easing my manning issues should she feel particularly generous. For now though, lets see what i can control.
Two functions, emergency management and anti terrorism/force protection, ended up in my office. They do not belong in my office, they belong in the unit control center. They were shuffled over to my office to provide continuity through the unit control center manning changeover, and were never taken back. I'm currently shining up these programs and doing my best to ensure they're up and running, and then I'll transfer them back to the unit control center when their manning increases in another couple weeks. I'm doing this to free up my shop from yet another additional duty, thus giving my personnel even more freedom to handle the workload they already have.
Today was a little more manageable, i didn't have nearly the avalanche of work that i had encountered on Monday. All the same, i still found myself not being able to do my job as a leader in the mentoring and training of my shop personnel. I have a somewhat disgruntled TSgt who is, rightfully so, getting fed up with the changing manning plans for my workcenter. He's got a program he doesn't want to see collapse when he steps out on leave in october, and he needs a backup to train in order to ensure his programs smooth operations throughout his leave. While I know we are getting some help for him somewhere in the future, i can't promise the guy anything because i don't have the authority to pull personnel from other shops. I'm lobbying the best i can, however with the current relationship i have with my boss, I'm unsure at how loudly my voice will be heard. The only real grace i have is the prospect of a new commander here in a few weeks. I try not to put too much emphasis on this hope, because it is a wildly unpredictable thing, but, it potentially holds the key to easing my manning issues should she feel particularly generous. For now though, lets see what i can control.
Two functions, emergency management and anti terrorism/force protection, ended up in my office. They do not belong in my office, they belong in the unit control center. They were shuffled over to my office to provide continuity through the unit control center manning changeover, and were never taken back. I'm currently shining up these programs and doing my best to ensure they're up and running, and then I'll transfer them back to the unit control center when their manning increases in another couple weeks. I'm doing this to free up my shop from yet another additional duty, thus giving my personnel even more freedom to handle the workload they already have.
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