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LEADING THROUGH SUPERVISIONSupervising A noncom must know the jobs of his men. That does not mean that you must be able to perform each job expertly, only that you understand their work well enough to supervise them intelligently. -The Noncom’s Guide, 1954, p. 52 Supervision is the art of checking on the progress of actions and orders without undue harassment. -DA Pam 350-13, Guide for Platoon Sergeants, 1967, p. 3 The vast majority of soldiers want to do a good job and the secret of NCO superiority is finding out how to let them do it. -CSM James W. Frye, "From the Regimental Sergeant Major." Military Police, Fall 1983, p. 3 It is the duty of an officer or noncommissioned officer who gives an order to see that it is obeyed; carrying out orders received by him does not end with their perfunctory transmission to subordinates- this is only a small part of his duty. He must personally see that the orders so transmitted are made effective. -Noncommissioned Officers’ Manual, 1909, p. 15 Oversupervision of soldiers causes resentment, and undersupervision causes frustration. Performance that meets standards depends, to a large degree, on your ability to communicate what you want in clear, concise, and complete terms.... How well you communicate with your soldiers either builds or breaks down your relationship to them. It also affects unit discipline and cohesion.... Counseling is a fundamental responsibility of every leader. The Army feels it is important enough to devote an entire manual to it. FM 22-101, Leadership Counseling, acknowledges effective communication skills are an essential element of leadership counseling. -SGM Jack L. Hooper, "Communicative Skills- A Must for NCOs." NCO Call, Nov-Dec 1990, p. 4 Leaders at all levels make periodic and random assessments of the tasks that have been assigned.... The platoon sergeant spot checks a soldier’s [task, not to check the soldier, but to see if the squad leader is checking the soldier]. In other words, the platoon sergeant is checking certain indicators to insure the system is functioning properly. -FM 22-600-20, The Duties, Responsibilities and Authority of NCO’s, 1977, pp. 42, 41 By delegating, you...increase the power of your unit and yourself because you give your subordinates a chance to think and carry out their plans and thus increase their motivation and your means of accomplishing your mission. -The NCO Guide, 1989, p. 31 A soldier with a new job or task normally needs closer supervision than an experienced soldier at that same job or task. -TC 22-6, The Army Noncommissioned Officer Guide, 1990, p. 32 It will be necessary at times to give orders which are not pleasant. When such a time arrives, write out what you want to say- then remove every "no," "not," and "never" you have placed in the sentences. Now, rephrase the order so that it conveys the original meaning. You will have prepared a positive order which will be easier to give and easier to follow than the original negative message. -The Noncom’s Guide, 1954, p. 445 The number one thing that leaders can do to reduce stress in their subordinates is to recognize how much stress they cause others.... Almost everything, from the way you dress to the time of day you eat lunch, affects others. More importantly, when you are in a bad mood, imagine how it affects the people who work for you. You might think it doesn’t matter how much stress the boss causes, because that’s just part of the job. However, if supervisors are able to minimize the stress they cause in others, they will see an increase in their subordinates’ performance. Leaders can also reduce stress by recognizing positive behaviors or actions in their subordinates. -MSG Bruce W. Barnes, "Health and Stress Management." Recruiter, Nov 1995, p. 13 Counseling, Communicating, and Listening Counseling is...an important part of your job.... Counseling your subordinates is critical to success. If your juniors don’t know what they’re doing wrong and what you want them to do to fix it, they’ll never improve. Evaluate each success and failure on its own merits and, unless safety is involved, counsel your junior leaders in private. Look them in the eye and tell them just what you think they’re doing wrong, but finish every counseling session with something positive about them. If you leave them with an "atta-boy," you won’t lessen their mistakes, but they’ll accept the counseling more readily than they will if they hear only a steady barrage of criticism.... No first sergeant, colonel, or general has the kind of control over the destiny of soldiers that you have, or the ability to mold them. -1SG Jeffrey J. Mellinger, "Open Letters to Three NCOs." Infantry, May-Jun 1989, pp. 21, 18 Training includes footlocker counseling. The counseling should cover observations about performance, but more importantly, it should convey to the younger soldier the experience, the values, and the historical knowledge of the senior. -FM 22-600-20, The Army Noncommissioned Officer Guide, 1986, pp. 37-38 [In counseling] if you let your comments about shoddy performance cross over into shoddy person, everything you say from then on is null and void. The reason is simple. Deep down, most subordinates know when their performance is substandard. But most people don’t consider themselves substandard. Attacks on them personally violate their dignity, and with that damaged, any positive results you might have gotten go right out the door. Keep cool. Maintain dignity! [Before counseling, let the soldier] have an opportunity to state his case. Let him state it fully [and] without interruption. Doing this will pay off big, because it will create the impression that you aren’t a cocked pistol, waiting to go off. He will perceive you as one who is not only fair, but an NCO who makes judgments on facts, not fury.... Counseling, properly done, helps eliminate deadwood, encourages the fainthearted, and makes producers out of problem soldiers. -SSG John A. Sigmon, "Counseling." NCO Journal, Fall 1992, pp. 20, 21 You must talk to your soldiers. Now, I don’t mean just in formation or groups, but one-on-one. Take time (at least 15 to 30 minutes a day) to really talk to a soldier, one soldier a day. It isn’t easy to set aside the time for this...especially as you move further up the chain of command away from the "front line" of soldiers. But the benefits of each talk will be multiple. When one soldier leaves after talking with you, he’ll tell the rest. So, by talking to one soldier, you talk to the unit. Think hard for what’s right when you counsel a soldier- the right words could stay with him for life. -CSM Matthew Lee, "Bridge the Gap." Engineer, No. 3, 1987, p. 3 Never sidestep a chance to work with a soldier; if you’re busy, set up an appointment for later. If you can’t do this, or if you get tired of it, it’s time for you to go. -CSM John D. Woodyard, "Are You a Whetstone?" NCO Journal, Summer 1993, p. 18 Counseling is caring for soldiers, during good and bad times, during successes and failures.... Counseling is always caring, but...sometimes it’s just listening and hearing what’s said. -SFC Mark Bergman, "Counseling Is Always Caring." NCO Journal, Fall 1994, p. 20 In these days with our ears bombarded with traffic in the cities, juke boxes, radio and television sets blaring out, very few people listen anymore. They hear but they do not listen. I get them on the square up here, standing at attention or at ease and I say, "Now listen to the sounds of Sandhurst." It’s amazing what you can hear. Try it some day. -RSM J. C. Lord, To Revel in God’s Sunshine, 1981, p. 135 Direct your junior NCOs as well as your senior NCOs to make speeches at graduations and give NCO Development Programs that require NCOs to build on their communication skills. -CSM Randolph Hollingsworth, "CSM Forum." Military Intelligence, Apr-Jun 1996, p. 5 It’s important to tell the soldiers when they’re doing well and when they aren’t. If you felt they haven’t done well but didn’t tell, then they’re upset when they don’t get a promotion. If you don’t tell them they’re doing a good job then they will think no one cares. -Platoon Sergeant David A. Lamberson, in "On Leadership." Soldiers, Mar 1985, p. 31 Performance counseling informs soldiers about their jobs and the expected performance standards and provides feedback on actual performance: Nothing will ever replace one person looking another in the eyes and telling the soldier his strengths and weaknesses. [Counseling] charts a path to success and diverts soldiers from heading down the wrong road.... If the great officers and NCOs I had the chance to work for had not taken the time to counsel me, I seriously doubt that I would be the MI Corps Command Sergeant Major. -CSM Randolph S. Hollingsworth, "Vantage Point." Military Intelligence, Jul-Sep 1995, p. 4 We must...look the nonperformers in the eye and tell them they are not measuring up to the Army’s standards. Some of them have never been told this before and honestly think their behavior is acceptable. We must tell them what the acceptable standards are, how they can reach those standards, and the action we will take if they do not, and give them a reasonable amount of time to demonstrate measurable improvement. When one of your soldiers does not perform well, don’t just assume that it’s because he is not a good soldier. First, ask yourself if you are doing something wrong. -CSM Roy C. Owens, "Thoughts for New Sergeants." Infantry, May-Jun 1988, p. 19 You just handed me a bucket of manure with holes in the bottom and with no handles, and it’s leaking all over my boots. -former NCO Robert L. Laychak commenting on poor work, in A Treasury of NCO Quotations, 1997, no page number Helping Soldiers with Problems When soldiers get into trouble, they need firm but constructive support and guidance for correcting the problem at hand; they are not seeking sympathy or self-pity. Soldiers expect to see a role model, someone with the knowledge of what needs to be done, the physical conditioning to lead by example, the self-discipline to set standards, and the maturity to recognize, acknowledge, and reward success. -GEN Colin L. Powell and CSM Robert F. Beach, "The Strength of the NCO Corps Is a National Strategic Asset." ARMY, Oct 1989, p. 48 Knowing how to talk to a soldier in trouble isn’t something you learn in a class. You learn it slowly, over the years. You learn it because you’ve been there. You learn it because you care.... I go to the unit at night to see what’s going on. I leave the door open, I sit there in civilian clothes. You’d be surprised at who comes in and starts talking. Because if they hear you’re OK, they’ll come to you. -a 1SG, in Polishing Up the Brass, 1988, pp. 101, 102 To deal with...open-ended deployment, [SFC Walter] Bell said he spent a lot of one-on-one time with his troops. "I try to keep a type of open relationship.... We sit down and talk. Not only about our mission, but what goes on back home. I ask them, ‘Are the kids OK? Are you having any financial difficulties or personal problems? If there’s something I can do for you, let me know.’" He emphasized, though, that soldiers have to care enough about their problems to speak up. "Just don’t sit back and complain and moan like a lot of soldiers do until it’s too late, and there’s nothing I can do about it." -SSG William H. McMichael, "Preparing for the Storm: Enlisted Leadership in Action." NCO Journal, Spring 1991, p. 12 Sometimes the soldier just thinks he’s got a problem. Well, if the soldier thinks he has a problem, then he really has a problem.... What NCOs and officers alike have to learn is how to listen to problems. You may have heard that problem many times before and half the time the soldier just wants to get it off his chest, but you have to listen. People will be surprised how many problems they can resolve just by being interested enough to listen. Besides, there is usually some validity in everything the soldier has to say.... Many times...a leader will receive information, guidance, or orders from above. He selects what he thinks is important and passes that to his subordinate who in turn does the same thing. By the time the word reaches the soldiers who do the work, the only thing they get is "Do it!" That’s necessary sometimes, but most of the time it’s not. NCOs, whenever possible, should take time to explain why. Soldiers will do anything you ask them to do if they know why, and why it’s important. -SMA William A. Connelly, "Chain of Command: It Links Private to President." Soldiers, Oct 1979, p. 10 An NCO needs to be able to sit a soldier down and talk about problems. Any problem important to a soldier should be important to a leader. If a soldier thinks enough of you to bring you a problem, it means he trusts you. -CPL Johnnie Lee Smith, in "What Do My Soldiers Look for in Their NCO Leaders?" Sergeants’ Business, May-Jun 1988, p. 11 [Helping] soldiers cope with personal problems...means more than referring the soldier to another person- the chaplain, a doctor, or counselor. Until the problem is resolved, you have a soldier with a problem in your unit, so it’s your problem.... Let your soldiers know what you’re doing to help them solve their problems. -FM 22-600-20, The Army Noncommissioned Officer Guide, 1980, pp. 33, 35 With the young single soldier, automobiles cause the most problems. He saves for a couple of months, long enough to make a down payment, and then goes out and buys a couple of tons of trouble. -SFC Robert N. Pearson, in "Platoon Sergeants." Soldiers, Sep 1975, p. 8 I was so wrapped up in my problems I just couldn’t realize anybody else existed. I was too busy holding my own personal "pity party." -MSG Roy Benavidez, Medal of Honor, 1995, p. 90 Soldiers can solve 98 percent of their problems by just talking to someone about them. All you have to do is listen. -SMA William G. Bainbridge, Top Sergeant, 1995, p. 346 Giving and Taking Criticism When you criticize a poor piece of work or correct a mistake, do it in such a way that the soldier does not feel that he is a failure. -The Noncom’s Guide, 1948, p. 21 Criticism leads to progress. -Harry S. Truman (former CPL and CPT), Message to Congress 1950, Harry S. Truman: The Man from Missouri, p. 46 People more often need help than criticism. -Mrs. NCO, 1969, p. 62 Listen to what soldiers have to say- they’ll tell you everything if you listen openly. Criticize and they’ll clam up. Ask what isn’t working about programs even if company statistics indicate that they are running well. Soldier comments often provide insight into ways to improve things to save time and make things more meaningful. -COL David Reaney (former NCO), in Command, Leadership, and Effective Staff Support, 1996, p. 159 I never worry about hurting the feelings of the good officers when I draw officer cartoons. I build a shoe, and if somebody wants to put it on and loudly announce that it fits, that’s his own affair. -SGT Bill Mauldin, Up Front, 1945, p. 180 Some crabby old character...would write a nasty letter about a cartoon that had annoyed him, and I would tell Jan [Furst] to write the guy and tell him to drop dead. She would write, "Dear Sir: Mr. Mauldin has asked me to inform you that he appreciates your kind letter of such and such a date, in which you were so kind as to offer a welcome criticism about such and such a cartoon, et cetera, et cetera." -Bill Mauldin, Back Home, 1947, p. 120 Evaluation Reports The Sergeant...is to ranke the Souldiers as hee shall thinke good. -The Military Garden...Instructions for All Young Souldiers, 1629, p. 3 [On promotion boards] concise, hard-hitting, factual ratings with bullet-type comments carried the most weight.... Conversely, vague, wordy, meaningless, or unsubstantiated ratings carried little weight and tended to penalize a soldier. -CSM Richard N. Wilson, "Bridge the Gap." Engineer, Apr 1992, p. 73 Don’t use puff ball bullets [on NCOERs]. Puff balls are phrases like "held his men accountable" or "enforced standards." -Larry G. Hibbs, in "Bullets Can Kill an NCO-ER." Recruiter, Feb 1994, p. 8 Over the years, I have developed my personal system for evaluating someone’s performance during his or her tour of duty. You won’t find it on the NCOER or the awards citation, it’s just a question I ask myself as a soldier departs the unit. The question is: "Is the unit better off because he or she was assigned here?" -CSM Jimmie W. Spencer, "SMA Richard A. Kidd- A Great Soldier." AUSA News, Apr 1995, p. 6 Write bullets [for NCOERs] without any adjectives first. Get the incident in there first, then go back and put adjectives in like they’re diamonds.... The best rule of thumb is: the more specific, the better. A bullet comment should be one or two lines and should illustrate what a soldier did to receive a particular rating.... If you’re doing the counseling properly, you’re writing the bullets down each quarter. So when it comes time to do the evaluation, it’s easier, because you’ve gone over the bullets two or three times during counseling. -SGM Walter Avery, in "NCOERs: Making Bullets Count." Soldiers, Oct 1995, p. 22 I always used to say, "In order for me to write a good report on your work, you have to do something that I can write about." -Edward J. Scheffelin (former NCO and officer), in Command, Leadership, and Effective Staff Support, 1996, p. 30 If you...do your job to the best of your ability, the rest seems to take care of itself. In all honesty, I’ve never worried about a promotion or an efficiency report. I’ve always gotten reports that were accurate, and I’ve always gotten promoted fairly. I can’t say that I was always pleased with those reports, but looking back on them now, they were fair. That’s how hard it is to be a good NCO. -SMA Julius W. Gates, "Noncom Know How." Soldiers, Aug 1987, p. 21 [NCOs in the British Army] were always the subject of special attention in the review reports: e.g. those of the 20th Foot in Oct, 1753 were described as "Alert in their Duty without the smallest Confusion Noise or Bustle"; and those in the 38th Foot in May, 1787, appeared "very Soldier like, & keep up a strict Discipline." -J. A. Houlding, Fit for Service: The Training of the British Army, 1715-1795, pp. 270-271 [Extracts from the first recorded efficiency report in the files of the War Department:] "Lower Senaca Town, August 15, 1813. Sir: I forward a list of the officers of the 27th Regt. of Infty. arranged agreeably to rank. Annexed thereto you will find all the observations I deem necessary to make. Respectfully, I am, Sir, Yo. Obt. Servt. (Signed) Brig. Gen: Recognition Special attention will be given to...the public recognition through news releases, orders, and other appropriate means of the accomplishments and importance of the noncommissioned officers. -War Department Circular 70, Noncommissioned Officers, 1944, p. 1 A man who tries to do his best should get credit for it. -The Noncom’s Guide, 1957, p. 128 Be quicker with a pat on the back than with a kick in the pants- it goes further. -DA Pam 350-13, Guide for Platoon Sergeants, 1967, p. 4 A pat on the back- applied at the proper moment in the circumstances- can have a dramatic influence in developing a leader. -SMA William G. Bainbridge, "First, and Getting Firster." ARMY, Oct 1975, p. 24 We have a lot of civilians here, and when the young soldiers see them getting awards with checks attached, the soldiers get down if they don’t get some kind of recognition too. -1SG Joe Golden, in "Top Duty." Soldiers, Jul 1984, p. 10 Some of you old soldiers out there who have perhaps grown a bit cynical and too sophisticated for ceremonies think you have the option to decline an awards ceremony for yourself. ("Sir, just give me the orders, and I’ll sew on my stripes tonight in the privacy of my home," you might say; or "Sir, don’t go to the trouble of setting up an awards ceremony; you can just give me the citation right here in your office;" or "I’ll reenlist, sir, with just you, the REUP NCO, one witness, the flag, and myself in your office.") Does that sound familiar? Stop a minute to consider how selfish that sounds as opposed to how selfless you are supposed to be as a leader. A military ceremony is not yours even if you are the sole reason for the ceremony. It belongs to all soldiers. Don’t miss any opportunity to stop and recognize well-deserving soldiers, especially the opportunity to reward young soldiers receiving their first awards or advancements- a simple tradition of our Army, packed with a powerful stimulus for soldiers. -CSM Joshua Perry, "Regimental Command Sergeant Major." Military Police, Dec 1990, p. 5 Leaders miss an excellent opportunity if they fail to pin an expert infantryman’s badge to the chest of a soldier who completes the grueling competition. Public ceremonies with dignitaries and families can follow, but the soldier will never be prouder than the moment he earns the expert infantryman’s badge or any badge of distinction. -CSM Ron R. Semon and LTC Cole C. Kingseed, "Instilling Pride." NCO Journal, Winter 1993, p. 4 Recognition of hard work and success in the military comes in many forms starting with a supervisor telling the subordinate how much the unit and military community profited by this soldier’s sacrifice, loyalty, attitude, dedication, and hard work. Other forms of recognition include specific, descriptive bullets in official evaluations, presentation of mementos, and recommendation for awards. These methods of appreciation are all significant. The verbal pat on the back can be a meaningful memory; the memento can be displayed with pride; the evaluation bullets become, hopefully, part of a pattern of service that promotion boards recognize; but the approved award is something special- posted in the soldier’s permanent file for all to see and worn on the service uniforms for all semi-formal and formal occasions.... Remember that an award is for those who significantly exceed standards and cause the unit and/or military community to be better than it was before the soldier’s arrival. Awards given for a specific act or achievement speak for themselves. Doing your job well is what you are trained and paid to do. Take pride in that and enjoy the good things your bosses tell you, but do not think this automatically means you are going to get an award. When you receive an award, appreciate it for the statement it makes, even if it is not the level of award you think you deserve, or were recommended for. Concentrate not on the rewards for doing a good job, but instead on doing a good job. Rewards will always come if the mission is completed and your people are taken care of. The first and most important reward is your own satisfaction and pride of accomplishment. Anything else is just "gravy." -CSM Brent H. Cottrell, "Leadership- Awards." AUSA files, no date or page number [The Public Affairs Office] can help you recognize soldiers.... Wherever I travel, I encourage the first sergeants and command sergeants major of installations and units to make better use of their PA personnel. -SMA Richard A. Kidd, in "No Kidding." Public Affairs Update, Jan-Feb 1995, pp. 17, 16 Each calendar year HQDA selects a theme that highlights an area of vital importance to the Army. Think back on the themes of previous years. Reflect on their meaning: Yorktown- Spirit of Victory, Physical Fitness, Leadership, Family, Values, Constitution, Excellence, Training. What do they have in common? They embody the essence of our Army and our American way of life.... This year’s theme, in keeping with the collective meaning of past themes, is "The NCO." This year attention is focused on those of us who wear the chevrons. I don’t believe that the activities of this year’s theme should dwell on past accomplishments or "Rah-Rah, we NCOs are great" speeches. Rather, it should be a year of self-evaluation.... By selecting Year of The NCO as the 1989 theme, the Army has demonstrated the trust and confidence it has in our time-honored Corps. It also has recognized the vital importance of our role within its ranks. -CSM Joshua Perry, "Regimental Command Sergeant Major." Military Police, Jan 1989, pp. 3, 21 When a soldier exceeds the norm, whether it be personal or for the organization, you need to immediately recognize the achievement in a memorable and unique way. The more creative and unique you are...the more enjoyable [it] will be, not only for the soldier and yourself but others. Think globally. Arrange for a senior leader- company commander, first sergeant, or post sergeant major- to have lunch or dinner with some of your soldiers. Talk to the people at the dining facility and arrange it.... Dedicate a parking space.... A variety of command information channels can publicize a soldier’s accomplishments.... Base newspapers normally run soldier features and highlight the accomplishments of service school graduates, winners of NCO and soldier boards, including the names of top NCO course graduates. Unit bulletin boards are the perfect place for "walls of fame" to showcase important unit events through photos of promotions, reenlistments, and award ceremonies.... Sometimes, just a hand-written "thank you" on a card can mean a lot. -CSM Christine Seitzinger, "Reward Your Huns." NCO Journal, Winter 1996, p. 5 [When WWII was over and Field Marshal Sir William Slim] spoke of what his army had done, it was always "you," not even "we," and never "I." -George MacDonald Fraser (former Lance-CPL), Quartered Safe Out Here, p. 37 Medals are lasting mementos of meritorious actions: they survive changes of fortune and station, are cherished with pride and reverence by descendants. -Customs of Service for Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers, 1865, p. 272 The Value of Recognition from NCOs In all my years in the Army, among all the citations, medals, and promotions, I never appreciated any tribute more than I did [one] sergeant’s words at [a] low point. -GEN Colin L. Powell, My American Journey, 1995, p. 194 NCOs are the toughest judges in the world because they live in the hardest area- where the rubber meets the road. Therefore, if they think you have done well, it really means something. -C. I. Yamamoto, in A Treasury of NCO Quotations, 1997, no page number With senior non-commissioned officers throughout the National Capitol Region gathered at the Fort Myer NCO-Enlisted Club, [Secretary of Defense William J.] Perry received membership in two of the Army’s most prestigious NCO clubs- the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club and the Sergeant Morales Club. Perry was also presented with the Enlisted Sword.... He said his certificates for membership in the Audie Murphy and Sergeant Morales clubs will join the one in his office proclaiming him an honorary sergeant-major, which is one of his proudest possessions. -C. Tyler Jones, "Perry Receives Enlisted Honors at Myer." Pentagram, 17 Jan 1997, p. 5 Correction I love my soldiers, but if they’re wrong, they’re wrong and they know it. -1SG Walter Cason, in "Top Duty." Soldiers, Jul 1984, p. 8 Men who try to avoid small routine duties, such as policing around quarters, etc., should be given at once a task of a harder nature. -Noncommissioned Officers’ Manual, 1917, p. 42 One cannot overlook any indiscipline or dishonesty. If these things are not stopped quickly small matters will become large ones. -RSM Lou Drouet, in On the Word of Command, 1990, p. 148 The leaders who are tough on subordinates and tell it like it is are the ones who really care. Leaders who let subordinates do sloppy work are the ones who don’t care. -CW2 Landy Flowers (former NCO), in A Treasury of NCO Quotations, 1997, no page number Implicit in the use of corrective action is the belief that the soldier concerned can, with proper guidance, become an efficient and competent soldier.... Punitive and corrective actions build perceptions that substandard job performance or noncompliance with orders will consistently result in unpleasant consequences for the soldier. -FM 22-600-20, The Duties, Responsibilities and Authority of NCO’s, 1977, pp. 32, 35 Many a first-rate leader- many of the very best- have never in all their careers found it necessary to form the habit of being tough in manner toward their subordinates. You will be a far better leader if you can always come close to showing firmness, understanding, and sympathy in the right mixture. You can show the utmost firmness without getting tough. And if you can do that, you salvage the maximum of human morale even when you have to give severe punishment. -"The Noncom." Infantry, Sep 1945, p. 7 Some officers and non-commissioned officers have the impression that their men admire the leader who can administer a severe tongue lashing. Too often this is a case of the officer’s being unable to control his anger, accepting every offense as a personal challenge to his authority. -TGGS Special Text No. 1, Leadership for the Company Officer, 1949, p. 58 By the nature of things, some men being intelligent and conscientious and other men being the worst of villains, both leadership and force are necessary; for while all men appreciate leadership, the villain is not likely to respect it unless the force is real and readily apparent. -SFC E. Lafayette Deal, "The Failure of Ex-Corporal Flump." ARMY, Feb 1958, p. 40 Retirement [is] the hidden goal of the Sleeping Bear.... He avoids leadership positions.... He is quick to criticize his PT instructor about what he saw from the office window.... The many months of hibernation and lack of activity have caused him to develop degenerating arthritis, particularly in his backbone. He is quick to recommend a troop receive punishment for minor violations rather than identify the problem and solve it. -CSM James W. Frye and SFC Michael L. Davis, "Straight Talk." Military Police, Summer 1984, p. 3 We must rid our ranks of those nonproductive "stripe bearers" who make up a small but cancerous portion of our corps. -MSG Archer W. Miller, "Strengthening the Backbone." Engineer, Summer 1980, p. 7 Recommend bars to reenlistment or elimination actions if appropriate. Weeding out the bad soldiers will encourage the good soldiers to stay. -FM 22-600-20, The Army Noncommissioned Officer Guide, 1980, p. 36 The bar to reenlistment signals the fourth quarter in a contest where there is no overtime for a lucky play in a sudden-death play-off. The final score is for keeps. It is a blunt warning that professionalism is the norm and not the exception. -SMA William G. Bainbridge, "First, and Getting Firster." ARMY, Oct 1975, p. 24 Punishment A Serjeant hath power to beat both with his Halbert and his Sword. -Military Essayes of the Ancient Grecian, Roman, and Modern Art of War, 1671, p. 220 Focus on punishing the act that a person committed, not the person. And when a subordinate stubs his toe, don’t stomp on his foot. -Michael L. Selves (former NCO), in A Treasury of NCO Quotations, 1997, no page number The outstanding NCO does not hesitate to punish when the situation calls for it. Your soldiers expect you to know exactly what that situation is. They expect you to punish them when they fail because they do not try hard enough, or just do not care. They do not expect punishment when they fail because of a lack of ability, or circumstances beyond their control. Soldiers want you to take the proper action, to punish them when warranted, but not for you to report them to the company commander, and recommend an Article 15 for disciplinary actions that they know you are authorized to administer, and that you are responsible for doing so. What do your soldiers see when punishment is required? -CSM John W. Gillis, "NCO Leadership at the Company Level." Armor, Nov-Dec 1981, p. 9 NCOs serve an important role as advisors to commanders in deciding how to deal with a soldier accused of an offense. Misconduct should be dealt with at the lowest level that will meet the needs of the Army, the unit, and the soldier. Although the commander has final responsibility for this decision, your advice as an NCO should weigh heavily. Your candid assessment of the soldier’s strengths and weaknesses is a great help. Especially valuable is your estimate of the soldier’s potential for rehabilitation. -SGM Carlo Roquemore, "How NCOs Support Military Justice." Sergeants’ Business, Mar-Apr 1990, pp. 2-3 Don’t punish soldiers who are unable to perform a task; punish only those who are unwilling or unmotivated to succeed. -TC 22-6, The Army Noncommissioned Officer Guide, 1990, p. 33 [The Sergeant Major must banish] uglie crimes oute of the Companies of his Regiment. -A Discourse of Military Discipline, 1634, p. 33 Anger If by chance [the sergeant should be] angrie with any Souldier of his, (in turninge his backe he is to forget that furie) and afterwardes sheowe him selfe amiable and lovinge, and soe they cominge to the knoledge of his [humors], they shall have the more care not to anger him. -A Discourse of Military Discipline, 1634, p. 15 An officer or noncommissioned officer who loses his temper and flies into a tantrum has failed to obtain his first triumph in discipline. -Noncommissioned Officers’ Manual, 1917, p. 33 When a soldier is threatened, he feels anger, fear, or despair, depending on his estimate of his ability to cope with the situation. Anger is a good sign; it usually indicates a high level of confidence. The leader’s problem with an angry soldier is to channel that angry behavior in the right direction. -1SG Walter D. Stock, "Leading to Confidence." Infantry, May-Jun 1978, p. 24 If you react to anger with anger, too often you have a situation deteriorated beyond repair. If you respond calmly and professionally, you can frequently achieve a responsive, professional resolution for the situation.... If you respond to anger with anger, there are then two angry people instead of one. -Michael L. Selves (former NCO), in Command, Leadership, and Effective Staff Support, 1996, pp. 104, 105 Setting, Maintaining, and Enforcing Standards People talk a lot about Ranger battalions. Every unit in the Army could be like a Ranger unit. What the Rangers have is a high set of standards that the leadership and the soldiers must meet. The leadership demands and ensures standards are met. -SMA Glen E. Morrell, "As the SMA Sees It." Army Trainer, Fall 1984, pp. 22-23 Any time we see something wrong and don’t correct it, we lose some of the professionalism that earns our soldiers’ respect and confidence. Each time we look the other way and ignore a minor deficiency because we’re in a hurry or it’s not that important, it becomes easier to overlook other things. We tend to let more slide until, one day, we overlook something that causes an accident. With luck, it only costs damaged equipment. All too often the price is an injured or dead soldier. -SMA Glen E. Morrell, "Safety and the NCO." Ordnance, Winter 1986, p. 45 Enforcing the standards is a tough job. It requires intestinal fortitude and impartial fairness. -SMA Julius W. Gates, "Sergeant to Sergeant." Sergeants’ Business, Mar-Apr 1988, p. 4 I don’t know what possesses a professional who has been around five, ten, or 20 years to turn his or her back and walk away from a deficiency. The first tenet of our behavior as professionals must be to never do this. -SMA William A. Connelly, "NCOs: It’s Time to Get Tough." ARMY, Oct 1981, p. 31 When you see an operation being performed incorrectly, take the time to stop and correct the deficiency. If you fail to do this, you have just established a lower standard. -Army National Guard Noncommissioned Officer Handbook, 1989, p. D-13 In the summer of 1991, the Sergeants Major Academy hosted a German Forces Noncommissioned Officer conference. One of the conferees, a former East German Army Sergeant Major...said all East German soldiers believed that American morale and discipline were poor and the only thing holding American soldiers in their units was the threat of severe punishment. Then he startled us with the following statement. "I see now that is not true.... I am struck by the high standards practiced by the sergeants in your armed forces. I will take these standards back with me to my place of duty in the former East and try to make them work there." -"‘Magic’ Standards and the East German Visitor." NCO Journal, Winter 1995, p. 7 Too often, we accept word of mouth as the standard.... Always use the Army standard as your base, then build on it. -SFC Lawrence Kordosky, "OREs Just Tools of the Trade." NCO Journal, Spring 1995, p. 17 You often hear people say that while in command you have to start off tough and then you can ease up. This is not always the case. As a commander, if you think standards need to be tightened, you’ll be surprised what NCOs can and will do if you ask them. -COL Donald L. Langridge, in A Treasury of NCO Quotations, 1997, no page number Whenever the company commander and 1SG try to raise unit standards, they may encounter some resistance at first. But as the unit begins to experience success this will change, and then the soldiers will want the unit to succeed. -LTC William F. Lemnitzer and 1SG Armour R. Brown, in A Treasury of NCO Quotations, 1997, no page number The Army is a wonderful place to serve as an NCO and officer because we have a standard for everything- dress, discipline, maintenance, and training.... The only time we get in difficulty as leaders is when we do not know what the standard is or we do not enforce the standard. -CSM Bill Peters, quoted by GEN Carl E. Vuono, Collected Works, 1991, pp. 97, 71
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