PERFORMANCE COACHING AND MENTORING IS APPLICABLE TO ALL ASPECTS OF MILITARY LIFE. DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT?
1. This essay aims to understand whether or not performance coaching and mentoring is applicable to all aspects of military life. Performance coaching is defined as a process where one person facilitates the development and action planning of another, in order that the individual can bring about changes in their lives . Mentoring is defined as an employee training system under which a senior or more experienced individual (the mentor) is assigned to act as an advisor, counsellor, or guide to a junior or trainee. The mentor is responsible for providing support to, and feedback on, the individual in his or her charge .
2. With these definitions in mind this essay will argue that performance coaching and mentoring is not applicable to all aspects of military life. It will do so by exploring the opportunities for performance coaching and mentoring in the following areas of military life: operations, in barracks and on exercise.
3. Members of the armed forces
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In the ideal modern military organisation, service men and women are no longer cannon-fodder. They are valued and respected as individuals and expected to show appropriate initiative. Mentoring helps to reinforce that mind-set by building co-learning relationships across the boundaries of rank and job role. So much so that many of the military leaders around the world, who we have spoken to in recent months, regard mentoring as an essential element of an efficient fighting force of the future . In barrack life represents the greatest opportunity for mentoring and coaching to occur. Coaching and mentoring is a key tool to good subordinate development. Soldiers and officers are encouraged at the start of every reporting period to set goals in which they strive to achieve. Using the evidence and examples above demonstrates that coaching and mentoring is easily achieved whilst in
From family to squad members, communication acts as the cornerstone for a military officer, assisting in the mental health of the individual as well as facilitating the conduction of successful operations by an intricate, yet responsive, organization. Military officers are often times imagined as infallible heroes, unwavering against and untouched by the realities of modern warfare. Yet, newly commissioned, 22 year old officers often faces the arduous responsibilities of leading a platoon or flight comprised of men and women generally the same age as themselves into combat, or managing millions of dollars worth
However, development starts day one with training. Therefore, the Soldiers have to be experts who have assumed the character and identity of the profession; professionalism in Soldiers enables them to perform their duties with lots of motivation and inspiration. For example, 42A - The Human Resources (HR) Sergeant supervises, performs personnel and administrative functions in support of company, battery, and troop; detachments at division, corps, and echelons above corps must master their skill level in an effort to be a subject matter expert in their profession. The functions of Human Resource support four fundamental competencies: Man the Force (ex. Strength reporting), Provide HR Services (ex. Postal operations), Coordinate Personnel Support (ex. Morale, welfare, and Recreation), and Conduct HR Planning and Operations (ex. Planning and operations) in which a HR personnel must accomplish to support the mission. As a result, a professional Soldier should meet very high standards of a profession, for example character, competence, expertise and morality to fulfil their HR role. These standards are attained through rigorous training, development, and educating the Soldiers on how to serve the nation and the constitution as professionals. After nine years of war, which erupted from 9/11 we assess the attributes
We can identify three major cultural dimensions that help us to understand what leaders must focus on as they guide the transition of the Army. First, professional Identity, which is guided by Soldiers at all levels who are striving for excellence in their functional specialty, i.e., HR Sergeants. Soldiers who have goals and ideals of the Army to ethically put service and duty first. HR Sergeants are trained and well educated in their field. They are taught to put Soldiers first and have great customer support skills. Second, community, the sense in which Soldiers stop thinking about “I” and start thinking “we”. The bond among units who not only believe in cohesion with Soldiers, but their families too. The HR Sergeants are there to take care of Soldiers when financial issues arise with them or their families and don’t back down until the situation is solved. Last, hierarchy, which leads to order and control and provides Soldiers with moral reference and a sense of direction. The HR Sergeant has the mentality of mission first, knowing who to contact at the next level for assistance helps get the mission
One of the Army leader’s roles is to plan, assess, and prepare execution of daily training. The training that is carried out is based on tasks, conditions and standards. The Army training prepares Soldiers to always fight to the optimum level of operations. In fact, some of the crucial issues include versatile, lethal, agile, and survivable force. The mission is always challenging but Physical Readiness Training, or PRT, prepare the Soldiers to fulfil the mission regardless of the constraints of an operational environment. To achieve victory, Soldiers depend on their coordination, resiliency, strength, stamina, as well as agility to fight and win. The operation and fighting ground requires the best physical conditioning (Headquarters Department of the Army, 2012). In general perspective, Army Physical Readiness Training is accomplished in various chapters, which include approach, system, leadership, types of program, planning considerations, execution of training, preparation and recovery, strength and mobility activities, as well as endurance and mobility activities.
As a Marine, it is imperative to have leadership skills along with being capable of working with others. This book was written to enhance the reader’s mentality of how the Marines operate. It informs those who are looking into the service, and provides an in depth look into the trials and tribulations it has been through—as well as conquered. This book substantially explains the vigorous training platoon 3086 went through in order to earn the title of being a Marine.
As our forefathers before us stated, ‘‘No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as “The Backbone of the Army (“The NCO Creed writing by SFC Earle Brigham and Jimmie Jakes Sr”). These words to Noncommissioned Officer should inspire us to the fullest with pride, honor, and integrity. The NCO creed should mean much more than just words whenever we attend a NCO’s school. For most of us this is what our creed has become because we learn to narrate or recite. The military from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard has an overabundance of NCOs who fall under their pay grade of E-5, E-6 and etc. Yet somehow there still not enough leaders. I believe that the largest problem afflicting the military today is our lack of competent leaders, ineffective leader development, and how we influence our subordinates under us who are becoming leaders.
The purpose of today’s technology is implanted within the Human Resources field to better service Soldier readiness. Human development expertise encompasses the mental and physical development of leaders. It is met through extensive training and proper education. Soldiers are required to meet specific Army physical standards involving proper training and conditioning. This physical training pushes the Soldiers’ mental
CF02,Full Range Leadership Development. (2012). Maxwell Gunter AFB. Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education (AETC)
Upon graduation, each of us will face the challenge of building a cohesive team through mutual trust. Trust is the groundwork for any successful team. Just as the commander will learn to trust me, I in return will have to trust my commander. As a Command Sergeant Major (CSM) or Staff Sergeant Major (SGM), I realize that my Soldiers will not trust me right away, and I must gain their mutual trust through my daily interactions. By setting an example and living the Army Values, I will gain their mutual trust. My commander and I will plan team-building events often to maximize the opportunities to build the mutual trust within our organization with the staff and Soldiers. Understanding that team building requires an effort on everyone’s part but the chance to bridge any gaps tha...
The primary challenge for leaders in the Army is taking a group of individuals and molding them into a team. The framework that is employed to the greatest effect uses task-oriented instruction and is called battle focus training. After major objectives are defined, they are broken down into smaller sets. These smaller sets are known as collective tasks and are designed to be accomplished by small teams of soldiers. Each soldier is assigned one or more individual tasks that work together to accomplish the collective task. Training begins by teaching soldiers how to accomplish each of the individual tasks. At this point, emphasis is placed on the soldier as an individual. Although training is conducted in small groups, soldiers are evaluated independently of their peers. Once individual task mastery is achieved, leaders have soldiers begin to work together to accomplish collective tasks. This method of battle focus training incorporates aspects of both individualism and collectivism to accomplish the ultimate goal.
Growing up in the Army, the most aggravating experiences this author encountered involved Non-Commissioned Officers who were deficient in the skills of writing, teaching and orating. This led to unclear counseling statements, vague verbal instructions and poorly executed training. Everyday junior enlisted Soldiers loose imperative feedback and professional development from of this deficiency, creating a negative cyclic effect. This negative cycle is influencing our junior enlisted soldiers to place little to no emphasis on effective communication skills. As a result, newly promoted Non-Commissioned Officers do not have the tools to accomplish essential tasks such as recommending a well-deserving Soldier for the Army Commendation Medal or briefing a complicated subject with clarity. It is inarguable evident that Non-Commissioned Officers need place more emphasis on effective communication skills. In order to implement change, this author has constructed suggestions to integrate each communication skill into daily training.
The purpose of the Army’s performance management system is listed under the second goal and is best defined by objectives 2.1 and 2.2. As Major Hines replied, when questioned on the ability of the performance management system to meet the organizational goals, “leaders are selected for continued service and promotion with consideration to their completed assignments and demonstrated potential to succeed at higher levels within the organization.” Similarly, objective 2.1 describes a “culture that recognizes and advocates the value of effectively leading, managing, and improving the delivery of Title 10 functions to deliver readiness to the Nation” (The Office of Business Transformation, 2016, p.7).
The Army spends a great deal of time making followers into leaders and leaders into followers by utilizing several levels of training throughout their military career. This training allows a Soldier to perfect the knowledge and skills required to be an effective leader in every aspect of their job. ...
To be a part of the Army and truly feel the “calling”, comes with many challenges. These challenges could be: balancing the role of the professional leaders; understanding the Army professional culture; and understanding your position in the profession as human resource sergeant. PROFESSIONALS IN THE PROFESSION 3 Strategic leaders are the first half of the balancing role of the profession’s leaders. The Army must have fully capable leaders to keep the balance and every position in the military has an important role. If one part of that chain breaks or fails, it could be detrimental to our country.
After nearly a decade of warfare the Army has shifted its focus of training from a Tactical and Proficient Army towards becoming of a Profession of Arms. The Human Resources Sergeant must adhere to the ever changing environment and adapt its focus to developing the Professional Soldier instead of the trained Armed Soldier. The Profession of Arms has garnered the focus of Army Leadership, as Leaders have realized that after a decade long war, the focus of developing Soldiers must shift. Professions are not built, they are not developed overnight. “Profession’s earn the trust of their clients through their Ethic.”