corrective supervision and counselingjthomp19/as300/2_spring semester/correctiv… · a supervisor...

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Corrective Supervision and Counseling

Cognitive Lesson Objective: • Comprehend the principles of corrective supervision.

Cognitive Samples of Behavior: • Define corrective supervision.

• Explain the steps of the Intervention Process Model.

• Identify ways to involve the counselee in developing solutions to problems.

• Differentiate between aggressive, assertive, and passive communication.

Affective Lesson Objective: • Respond positively to techniques for corrective supervision.

Affective Samples of Behavior: • Assert the importance of corrective supervision.

• Practice using effective corrective supervision methods to solve lesson case studies.

“If one defines the term ‘dropout’ to mean a person who has given up serious effort to meet his responsibilities, then every business office, government agency, golf club, and university faculty would yield its quota.”

-- John Gardner

Corrective Supervision and Counseling 223

Much of what we read in the field of human behavior tells supervisors how NOT to go wrong. This advice ranges from how a manager can achieve satisfactory personal performance to techniques for eliciting the best possible performance from subordinates. Preventive techniques have great value, but to study only these techniques could foster the impression that it’s “impossible” for a good supervisor to have a poor performer in his/her organization. The reality of the situation is that no matter how a leader plans, organizes, and delegates, there will usually be instances that require corrective supervision and counseling to accomplish the mission.

Correcting subordinates who aren’t performing up to standards or who are breaking the rules in some way isn’t an easy task, yet you may need to do this almost immediately upon reporting to your first assignment. Whenever you correct someone, you must be concerned with the future of that person’s attitude, the morale of the group, and the effect of the discipline on future team efforts. Avoiding correction is often just as detrimental as correcting someone improperly. So there are many reasons for learning the intervention skills involved in corrective supervision.

CORRECTIVE SUPERVISION DEFINED

“Everybody has slumps.”

“It’s easier to ignore her than to take the time and effort to straighten her out.”

“I can’t afford to tangle with him; he’s too popular with the troops.”

“If we leave __________ alone, she’ll improve. Experience is the best teacher, and she’s relatively new on the job.”

“He only has five years to go until retirement.”

Perhaps you’ve heard supervisors make remarks like these when discussing personnel problems. Such remarks are excuses, not solutions, and rarely lead to productive change in work behavior. Not only are such comments ineffective, but they also raise suspicions regarding the supervisor’s capability, or willingness, to deal effectively with the person doing substandard work. Supervisors do have an alternative. We call this alternative “corrective supervision.”

The term “corrective supervision” is used to describe the process a leader uses to promote change in individual behavior in a job related situation. It’s the ability of the supervisor to intervene as necessary to improve a subordinate’s performance. When viewing this change in a subordinate’s behavior, we see that optimum corrective supervision has:

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• The supervisor and subordinate mutually agree that a change in the subordinate’s performance is needed.

• The change is made willingly.

• A cooperative working relationship is maintained.

• The subordinate’s self-confidence is not damaged.

• The work gets done more effectively.

THE INTERVENTION PROCESS

In the counseling lesson, we will distinguish between the situations the supervisor MUST intervene and those the supervisor MAY intervene, or may refer the individual to another assistance source. Now we will discuss these intervention skills in the context of situations in which the supervisor MUST intervene to change the job-related performance of his or her subordinates.

Corrective supervision involves: assessment of situations, selection of appropriate intervention methods, and the use of effective interaction skills. In employing corrective supervision skills, therefore, the supervisor is insuring a definite plan of action is established. While this view of corrective supervision is task-oriented, success depends on a supervisor who is sensitive to individual’s differences and considerate of human needs.

Intervention Process Model

• Make a considered decision to intervene.

• Use supportive and assertive interaction skills.

• Involve the person with the problem in developing the solution.

• Put the issue in perspective.

A theoretical plan of action recommended to accomplish a correctional intervention is presented below. Steps 1 and 2 of this process focus on deciding if intervention is appropriate and, assuming that it is, preparing to achieve the best possible results in correcting the situation. Step 3 provides sequential actions a supervisor may take during the actual counseling process to affect a results-oriented conclusion. Step 4 emphasizes the need for the supervisor to maintain a balanced perspective.


Step 1: Make a Considered Decision to Intervene

• Identify what needs to be corrected

• Decide if supervisory intervention is appropriate.

A considered decision is one in which the decision maker takes active control of his/her decision to act rather than reacting to the situation. This form of decision is especially important when deciding whether or not to correct a person’s performance. Most people have an emotional investment in their work, and a careless suggestion of inadequacy can damage future relationships and the motivation to be productive. The effective supervisor, when possible, takes the time to thoroughly analyze the situation before acting. Two key questions to aid in such an analysis are (1) “What needs to be corrected?” and (2) “How much direction is needed?”

What needs to be corrected? In Managing the Marginal and Unsatisfactory Performer, Lawrence L. Steinmetz suggests understanding the cause of a person’s unsatisfactory performance is much like determining precisely what the following figure represents.

What does this picture look like to you? A large goblet, a table, or do you see two faces looking at each other? Steinmetz states the figure can be all or none of these, depending on the beholder’s personal interpretation. This same view can be applied when attempting to evaluate a person’s performance. Frequently the subordinate will consider his/her work to be satisfactory whereas the supervisor considers it unsatisfactory. The job in deciding what needs to be corrected is rarely clear-cut, but, at the very least, you should subject every problem situation to a careful analysis in an effort to arrive at the best possible solution.

To be objective in studying what needs to be corrected, it’s necessary to be open-minded and objective about what’s causing the problem. Is it the quality of the individual’s product that needs improvement or the method used to produce it? Is it the individual’s work or the way the person reacts to the work? Does a required procedure, standard, or policy impact adversely on the individual’s ability to perform well?

Before deciding to correct the individual, a good supervisor will be sure the system permits the level of work expected. It’s usually better for the supervisor to make only a tentative decision about the cause of low performance prior to discussing it with the individual.

The chart below summarizes one way to more accurately diagnose the cause of subordinate work problems.

The top half illustrates a subordinate successfully accomplishing the assigned duty, there is no problem, and no supervisory action is necessary. However, when the subordinate fails to perform work (illustrated in the lower half), a problem does exist which is usually due to one of three reasons:

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• The subordinate can’t do the work through no fault of his/her own, e.g., necessary tools/resources are unavailable, outside influences create task interference, subordinate is inadequately trained.

ACTION: Corrective supervision is NOT appropriate here, but you should most certainly remove the obstacles preventing your subordinates from doing their work.

• The subordinate willingly elects NOT to perform the work.

ACTION: Corrective supervision is definitely in order. A supervisor’s failure to act on a problem of this nature not only compounds the problem, but will erode organizational morale.

• The subordinate doesn’t do the work because he/she does not know to do it, i.e., the supervisor doesn’t specify the job task the subordinate is expected to perform.

ACTION: Again, corrective supervision is inappropriate. The supervisor can correct this problem by clarifying responsibilities and more clearly communicating what is expected of the subordinate.

Most people will rarely admit they failed willingly (reason 2), even if that’s actually the case. More likely the individual, when confronted, will blame his/her failure on someone or something else (reason 1 or 3 above). When making a considered decision to use corrective supervision, you must “smoke out” those individuals who aren’t doing assigned tasks simply because they do not want to do them. You can do this by asking tactful questions, which systematically eliminate reasons 1 and 3 from the realm of possible causes. For example:

• “Did you understand exactly what I expected you to do?”

• “Did we train you sufficiently for this job?”

• “Did anything interfere with your ability to perform this assignment?”

How much direction is needed? The second aspect is to consider how much structure the supervisor needs to impose. This degree of structure ranges from high involvement (when there’s a short time frame and/or low follower maturity) to low involvement. The supervisor’s technical expertise is a major factor influencing the choice of intervention approach.

Corrective supervision involves a specialized form of counseling which works best when the counselor uses the collaborative method. This is merely a refinement of principles borrowed from the nondirective and eclectic methods. In this method, the leader defines the need to act but gives the subordinate an opportunity to define tasks, roles, standards, and evaluation systems. This is an open-ended way of confronting the problem and allows for those instances when the supervisor enters the corrective interview knowing only that


something needs to be done, but not precisely what needs to be done. The supervisor, using this method, can stimulate a change rather than simply define the change. This method is the recommended starting point for any corrective situation.

Step 2: Use Supportive and Assertive Interaction Skills

• Avoid defense-producing techniques.

• Know how to correct without disrespect.

• Select appropriate time and place.

Avoid Defense-Producing Techniques - Be Supportive. One of the most valuable assets a supervisor can possess is the ability to talk to people about changes needed in their performance without putting them on the defensive. Although most people expect and want constructive feedback, they tend to block out, forget, or misinterpret messages when they feel they are under attack. Criticism tends to create defensiveness. By developing and using supportive and assertive interaction skills, the supervisor can maximize the probability corrective actions will be perceived as constructive and non-threatening. The following is a comparison of threatening and supportive climates:

Threatening Climate (Defense-producing)

Supportive Climate(Trust-producing)

Evaluative communication Descriptive communicationControl motive Problem-solving motiveManipulative approach Spontaneous approachIndifference ConcernSuperiority EquityCertainty (Know it all) Receptive (Open to ideas)

The threatening impact of a single defense-producing characteristic can be increased or decreased by the presence or absence of additional defense-producing characteristics. For example, an individual can act superior but also be open to new ideas with the result that these characteristics tend to neutralize each other. Problems arise when nearly all supervisor behavior is drawn from the defense-producing syndrome. Let’s examine the subtle differences between defense and trust-producing characteristics by considering examples of each.

Evaluative communication includes speech manner, tone of voice, and verbal content that conveys the belief the speaker is judging the total person rather than just commenting on the issue at hand. Evaluative remarks tend to be global and generalized whereas descriptive remarks tend to be specific.

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Evaluative Descriptive“I’m disappointed that your proofreading is so poor.”

“It’s clear that you put a lot of hard work in the report and as soon as these minor errors are corrected, it will be ready to go.”

People who tend to think in terms of authority rather than problem solving may make extensive use of rules, regulations, detailed procedures, and many accuracy checks during work progress. The “authoritarian” solves problems by “taking over” rather than “taking time” to work with a co-worker or subordinate on a shared solution.

Control Motive Problem-Solving Motive“Your weekly report is late again. From now on, I want to review the task status on a daily basis.”

“Let’s talk about what we need to do to get the report out on time.”

The “manipulator” conveys the impression of having hidden motives and pertinent information that isn’t shared, or tends to show false concern and treat relationships like a game.

Manipulative Approach Spontaneous Approach“I’m glad you submitted this idea, but I have to consider some other things before I decide.

“Your idea sounds good, and I’ll let you know if we can do it as soon as I check with Admin.”

”Indifference often results from total preoccupation with the task to be done to the extent that the welfare of the people involved isn’t considered. Total objectivity without empathy for the human element can give the impression of lack of respect.

Indifference Concern“This report will have to be redone before quitting time.”

“What’s your schedule like? We need to make some changes in the report as soon as possible.”

While there are many obvious differences in talent, ability, status, and power, comparisons or continual emphasis on personal qualities aren’t appropriate behaviors in the work environment where cooperation rather than competition is needed.

Superiority Equity“If you keep working at it, you will be able to do this report as well as I could.”

“Let’s go over the standards for the weekly report to see how it can be improved.”


The supervisor who sets himself/herself apart as “teacher” or “expert” may block communication and therefore not have access to useful ideas and information from others. As in all of the other categories, voice tones as well as words convey the “I’m certain I know it all” impression.

Certainty (Know it all) Receptive (Open to ideas)“If you would follow the procedures I set up, there would be fewer errors.”

“Maybe we need to make some changes in procedures to cut down on errors.”

Correct Without Disrespect - Be Assertive Not Aggressive. The above six areas emphasize factors which influence the relationship between supervisors and subordinates. The defense-producing examples tend to have a common denominator in that most are aggressive in nature. Aggressive communication is similar to offensive military strategy in that the main thrust is attack. In contrast, the purpose of corrective supervision is to solve a problem of mutual concern. Therefore, the threatening approach, or offensive tactic, is out of place and tends to be counterproductive.

The difference between aggressive and assertive communication is a question of focus rather than differing degrees of initiative. Assertive solutions focus on the behavior to be changed, rather than using ego-threatening tactics, thus offering the potential for continued and willing cooperation. Alternatives to aggressive communication are presented in the Assertiveness Continuum Table. Using assertive communication may be a challenge for those supervisors who tend to take a passive stance and avoid dealing with problems that need correction. Passiveness, in some instances, results from a lack of skills to use in situations in which you must criticize someone. One of the purposes of this lesson is to help eliminate this barrier by presenting some starting points for effective correction.

Assertiveness Continuum TableAggressive Assertive Passive

Definitions Assertion at the expense of others.

Assertion without showing disrespect for others.

Non-assertion--takes no action to support self or others.

Focus of Initiative Moves against person(s) in situation.

Moves toward solution within situation.

Moves away from situation.

Goal To WIN at all costs (Win-Lose).

To find a mutual solution (Win-Win or No Lose).

To appease or avoid contest (no game).

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Verbal Language Words include threats (you’d better, if you don’t watch out); put downs (come on, you must be kidding); evaluators (shoddy, bad); racist or sexist terms.

“I” statements (I think, I feel, I want); cooperative words (let’s, how can we); empathetic statements of interest (what do you think, what do you see).

Words include qualifiers (maybe, I guess, I wonder, if you could, would you mind, only, just, I can’t, don’t you think); fillers (uh, well, you know); negatives (it’s not really important).

Select Appropriate Time and Place. In addition to use of effective verbal language, a supervisor who must conduct corrective counseling should choose a time and place which provides optimum conditions for success. The location of a corrective intervention needs to be private and free of distractions to enable both people to concentrate on issues and develop ideas. The meeting should be scheduled at a time that will permit the conversation to last as long as necessary to reach agreement on the action to be taken. If a specific event creates the need for the exchange, it should be scheduled as soon as possible while maintaining the other standards. On-the-spot corrective action is effective for training activities, but may not be appropriate for more complex corrective situations. It’s important that the supervisor not be angry at the time of the intervention. The purpose of corrective counseling is to promote constructive change rather than to test tolerance to pressure.

These timing considerations can be met through scheduling or opportune use of chance encounters. In either instance, the setting for the conversation must be comfortable for both the supervisor and subordinate. It’s important the supervisor does not present a “mixed message” about the role expected of the subordinate. For example, if the supervisor sits behind a large desk and invites the subordinate to sit on the opposite side of the “barrier,” the chances aren’t great that the subordinate will interpret the setting as a collaborative one. He/She may respond by behaving as if in a directive counseling situation. Generally, people are more apt to communicate when furnishings and other symbols de-emphasize the status differences.

A counseling session scheduled in advance tends to arouse some anxiety; therefore the supervisor shouldn’t delay too long in getting to the purpose of the meeting. While some “small talk” is usually necessary to make both participants comfortable, it’s usually better to save positive reinforcement until after the discussion rather than trying to “soften the blow” by mentioning the individual’s good points prior to discussing the problem.

The techniques to promote a supportive interaction environment include skillful selection of verbal approaches and selection of physical and psychological settings to enhance the potential for success. Communication techniques should be non-threatening and assertive. These skills are learned through practice.


Step 3. Involve the Person with the Problem in Developing the Solution

• Describe the situation.

- Describe rather than prescribe.

- Seek solution--not justification.

• Facilitate participation.

- Use open questioning techniques.

- Allow time for resistance.

• Interact on problem identification.

- Eliminate irrelevant issues.

• Interact on possible solutions.

- Encourage follower identification of alternatives.

- Agree on solution and follow-up action.

- Include leader as well as follower action if relevant.

- Put follow-up dates on calendar.

The collaborative method is the most appropriate initial approach for the majority of situations concerning performance quality. The supervisor determines the need to act by giving the subordinate an opportunity to explain how they understand their tasks, roles, standards, and evaluation systems. The directive approach is appropriate for missions that require a quick reaction time and highly controlled response, often typical of military operations. Don’t be afraid to use a one-sided conversation approach when necessary. Other situations in the military workplace allow for more subordinate involvement. For performance correction, the subordinate’s involvement is essential in order to reach a commitment to behavior change. Because of varying situations, military leaders need to develop skills in all counseling methods so a choice of tools is available to them.

In addition to developing the skills for a variety of situations, effective supervisors understand the need to occasionally shift to more or less directive methods within a counseling session when the need arises. As a general rule, the directive method is most effective for short-term relationships where quick results are needed; a collaborative, or participative, approach is most effective in complex situations where long-term, sustained relationships and correction are important.

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Describe the Situation. The first skill involved in Step 3 is the technique of describing the situation in such a way that the follower becomes interested in solving the problem and doesn’t become defensive. In the past, corrective supervision was accomplished by “chewing out” the person who made the mistake. Distinctions weren’t made between the individual’s performance and the individual as a person. The classical chewing out included an aggressive attack on the personality of the subordinate along with a description of what had been done wrong. The total individual was challenged with expression such as, “You stupid idiot, how could you have made such a mistake!” Underlying the traditional methodology was the assumption that position privilege, prerogative, and responsibility included the right to be disrespectful to people of lower rank and that, in fact, this was necessary to maintain discipline and get things done. Professional attitudes now focus on motivating through respect and involvement. The first statement the supervisor makes about the performance problem is critical as it sets the tone of the discussion. The situation should be described in precise, clear terms, which identify relevant job behavior. “Global” descriptions tend to be threatening and don’t let the individual know exactly what the supervisor perceives as the problem.

Not Specific Specific“Your performance is not up to standard and must improve.”

“You get a lot of demerits on your detail.”

Try to describe rather than interpret behavior in your opening statements. Assuming why people act as they do is a frequent error in corrective counseling.

• Describe situation rather than prescribing solution. When the supervisor suggests how to correct the problem early in the conversation, a “final” solution has been introduced, making the counseling directive rather than collaborative.

Prescribing Solution Describing Solution“Start your detail earlier so you have more time to do it well.”

“You don’t seem to have enough time to do your detail well.”

• Seek solution - not justification. It’s the counselor’s responsibility to make clear to the counselee that a solution to the problem is the primary goal of the session. If the counselee becomes defensive, the chances for arriving at a mutually satisfactory solution are greatly reduced.

Seeks Justification Seeks Solution“There must be a good reason why you consistently have too many demerits on your detail.”

“Let’s talk about ways to reduce your demerits next week.”

Facilitate Participation. Use open questioning techniques. As discussed earlier, good questioning techniques are appropriate and helpful in any form of counseling situation, be it personal or job-related. Open questions draw out the counselee’s ideas, thereby making them available for possible incorporation into the ultimate solution.


Allow time for resistance. In situations where a supervisor makes a corrective intervention, the counselee may put up considerable resistance. Where this kind of tension is present, it’s especially important that the conversation be both clear and unemotional. One way to develop discipline in this respect is to make a deliberate effort to control reaction time. For example, silently counting three or four seconds before responding provides an opportunity to make a considered response. This timing delay permits the intellect to take over control of emotional behavior. In the context of corrective supervision, it provides time for the supervisor to direct attention away from blaming and toward the issue of problem solving.

Corrective counseling differs from other forms of counseling in that the supervisor must sometimes insist on a change, as compared to recommending a change. Sometimes, the counselee completely resists the supervisor’s view that change is needed. In such cases, it may be advisable to shift from a collaborative approach to a more directive approach.

Interact on Problem Identification. Eliminate irrelevant issues. Mitigating circumstances are important when the degree of punishment is the issue. They’re also important to the person who has the problem, and individuals need an opportunity to explain their actions. But, a supervisor shouldn’t let mitigating circumstances become the focus of attention when future behavior is the main concern.

Interact on Possible Solutions. Promote follower identification of alternatives. While a supervisor may have an idea about a way to solve the problem, it may not be the ONLY way, and the subordinate may have a different idea that will accomplish the same results.

We should note, however, that followers sometimes lack the maturity needed to become involved in finding a solution or they can’t function because they’re totally unaccustomed to a collaborative leader. In such cases, a somewhat more directive approach, in which you “walk” the counselee through their possible choices and the respective consequences, may be necessary.

Agree on Solution(s) and Follow-up Action. Include leader as well as follower action if relevant. Remember that in Step 1 of the process model, the leader makes a considered decision to intervene based on a tentative analysis of the cause of the problem. By actually discussing the problem with the individual, new information may surface which points to the need for management action in addition to or in lieu of corrective supervision. When the counseling interview is concluded, both the counselor and counselee should have the same understanding as to what action will be taken and by whom.

Put follow-up dates on calendar. Besides the obvious practical management value of this action, formally recording target dates also lends an air of commitment and accomplishment to the session.

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Step 4. Put the Issue in Perspective

Once the intervention process is complete and both the supervisor and the subordinate understand how the follow-up will occur, the supervisor may need to reinforce the individual’s self-confidence. This may be done at the end of the corrective counseling session or soon after the session in order to put the issue into perspective.

Provide Positive Reinforcement of Personal Value. There are many ways to provide recognition and make people feel confident about themselves. Some examples are:

• Ask for advice or information about some aspect of the job you know the individual is interested in or an expert in.

• Be especially certain to acknowledge the presence of the individual with appropriate greetings.

• Ask the individual to do a specific task in which the possibility of failure is limited.

• Comment in public about something the individual does well.

• Refer someone else to the individual for assistance.

• Ask for the individual’s opinion on any subject.

• Show an interest in the individual’s family or other special interest.

• Listen attentively when the individual talks and avoid interrupting.

While these behaviors can help build any subordinate’s confidence, they are especially important following corrective counseling to show the person that he or she is a valued contributor despite the fact that one specific behavior needs improvement.

Following is an exercise to give you some practice in developing the habit of using assertive communication techniques.


EXERCISES

Make the following statements assertive rather than aggressive and include an assertive solution, rather than justification:

1. AGGRESSIVE: You don’t seem to be interested in keeping your demerits down. Why do you get so many demerits?

ASSERTIVE:_____________________________________________________

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2. AGGRESSIVE: If you were more motivated, you wouldn’t need to do details during quiet hours. Do you have an excuse for doing them then?

ASSERTIVE:_____________________________________________________

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3. AGGRESSIVE: It is obvious that you were not taking your academics seriously. Can you explain why your test grades are so low?

ASSERTIVE:_____________________________________________________

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4. AGGRESSIVE: Your standards for ground clean-up aren’t very high. What happened to interfere with grounds clean-up?

ASSERTIVE:_____________________________________________________

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5. AGGRESSIVE: It is clear that you have an attitude problem. Why do you resist so many aspects of this training program?

ASSERTIVE:_____________________________________________________

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6. AGGRESSIVE: You sometimes show poor judgment in your relationships with your peers. Why do you argue with other members of your flight?

ASSERTIVE:_____________________________________________________

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Study the following cases and draft solution notes for each. Include (1) a tentative assessment of what needs to be corrected and (2) a preliminary strategy for achieving positive results in correcting the situation. Where appropriate, specify the questions you, as a counselor, would consider asking in your attempt to resolve each problem. Take your student reader to class.

Case 1 -- I Owe the Air Force Nothing

First Lieutenant Henderson is a maintenance officer. He’s in charge of a depot maintenance shop that handles equipment modification. One morning he overheard a conversation between two civilian employees assigned to his shop. Bob Stuart, supervisor of a bench-work section, was talking to Jack Goodall, an propulsion systems specialist.

Bob: Your work coming along OK, Jack?

Jack: Just fine. I’m all caught up for now.

Bob: That job I gave you yesterday looked like a real stinker; did you finish it already?

Jack: Yep. Took it home and worked on it last night so I wouldn’t be rushed today.

Bob: Jack, I know you have a good shop at home and love to work, but you know we don’t like anyone to take work home with them. In fact, I had asked Fred to come over and give you a hand this morning if you needed it.

Jack: Yeah, he told me, but I knew he had his hands full for right now, so I told him not to bother. I could handle it.

Bob: What are you working on now?

Jack: This is the motor off my kids go-kart...needs a good going over. Putting in new rings and grinding the valves.

Bob: You think you should be doing that on government time?

Jack: Well, why not? I got the Air Force out of a bind on my own time last night. Besides, I can’t grind the valves at home--don’t have the equipment. I see nothing wrong with it.

Bob: It just looks bad to be doing personal work on the job. You know that as well as I do.

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Jack: Well, when I’m caught up with my work and nobody else needs me, what do you want me to do--stand around and look pretty?

Bob: Now, don’t get huffy. We’ve been through this before. Remember how we both almost got fired last year when you brought your boat motor into the shop and proceeded to scatter parts all over the place?

Jack: Sure, I remember. That over zealous Captain Buckholz is gone, and I believe the guy we have now would be more reasonable. After all, my work is all caught up, and I’m not bothering anyone else.

Bob: That’s where you’re wrong--it bothers me. Now let’s get this through your thick head. I don’t tell you what to do with your off time, but when you work for me, you’ll do official work and only official work. We’re not going to have another embarrassing situation no matter what your personal feelings are. Do you understand that?

Jack: Yeah, I understand, but that lieutenant doesn’t know how much work I do, and I can’t see how you can get another feather in your cap by riding me. What that guy doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

Bob: I’m not concerned with making impressions on anybody. What you’re doing is wrong. It’s that simple. Your attitude is wrong, and it’s affecting your judgment.

Jack: How can you say that? You know perfectly well I turn out more work than any man you have. Is it my fault you can’t keep me busy?

Bob: Jack, I know you’re a top-notch worker, but a good employee is a lot more than that.

Jack: Yeah, your idea of a good employee is a “yes-man.”

Bob: You’re wrong there. A good employee is a good worker who follows the rules. What would happen if everybody brought their own little projects down here every day?


Jack: You could make them do their job first. Besides, I do a lot of Air Force work at home so I can have time out here to use tools I don’t have at home. All I’m asking is that you treat me with a little trust. I’m an honest guy and the Air Force gets a full measure from me without ever having to pay overtime.

Bob: Jack, we could argue the point ‘til doomsday. Let me put it this way: effective immediately, there will be no more personal work done in this shop. Sorry, but you brought it on yourself

How could Bob have made his point, but at the same time caused Jack to follow through on it enthusiastically? If you were 1st Lt Henderson, what would you do?

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Case 2 -- Walking Post

First Lieutenant Charlene Lambert is a Security Forces (SF) officer. She has a degree in criminology and loves her work. Much of her time is spent in direct contact with the Airmen and NCOs who work for her. She takes pride in being available to her people at any hour. She says that her security forces are better trained and more highly motivated than any other group of people in the Air Force.

Last Thursday Airman Sanchez complained that guard duty around parked aircraft should be shared by more of the people because of the boring nature of the work. When 1st Lt Lambert discussed the complaint with Sanchez, she became aware of a real problem that had been given little or no attention in the past. Here’s how their conversation went:

1st Lt Lambert: Airman Sanchez, you’re the first troop I’ve heard complain about guarding aircraft.

Amn Sanchez: I know ma’am, but they all complain. It’s just that you never hear about it.

1st Lt Lambert: I know it gets lonely out there, but it’s very important work and it doesn’t appear to be too hard.

Amn Sanchez: That’s just it lieutenant, it’s no work at all. We can walk around a little, but that’s not like working. Besides, when you tramp around too much, your own shoes hitting the ramp keeps you from hearing the approach of others. We’re supposed to be alert at all times and you just can’t hear much when you’re walking around. On the other hand, it’s hard to stay alert if you don’t move about a lot.

1st Lt Lambert: Can you suggest anything that would help the situation?

Amn Sanchez: Well, ma’am, I know somebody has to guard these bombers, tankers, and the ammo dumps, but it’s kinda depressing when you’re standing knee-deep in snow and your buddies are working in warm offices or riding in a heated patrol car. It’s just as bad the other way in the summer. Don’t get me wrong, lieutenant, I knew that a security forces specialist had a certain amount of this kind of work to do before I chose this career field. Maybe what I’m trying to say is that everybody knows how important security is, but they don’t seem to care too much about the people who do the work.


1st Lt Lambert: Sanchez, you know we do care about all our people. You’re the most important asset in the Air Force.

Amn Sanchez: Yes ma’am, we hear that all the time. Yet, the only time anyone on post sees an officer or NCO out there is when something has gone wrong, or when they’re checking on us. Nobody is really concerned that my feet are cold. If you call for relief to even answer a call of nature, they make you feel like you’ve slowed down the whole Air Force effort so you can be pampered or something.

1st Lt Lambert: You really do feel neglected, don’t you?

Amn Sanchez: No ma’am, not really, but I wanted you to know what it’s like. Maybe you can make it better for us.

What’s the problem confronting 1st Lt Lambert? What action could 1st Lt Lambert take to correct this situation and to determine that other situations like this do not exist in her squadron?

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242

Case 3 - Why Can’t You Back Me Up?

Capt Ellsworth is Transportation Officer at his base and his office is adjacent to that of Mr. McLain, the Traffic Management Supervisor. Last September, Mr. McLain was placed on temporary duty (TDY) in Chicago, for five days to attend a regional conference for traffic managers. On the second day of his absence, Mrs. Wilson, a typist in McLain’s office, came into Capt Ellsworth’s office to discuss a personal problem.

Mrs. Wilson: As you know, I’m a widow and I have a 16-year old daughter. Well, when school started last week I had to begin driving Eileen, that’s my daughter, to school every morning. She was assigned to a school across town this year, and I can’t stand the thought of Eileen having to spend an hour on a school bus each way every day. She detests the crowding and the noise so much that, on the day she rode the bus, she had a splitting headache when she got home.

Capt Ellsworth: Sounds like you’ve just added an extra hour to your day.

Mrs. Wilson: That’s why I wanted to talk to you. If I could come to work 30 minutes later each morning and only take 30 minutes for lunch to make up the time, it would help me a lot. I’d still be working a full 8 hours and I could sleep a little longer before my day starts.

Capt Ellsworth: Well, your request isn’t unreasonable. Have you discussed this arrangement with Mr. McLain?

Mrs. Wilson: Oh yes I have, but you know him. He is afraid to go along with it...I guess. Anyway, he refused.

Capt Ellsworth: Why don’t we give it a try for the rest of this week? When Mac gets back, we’ll decide whether or not to continue.

Mrs. Wilson: Oh, thank you. I just knew you would understand.

Mr. McLain came into Capt Ellsworth’s office at 0810 on the following Monday. He was quite upset.


Mr. McLain: Captain, you’re the first officer I’ve ever worked for who failed to back my decisions in regard to the handling of my people. Did you know that we’ve tried this short noon-hour before? It just doesn’t work out. They go along with the 30-minute lunch for a while, but it isn’t long before they’re taking the full hour. What you did is unfair to all the other workers who would also like a shorter workday.

What’s the cause of this problem? Assume you’re Capt Ellsworth and you have a vague notion the morale in the Transportation Office left something to be desired; what action could you take to improve the situation?

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Case 4 - Integrity First?

You are 2d Lt David Smada. You are assigned as the section commander at a base in Montana. Not only are you the executive officer for the squadron commander, but you are the OIC of the squadron commander’s staff and its three young Airman. You’ve just arrived from Force Support School and have been in the Air Force a total of six weeks. The section does not have an NCOIC and you must learn to deal with situations on your own without the support of an experienced enlisted member.

SrA Gurk, the most “senior” personnelist, has been a SrA for almost five years, he has been pushed from squadron to squadron. The last section commander warned you of his cunning ways and the numerous phone calls you’d be receiving from his “bookies” and casinos.

For over three months you’ve noticed that everything you’d been told about SrA Gurk, had been false. He gets his work done on time, though he sometimes needs reminders or prompting; his work is done correctly, or so you think. He helps keep the room charged, though he always needs attention, but he’s not as much of a hassle as everyone had said he’d be. You trust your people, and remind them of that daily.

Every 10 to 12 days SrA Gurk needs 3-4 hours to take his daughter to the hospital to get check-ups for underdeveloped liver--and of course you let him go without making him take leave. This happens often throughout the next 6-months, and you never think twice until, SrA Gurk’s ex-wife calls looking for SrA Gurk. SrA Gurk just happens to be on one of those hospital trips; you find out from her that nothing is wrong with their daughter and that he has been pulling the wool over your eyes the entire time. Angry, you hang up the phone and begin checking on the senior Airman’s files...to your dismay the files are all incorrect and in terrible shape. The Inspector General team will be coming to your unit in less than two months to do a record review.

What are you going to do with SrA Gurk? What type of counseling would be appropriate in this situation? Why? How will you overcome your anger to get SrA Gurk back on track?

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______________________________Bibliography:1. AFPAM 36-2241. Professional Development Guide, 1 October 2011. 2. AFROTC Management/Leadership Case Book. Maxwell AFB, AL: Air University, 1974.

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