ALS DL Test 2 PDF 2 Part a this shi long af

Integrity

Integrity for a follower means basically the same as it does for a leader. It's being honest, especially to the leader, practicing ethical behavior, and accepting responsibility for your actions. It means doing the right thing, even when it's not easy to do.

Perceptions

It is said that, "Perception is the reception and deception of your conception." In other words, what we observe and experience becomes our "reality" until we are convinced or proven otherwise. Our assumptions, prejudices, social biases contribute to our perceptions and shape how we think and feel. This can present life-long effects on how we live our lives. Remember, perception is our reality until convinced or proven otherwise. To change your perception, you may need a different viewpoint, or perspective

Job Enlargement

Job Enlargement occurs when you give an individual a wider range of tasks. For example, after training a new subordinate on one task, you add another task to increase his or her knowledge. After a year of fulfilling certain responsibilities, it's time to increase the expectations. You can't expect your subordinates to fully develop if you never give them increased responsibilities with new duties. This is where job enrichment can help.

Job Enrichment

Job Enrichment occurs when you offer someone more high-level motivators like more responsibility, freedom, or autonomy. These are all aspects that appeal to your subordinates as human beings, so their motivation could remain higher. For example, your subordinate has proven that they can handle added responsibility. So, you make him or her team leader for a large project.

Job rotation

Job Rotation is systematically moving subordinates from one job to another within the entire range of possible tasks. This keeps workers from being bored, and it allows everyone an opportunity to learn all aspects of a work center. When subordinates know all aspects of a work center, you're promoting well-roundedness that could lead to career progression opportunities. This also promotes fairness in your work center, which will help relationships with your subordinates.

It is a long-term view and concentrates on the future and can provide the "how well" when it comes to accomplishing one's mission.

Just as the team must know and understand the mission and vision, they must also understand what is expected of them to accomplish that mission. If the leader does not clearly articulate Expectations, the outcome may not be what the team needs. Leaders must articulate Guidelines showing appropriate ways to fulfill the Expectations. All together these concepts look like this: The team or work center has a Vision, which is where you desire to be, an ideal state, where the team wants to go according to the values important to the team. The required actions to work toward the Vision are included in the Mission, which is why the team or work center exists. The Expectations are the particular standard to which the actions to accomplish the Mission must be performed. Finally, there are certain ways the Expectations should or should not be accomplished; these are the Guidelines. Understanding all of these will make will make the team more effective. There is one individual that is responsible for projecting and articulating the vision, mission, expectations, and guidelines.

Rater Evaluation Errors

The ultimate goal of a supervisor (rater) should be objectivity when evaluating another person. However, human nature causes personal feelings, opinions, or judgments to creep into the evaluation process. Subjectivity means to base your evaluations on feelings or opinions rather than facts. A good supervisor is objective when evaluating his/her Airmen. Make every effort to ensure your evaluations are objective. Recognize when your personal feelings and bias begin to surface and separate them from the evaluation process. In the end, evaluations must be fair, accurate, and honest.

Central Tendency

The tendency to evaluate all people as average regardless of differences in performance.

Leniency

The tendency to evaluate all people as outstanding and to give inflated ratings rather than true assessments of performance.

Harshness

The tendency to evaluate all people at the low end of the scale/overly critical of performance.

First Impression Error

The tendency to evaluate based on first impression (favorable or unfavorable) and ignore subsequent information (positive or negative).

Halo Effect

The tendency to evaluate based on one outstanding (positive) trait or characteristic of a person. The one trait or characteristic influences all other areas of performance, resulting in an unduly high overall performance rating.

Recency

The tendency to evaluate people based on the most recent performance, instead of the performance over the entire rating period.

Vision Statements

Vision Statement: A statement of what an organization, workcenter, or team would like to achieve and/or look like in the future.

Perspectives

We all have our own perspective or "take" on things based on our position on particular subjects, issues, and matters that relate or are important to us. It is how we mentally view or "see" a situation or the world around us from a particular angle. Otherwise regarded as opinions or personal views, our perspective is like prescription glasses (spectacles) in that the visions they help create can positively and negatively affect how we live, interact, react to others, and perceive the environment

Standards

are morals, ethics, or habits established by an authority, custom, or an individual as accepted behavior.

Reporting officials

are the official in your chain of command designated by management to provide performance feedback and initiate performance reports.

NCO Authority

is defined as "the right to act and command", and is complimented by three legal sources found within the UCMJ: Article 91, Article 92, and Article 7.

A Letter of Counseling (LOC

is merely the recording of an infraction. It's a formal way of describing an acceptable behavior so that the receiver cannot fail to understand it.

The Unfavorable Information File (UIF

provides commanders with an official repository of substantiated derogatory data concerning an Air Force member's personal conduct and duty performance.

Related to this perception is the amount of needed/desired information a leader has access to and shares with others. These factors contribute to the leader's personal power. Personal power consists of

referent, expert, and information power

The Air Force demonstrates the characteristics of a diversity-supportive organization by developing and maintaining comprehensive diversity initiatives to enhance the all-volunteer Total Force. It is through these initiatives that the Air Force:

Ensures all qualified personnel are welcome in America's Air Force. Educates and trains all personnel on the importance of diversity, including mutual respect. Promotes a culture that values inclusion of all personnel. Ensures that all personnel in the Total Force understand they are valued and have the opportunity to achieve their full potential while contributing to the mission of the Air Force.

The below is a brief synopsis of the official repeal effective 20 September 2011:

Treat all service members with dignity, respect, fairness, and equality, regardless of sexual orientation. Make decisions, take actions, and display behaviors that are nothing less than professional. Maintain good order and discipline. Ensure service members under your supervision: o are treated with dignity, respect, fairness, and equality, regardless of sexual orientation, o treat others with dignity, respect, fairness, and equality, regardless of sexual orientation, and o make decisions, take actions, and display behaviors that are nothing less than professional.

Whatever level of leadership issues written disciplinary actions, ensure the following criteria are stated:

What the member did or failed to do, citing specific incidents and respective dates The expected improvement Further deviations may result in more severe actions The individual has three duty days to submit documents to the initiator for his/her consideration (due process). This ensures fairness to the Airman, and also gives the initiator the "full story" to help him/her make an informed decision for the document's disposition That all supporting documents from the individual will become part of the official

When you establish standards, you will need to keep four attributes in mind:

achievable/attainable specific (clearly defined) observable (behavior can be seen) measurable (using quality, quantity, and timeliness)

FOUR ATTRIBUTES OF EFFECTIVE STANDARDS

achievable/attainable (realistic, within reach, yet possible to exceed) specific (clearly defined, expressed without vagueness, unambiguous) observable (behavior and results of the behavior can be seen) measurable (using elements of timeliness, quality, quantity -TQ2

Advice:

"An opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action or conduct."

One more article that will provide you legal authority as an NCO is Article 7,

"Apprehension." As an NCO, the UCMJ authorizes you to apprehend individuals in certain situations. If you truly believe a crime is about to happen, (drinking and driving, fighting, sexual assault, etc.) try and stop it from happening without placing yourself into jeopardy. Using your rank/authority, order the individual to turn over the keys, go back to his or her room, or separate the Airmen quarreling. If the Airmen disobey your direct order, you have the authority to "quell quarrels, frays, and disorders among persons subject to [the UCMJ] and to apprehend persons subject to [the UCMJ] who take part therein.7 To apprehend someone, you must verbally inform the person you are apprehending him or her, and clearly inform the individual why you are doing so.

The second source of your legal authority from the UCMJ is Article 92 is entitled

"Failure to obey an order or regulation." This article covers anyone who 1) has a duty to obey an order; 2) has knowledge of the order and 3) violates or fails to obey the lawful order or regulation. Before flexing this "muscle" of the UCMJ, consider that if the accused attempted the task, but was unable to complete it due to lack of training or ability, you should not pursue disciplinary or punitive actions

One of the three legal sources of your NCO Authority is Article 91 of the UCMJ

"Insubordinate conduct toward a warrant officer, noncommissioned officer, or petty officer." This article ensures others obey NCOs' orders and protects NCOs from assault, insult, or disrespect.

EPME uses the following working definition for deliberate development plan

"To carefully think about and discuss strengths, areas of improvement, current and future roles, and responsibilities with followers for the purpose of creating a detailed plan (or expanding an existing one) that intentionally and methodically develops personal and professional growth over time."

Webster's dictionary defines teamwork as:

"Work done by several associates with each doing a part, but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole."

The Department of Defense Dictionary defines mission as,

"the task, together with the purpose, that clearly indicates the action to be taken and the reason therefore...a duty assigned to an individual or unit; a task." Regardless of specialty, organization, duty location, or rank; as Airmen, it is our purpose to proudly serve the American People and partner nations by accomplishing the Air Force mission: "Fly, fight and win...in air, space, and cyberspace."

Above

- In order to do this, a leader must know about and tap into various resources which may include: Other people who have skills and who are willing to mentor - Knowing about the organization's budget, including the process for requesting funds and other types of support - Various outside agencies (Airmen and Family Readiness Center, Family Advocacy, AMS for special duty opportunities, etc.) - PME requirements, seat availability, and opportunities (e.g. instructor, adjunct instructor, etc.) - Eligibility (promotion, special duty assignments, deployments, TDYs, etc.) - Private Organizations (AFSA, Toast Masters, 5/6, etc.)

The final PLDP consists of four parts:

-- Part I: Personal Values -- Part II: Leadership Vision Statement -- Part III: Strengths and Improvement Areas -- Part IV: Development Action Plan

The PLDP must address the following:

-- Part I: Personal Values --- List your top 5 personal values in order of importance (i.e., compassion, teamwork, etc.) and provide a brief description of what the value means to you and how each value impacts your life and your potential leadership effectiveness --- These 5 values should be an addition to the AF Force Core Values. While the core values are extremely important, they are 'organizational' values. The student must focus on 'personal' values. -- Part II: Leadership Vision Statement --- In 300-400 words, capture the type of leader you want to be and what you want to accomplish as a leader in a vision statement. --- Visualize yourself as a leader in the future --- Use the personal values you identified in Part I as a foundation -- Part III: Strengths and Improvement Areas --- Based on the information you learned about yourself in this course from the lesson concepts, self-assessments, and peer and instructor feedback: --- List 3 personal strengths and briefly explain why each is a strength --- List 3 areas of improvement and explain why each area needs work -- Part IV: Development Action Plan: --- Using the information from Part III, compose an action plan to help guide your development over the next 3-5 years. Focus your attention on your 3 strengths and 3 improvement areas you would like to work on. When developing your action plan, answer the following questions: --- What are you going to improve/continue to develop? --- How are you going to improve/continue to develop the area? --- Timeframe? How long do you need to work on that area? --- Resources needed? Do you need any resources to help (i.e., additional training)? --- How will you measure success? -- While completing Part IV, make sure all elements of the Development Action Plan are SMART: --- Specific - What, when, why and how --- Measurable - How are you going to know if you've met your goal? --- Acceptable - Can you do it? --- Realistic - Is your plan really going to work? --- Timeframe - How long is it going to take you?

Factors to Consider When Diagnosing the Developmental Needs of Airmen.

-Aspirations are what an individual hopes to attain or has to desire to accomplish. As leaders, you should communicate with Airmen to find out what their aspirations are, which will help you develop their needs and desires. -Personality is how an individual usually behaves or thinks (introvert, extrovert, Type A or B. By taking into account your Airmen's personalities, you can make educated guesses about how they may act in different situations. -Self-concept is based how an individual may think and feel about their selves and on feedback from external sources (how others see them). By knowing how people see themselves and how they believe others see them, we can gain insight into the actions they take. -Attitude is when an individual responds positively or negatively to a person, place, thing or situation and values are beliefs that an individual regards as very important.

Responsibilities of the Team Member

-Communication Skills In the case of the team member, the purpose of communication is primarily to provide accurate information to other team members and the team leader. This information serves as a basis for decision making, education, and training. Additionally, interpersonal skills become very important for team members as they interact with other members on the team. -Human Relation Skills Team members must be aware of how their ability to relate to, and get along with, other members of the team directly influences the success of the team. They should also be cognizant of factors that motivate other members on the team and work toward building an environment of harmony. -Participation Skills Input sought by the group dictates much of a team member's participation. Members need to be assertive and respectful and always seek out opportunities to be creative. This area is very important for the member to understand because this is something that the Leader cannot accomplish alone; the leader must have participation from all of the members for the team to operate to its full capacity. When all members of a team participate, the synergy created increases the team's problem solving capability exponentially.

Pre-session

1) Diagnose what type of feedback (communication) you will deliver. 2) Start by downloading the most current copy of the Airman Comprehensive Assessment (ACA) worksheet, AF FM 931 from www.e-publishing.af.mil . 3) First, fill out the top portion of the ACA (Sections I. and II.) and give the form (e-mail or in-person) to your Airmen so they can complete Section III. 4) After your Airman (ratee) completes the self-assessment, he or she will return the ACA to you. Once you have the ACA back in your hands you can begin to plan for the session.

Performance Standards

A performance standard is a description of a level of performance against which an Airman's performance is measured. Quite a few standards are already established for Airmen in various AFIs. As a supervisor and leader you must give some thought to what your personal standards are. That being said, you must meet or exceed the standards you set for your Airmen. There's nothing worse than a leader who says one thing and does the opposite. Always make sure the performance standards you set meet the attributes of an effective standard, as discussed in the Standards and Discipline lesson.

Preparing for the Feedback Session (initial and midterm

1) Review your Airman's (ratee's) answers for the self-assessment portion of the ACA. If your Airman answers "N" for needs more information, then you must research the answer and add it to your discussion notes. If your Airman answers "Y" Yes for all the categories then you should still be prepared to discuss these areas with your Airman. Think of a few open-ended questions you would like to ask your Airman. Open-ended questions begin with words like how, why, what, etc. Spend time discussing these areas with your Airmen. Open-ended questions will spark conversation and help you learn more about your Airman. Have a few personal examples/experiences to share with your Airman in regards to Responsibility, Accountability, Air Force Culture, and the importance of Self (goals, family, quality time, etc.). 2) Next, complete Section IV. Airman's Critical Role in Support of the Mission using the bullet format you learned earlier in the section on Job Descriptions. During your feedback sessions, you should be prepared to discuss and explain your Airman's critical role in support of the mission to them and answer any questions they may have. 3) Contact your Unit Deployment Manager to complete Section V. Note: if your Airman is brand new to the base, ensure he or she understands the process for completing medical and deployment readiness requirements.

By adhering to the following, you'll have a better chance of your ideas being accepted.

1. Control your emotions. 2. Offer proposed solutions to problems. 3. Recognize the importance of timing. 4. Use the chain of command properly.

Use the following aids to assist in creating your PLDP:

1. List issues you are more self-aware of based on this course. Areas to pull from include but are not limited: strengths, self-reflective opportunities, and communication assignments. 2. List items you want to consider when developing your plan (see attachment 3 below). 3. List questions this course raises for you that require further exploration/research on your part? 4. What would you consider to be your top five leadership strengths? 5. What are your strongest personality traits (good or bad)? 6. What is your preferred team role? 7. Consider the four domains of wellness: spiritual, emotional, physical, and social. What things in each domain, if any, do you need to work on to help strengthen your resiliency?

expert

A person's expert power is his/her special knowledge or skills related to the job. For example, you might have a person in your work center that is the "go to guy" for a particular task. This person has expert power because he/she knows the most about the task.

Developing our Airmen is an ongoing process that requires leaders to:

1. Recognize and diagnose the unique capabilities of each Airman in their work center using the same skills described in this lesson. Those capabilities may include any skills, talents, experiences, personality temperaments, etc. each Airman may have that can contribute to current and future mission accomplishment. 2. Diagnose the developmental needs of Airmen and then assist them with personal and professional developmental needs that fulfill current or future job/role and responsibilities. a. Professional development needs may include off-duty education, PME, specific skill training, additional training, professional development seminars/courses, and communication skills etc. b. Personal developmental needs may include relationships, interpersonal skills, communication skills, supervisory skills, off-duty education, etc. Leaders can use the same diagnosing skill described previously (taking a look at the situation, environment, and person) to determine what is going on with an individual, which will help with diagnosing their developmental needs.

Decorations

3) Decorations: According to AFI 36-2803, Air Force Military Awards and Decorations Program, "Copies of performance reports (i.e., EPRs/OPRs) covering the award period are mandatory to justify all decoration recommendations for the Meritorious Service Medal

Diversity-Supportive Organization

A "diversity-supportive" organization embraces all aspects of diversity and exhibits the following five characteristics:

A Letter of Admonishment (LOA) is more severe than a LOC. It's used to document clear violations of standard

A Letter of Reprimand (LOR) is more severe than a LOA. It's also used to document clear violations of standard and is used for more serious offenses.

Groups

A group is an assemblage of persons or objects located or gathered together. From this, it is worth noting that all teams are groups, but not all groups are teams. The distinguishing factor seems to revolve around the collective effort toward a shared goal that all teams demonstrate.

New Goal:

A new goal often sends teams back to the storming stage as they determine a new strategy or plan and reassign roles. Explaining the reason for the change in mission (creating a felt need for the change) and encouraging participation in role selection while cultivating a cooperative environment can minimize the time spent in the storming stage

Stereotypes

A stereotype is a "fixed or distorted generalization about ALL members of a particular group that share a particular diversity characteristic (see Figure 1)." These images are often fueled by mass media, reputations passed on by parents, peers, and other members of society. Stereotyping is a way we simplify our social world by "chunking" people into sub-categories. This results in social categorization, potentially creating prejudice attitudes and what is known as in-groups and out-groups

Teams

A team is a group organized to work together. This may seem like a simple definition, but it consists of a few critical attributes worthy of examination: - a group - organized - work together

Regression of a Team's Development

A team proceeds through these stages only as far, and as fast, as its members are willing to grow. Each member must be prepared to give up something at each stage to make the move to the next stage. Here are some causes for regressing and methods to assist in recovering a high-performance team.

Job Descriptions (Key Duties, Tasks, and Responsibilities on AF FM 910

AFI 36-2406 establishes the below criteria for writing a job description for your Airmen on their performance evaluation; however, you should also include the job description on the initial feedback form. • Comments in bullet format are mandatory • Limit text to four lines • Enter information about the position the rate held in the unit and the nature or level of job responsibilities. • The job description must reflect the uniqueness of each ratee's job • Be specific--include level of responsibility, number of people supervised, dollar value of resources accountable for/projects managed, etc. • Make it clear; use plain English • Avoid Jargon, acronyms, and topical references-- they obscure rather than clarify meaning • You may mention previous jobs held during the reporting period only if it impacts the evaluation.

Adapting

Adapting involves adjusting your behaviors and other resources based on what you have diagnosed in a way that helps close the gap between the current situation and what you want to achieve. As a leader, the style of leadership you use and the approach you take are two predominant components that determine your behavior. Equally important is the approach you choose to take. Webster defines approach as "the method used in dealing with or affecting something" and method as "the procedures and techniques characteristic of a particular discipline or field of knowledge

As explained in AFI 36-2618, the Enlisted Force Structure

Airmen and NCOs are expected to "demonstrate effective followership by enthusiastically supporting, explaining, and promoting leaders' decisions."36,37 Therefore, we must be very familiar with existing diversity issues and fully understand the decisions made by our leadership

Team Schedule:

Altering a team's schedule can affect performance because activities and roles usually change too. These changes cause stress, which leads to conflict (storming). Leaders anticipate the potential for elevated tension and take steps to mitigate conflict by maintaining open channels of communication and encouraging members to communicate their concerns.

Once the AF Form 910 is completed and reviewed by all parties involved, the subordinate must acknowledge receipt of the report. This acknowledgment has to happen prior to the report becoming a matter of record. He or she will review and verify all dates, markings, and comments on the form. Address significant discrepancies and administrative errors at this time, and correct them if all parties agree. The subordinate is required to sign the form whether or not he or she agrees with the report; it's an acknowledgement of the report, not a concurrence. AFI 36-2401, Officer and Enlisted Evaluation Systems, explains how to dispute a report

Although EPRs are an important part of the Enlisted Evaluation System, there are other reports supervisors must complete in order to keep track of their subordinates' performance. Some examples of reporting are updating OJT records on AF Forms 623, signing someone off on his or her proficiency training, and writing award packages (AF Form 1206). When you follow all the discussed steps in the performance evaluation process, these reports will be much easier to complete. You should now see how supervisors use the performance evaluation process to guide subordinates' development. You can help develop your subordinates' skills so they can effectively contribute to the Air Force mission. Isn't that what leadership is all about? Learning the basics of the performance evaluation process will help you become a better supervisor and leader. This knowledge may make your job easier and maybe more enjoyable. The most important thing is it should help your subordinates to better themselves, both personally and professionally.

Prior to offering nonjudicial punishment (also known as Article 15), commanders should consider factors such as the nature of the "Throwing the Book" offense, the circumstances, the offender's age, rank, record, and the maximum sentence that a courts-martial could impose for the infraction.

Although it falls in the "punishment" range, NJP is a rehabilitative tool because it promotes positive behavior changes without the disgrace of a courts-martial conviction. Punishment usually consists of removal of liberties, pay, or privileges. While enlisted personnel are not authorized to punish, we can (and likely will) be expected to provide input to the commander on an Airman's behalf to help ensure the commander makes an appropriate decision for the Airman when he or she is considering NJP.

connection

Another power that is linked to your position is called connection power. This power source falls under the "who you know" category and can quickly erode and lead to unethical situations if leaders use it as a primary source of influence. As an ALS student, you're forming connections now that you may have to rely on later as a supervisor. For example, you may use a connection you formed with a fellow student that works at the Base Finance Office in order to help your subordinate with pay issues. Accessing your connections to influential people can assist you and your subordinates in doing a better job as well as help contribute to an overall better quality of life. Appropriately using your connection power can bring credibility to you from your followers and increase your ability to influence.

Leaders ensure mission accomplishment by effectively leading people; this is a task that leaders at all levels are accountable for. The core value of Integrity First, more specifically, the moral traits of responsibility and accountability are evident in this area of leadership. If the mission doesn't get done, leaders are responsible for the consequences. Any unwillingness by leaders to accept responsibility for failure may destroy their credibility. This break in credibility could sever the bonds of respect and loyalty between supervisors and workers. Accountability is not only for leading people, it also includes all required administrative duties. Leaders must accept the responsibility for rewarding those who perform well and disciplining those who fail to meet their responsibilities or established standards

As a leader, you'll be responsible for certain resources. Since people are your most valuable resource, you're responsible to care for and support them; the success of your unit's mission depends upon the men and women you supervise. The core value Excellence in All We do pertains to this responsibility. You must ensure your subordinates are properly trained and equipped to do the job, and that they have a comfortable work environment where you communicate with them regularly to ensure their basic needs are being met. While much has been made of leadership over the years, there is little direction or guidance on how to be an effective follower.

Competencies of Leadership

As a leader, your focus is normally two-fold. You have to focus on the mission of the work center and leading the people within that work center. A leader cannot afford to compromise either one. The operation of the work center has to come first followed by the needs and development of the individuals you lead. Effective leaders can use the skills diagnose, adapt and communicate (DAC) to ensure mission accomplishment and to develop and inspire others within the unit.

Deliberate Development Plan

Deliberate- to think about or discuss issues and decisions carefully Develop- to create or produce especially by deliberate effort over time; to expand by a process of growth Plan- a method of achieving an end; a detailed program

Productivity

As a supervisor, you are responsible for helping your Airmen achieve their full potential. The EES is your opportunity to raise your Airman's productivity by clearly telling them the areas where they need to improve as well as challenging them to continually grow and develop their strengths. When you share this type of information with your Airmen, they are more likely to strive for excellence. Each step of the evaluation process should reflect an accurate assessment of your Airman's productivity. Airmen will usually produce according to the standards and expectations you set when they know that you will follow through. Conversely, when supervisors fail to give feedback to Airmen, productivity and morale can decline.

Once you determine appropriate standards and expectations, write them down in a plan. A written plan is a reference tool that helps you guide and direct your subordinates in meeting all expectations.

As a supervisor, you need to have a plan that will guide you and your subordinates in the right direction toward mission accomplishment. Keep the plan as simple as possible, but be sure you clearly identify the job, the standards, and the expectations. The best place to capture this plan is on an AF Form 931, Performance Feedback Worksheet. Establishing appropriate standards and expectations isn't an easy process, so you'll get the opportunity to practice

Progressive Discipline Process (PDP)

As the name implies, the PDP is a progressive approach to discipline. The PDP is a foundational tool to use with wisdom and discretion. When an airman's performance falls below the standard/line of acceptability (LOA) you must apply the PDP (see Figure 6) to ensure compliance and maintain discipline. Progressive discipline is the goal; however, there may be times when an Airman's behavior indicates the need for more severe action. For example, an alcohol related incident, assault, DUI, etc. may lead directly to an Article 15, UIF or a punishment (loss of rank, pay, etc.)

Preventative and Rehabilitative Feedback

As we mentioned already, performance feedback is a formal system where supervisors effectively communicate responsibilities, duty performance, standards, and expectations to their subordinates. When you provide feedback to your subordinates, your comments fall into two general areas: preventative and rehabilitative. We will also take a look at End-of-Reporting Period Feedback.

A leader's primary responsibility is to ensure organizational effectiveness and success. We've yet to define the concept of unit effectiveness, but for now let's just say it boils down to efficient mission accomplishment. The second fundamental concept of leadership is the Airmen; everyone from the most junior member, to the highest in command. Airmen at all levels must do their jobs in order to accomplish the mission.

As you develop your leadership philosophy, realize the things you say and do send messages to your followers. As a leader and role model, people look to you for direction, assistance, acceptance, and more. Although this is a heavy burden, if you learn and apply concepts of effective leadership, it should be an easy one to carry. The more you seek out leadership opportunities, the better you'll become at being a good leader.

Assistance

Assistance is making sure workers have what they need to work to their fullest potential. It may also be about helping workers better manage their lives outside of work so they can be both mentally and physically present on the job. Effective use of this technique requires managers to reach out to workers in a proactive way and find out what assistance they need to do their jobs. Managers can also encourage workers to assist one another.

Assumptions

Assuming is when we take the liberty of declaring something about a situation, item, or someone else that is not supported by fact. For instance, when you arrive at a new assignment, you assume that certain things will be as they were at your last assignment. The organization's structure, chain of command, policies, scheduling, and other activities should be relatively the same. In a way, we expect there will be similarities when we meet the personnel and how they will respond to us. We use assumptions to help develop an impression of elements in our environment that we are unsure of. Oftentimes, we do not even know we are doing it.

When you establish standards for your Airman consider existing Air Force standards outlined in various AFIs such as; AFI 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure, AFI 1-1, Air Force Standards, AFI 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, AFI 36-2905, Fitness Program, AFI 36-206, Personal Financial Responsibility, just to name a few. Additional sources for standards include The USAF Core Values, policy letters, and duty/career field specific instructions.

Before you write down your standards, ensure you review Sections VI. through VIII. of the Airman Comprehensive Assessment. These sections tell you the areas of performance you will measure for your Airmen. Create standards to cover these areas and discuss the word pictures (few Airmen, majority of Airmen, some Airmen, and very few Airmen) with your Airmen during their performance feedback session.

Administrative Decisions

By now, you should realize that your responsibilities within EES go farther than merely filling out a few forms. Your subordinates need clear standards and expectations. You must follow through with honest and accurate feedback using effective interpersonal communication skills so your subordinates know exactly how well they're meeting those standards and expectations. In other words, you have to accurately report what you've observed.

Performing Stage

By this stage, the team has settled its individual relationships and expectations. There is a sense of high morale, team loyalty and trust. Members begin diagnosing and solving problems, brainstorming, and choosing and implementing changes; creativity is high. Team members accept each other's strengths and weaknesses and understand their roles. Now they can swim in concert. The team is now an effective, cohesive unit. You can tell when your team has reached this stage because you start getting a lot of work done. Productivity remains high as the team makes steady progress.

Communicating

Communication is a skill many leaders take for granted. They believe they are already highly skilled and require no further development. Listening, explaining instructions, justifying recommendations and decisions, selling ideas, and providing feedback are just a few of the skills leaders need to be effective. This skill is so vital, that it is used when diagnosing and adapting

Communication Skills

Communication skills are skills a team leader employs to foster the communication process on the team. In order to accomplish this, the team leader must take actions based on certain communication skills.

Competence

Competence to accomplish assigned tasks is a must for a good follower. A competent follower knows what the job is, knows how to do the job, and does the job to the best of his or her ability and according to the supervisor's expectations and established standards.

Followership Traits

Competence, integrity, loyalty, and initiative

End-of-Reporting Period Feedback

Conduct the End-of-Reporting Period performance feedback in conjunction with presenting the evaluation (EPR) to the ratee. The EPR will serve as the feedback form for the End-of-Reporting Period performance feedback session. If you have fulfilled your supervisory responsibilities and delivered effective feedback during the rating period, your Airman (ratee) should not be surprised by the markings on their EPR. Let's look at a few additional types of feedback you will encounter as a supervisor.

Monitor the Plan

Consistently check progress against milestones/deadlines and adjust as necessary. Deliberate development plans should include things that will help Airmen fill current and future jobs/roles and responsibilities and that help Airmen gain desired skills while in current and future positions. It is important to remember that deliberate development plans differ from one Airman to the next. Each one must be unique and designed to meet the specific needs of the organization and, whenever possible, the personal needs of the Airman.

If establishing a UIF fails to yield results, the last stop before nonjudicial punishment is the control roster. It is a listing, maintained by the MPF, showing base personnel who, due to their on-and/or off-base conduct, require special attention or observation. Placing a member on a control roster is a rehabilitative tool, giving the member a chance to improve his or her conduct. Immediate commanders have authority to place an airman on the control roster, but there is never a requirement to do so.

Control roster actions are purely at commander discretion, and the observation period is six months. Hopefully the airman will realize he or she is in desperate need of correction and will turn oneself around before nonjudicial punishment becomes necessary.

Corrective Discipline

Corrective (or rehabilitative) discipline restores discipline and/or improves performance. These are the measures you take once someone falls below standards and you must return him or her to the level of acceptability (the standard.) Some of your options for corrective discipline are: counseling, admonishment, and reprimand. Remember the reason for discipline is to bring behavior back within acceptable measures, so only take the amount of force necessary to correct the behavior without breaking the airman's will to improve.

Counseling

Counseling (whether verbal or written) is the first step in the PDP because it encourages two-way communication. This two-way communication is vital to effective discipline, because it allows you to explain to the airman what he or she did wrong and quickly correct the behavior before it deteriorates further. It allows the subordinate to explain his or her perception of the standard, explain why he or she failed to meet it, and recommend a rehabilitative course of action to ensure future success.

Methods of Monitoring

Direct Observation, Indirect Observation and Observing a Final Product

Another way to increase the amount of influence you have is by knowing yourself—know how you feel about things and how you react to various situations. As followers, we often find ourselves in situations we don't especially like, or we might have to do things differently from how we would like to do them. Because of this, we must know ourselves well enough to control emotions and behaviors that would be inappropriate. This is especially important if you find yourself in a situation where you disagree with a leader's decision, policy, etc. How to handle this type of situation is the last factor to consider when trying to gain influence as a follower.

Disagreeing with your supervisor's decisions can be an intimidating experience. However, since supervisors are human, understand that they're capable of making mistakes. If you practice being a good follower, the relationship you'll have with your supervisor will be based on mutual trust and respect. Therefore, if you must disagree with your leader on a particular issue, it's acceptable to present your views. Remember, the amount of support and understanding you've previously demonstrated to your leader will definitely influence your success at changing a policy or decision.

Standards and Discipline

Discipline is not a term used solely in the military. Olympic athletes, military heroes, and great leaders all possess the discipline to maintain a lifestyle conducive to achieving their goals and self-actualization. They devote themselves to their life's calling, often without ego or a strong need for external influence. Discipline enables them to adhere to their own set standards. Discipline is necessary for a military to function properly and professionally. The ultimate goal is for all Airmen to be self-disciplined to uphold our Core Values, United States Constitution, and bring honor to our Nation. Discipline is necessary to guarantee fairness, accountability and mission success

Discipline

Discipline is the element in an organization that leads to prompt execution of orders and the initiation of proper actions when orders are not given. Discipline is readily determined by looking at the image your people present, the attention to detail they take in completing tasks, the amount of teamwork they display, and how much direction they require to get something done.

Discrimination

Discrimination is the visible act, or consideration to act, in favor of or against a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs to rather than on individual merit or value. It is important to understand that prejudice, when acted upon, usually results in discrimination. One example is prohibiting individuals who possess a specific diversity characteristic from participating in an activity, entering a facility, or performing a task because of that characteristic.

Diversity Awareness

Diversity awareness is the ability to recognize and respond to the needs of various groups within an organization to improve working relationships, productivity, customer satisfaction, and unit and mission effectiveness. Laws or regulation does not mandate diversity and it is not limited to any specific groups or categories.

Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action

Diversity is not the same as equal opportunity (EO). EO refers to legal and regulatory mandates prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, and reprisal. It also covers other distinctions, such as harassment, and reasonable accommodation. Diversity is not the same thing as affirmative action. Affirmative action (AA) refers to voluntary or mandated programs developed for the purpose of overcoming imbalances in the workforce that affect designated groups, such as members of minority groups, women, veterans, and people with disabilities. Per Air Force Policy Directive 36-27, Equal Opportunity (EO): "The AF recognizes the essential elements of a model EEO program as identified in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Management Directive 715 report

Personal Leadership Development Plan

During the ALDLC, you will create a Personal Leadership Development Plan, or PLDP. This assignment will challenge you to think about your development as a leader and help you create a plan with goals/milestones you'll agree to meet over the next couple of years. You are encouraged to share your PLDP with your supervisor and/or mentor for feedback and assistance with your plan. You are encouraged to put a great deal of thought into this plan...because as you progress in your Air Force career, you will see it again. When you attend the Noncommissioned Officer's Academy and the Senior Noncommissioned Officer's Academy, you will assess your progress and make changes to your PLDP.

Norming Stage

During this stage, members reconcile competing loyalties and responsibilities; there is an attitude change. They accept the team, team ground rules (or "norms"), their roles on the team, and the individuality of fellow members. Emotional conflict is reduced as previously competitive relationships become more cooperative. In other words, as team members realize they are not going to drown, they stop thrashing about, and start helping each other stay afloat. As team members begin to work out their differences, they now have more time and energy to spend on their work, so they are able to start making progress

While EES has evolved over the decades, one thing remains constant

EES is only effective if supervisors uphold the Core Values and perform their supervisory responsibilities as outlined in AFI 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure and AFI 36-2406, Officer and Enlisted Evaluation Systems. As NCOs and leaders, we are responsible for supervising, developing, mentoring, and leading our Airmen. We owe it to them to provide them with performance feedback and accurate, honest performance evaluations. Remember, you are the primary mentor for your Airmen.

Impact Promotions

EPRs are an important factor in determining the future of an enlisted member's career. EPRs are a permanent part of a member's personnel record. EPRs provide history of past performance, and identify Airmen who are ready for increased responsibility. The Weighted Airman Promotion System factors in the overall EPR ratings as part of the composite score. Because of this, it is critical that supervisors rate their subordinates accurately and honestly. The EES can differentiate between good and great performers...but only if supervisors do their part.

Another important aspect as it relates to exceptional followership is effective communication. Good followers speak up even when they disagree with their leaders. Effective leaders want to know what their followers think so they seek feedback and respect their followers for speaking up.

Effective feedback is consistent, objective, and sensitive to the stated purpose. Feedback can be positive or negative. Good feedback should be specific and constructive rather than general

Leading through Feedback, Assistance, Inclusion, and Respect (the FAIR Way

Effectively leading in a diverse environment or among diverse individuals is quite a challenge. No matter how you approach an issue, it is going to require you as a leader to demonstrate courage and take risks. As future NCOs and supervisors diversity is your responsibility. Experts from Alexander Consulting & Training offer a strategy for managing a diverse workforce called the "FAIR Way." In this strategy, cultural diversity is carefully considered because of what it brings to the workplace by way of our inherent genetic and ethnical differences. Another area that could be argued as equally important is organizational diversity. Organizational diversity involves the differences created by an organization's own structure such as the medical community, which involves family practice, pharmacy, medical records, and an administrative section. This requires an array of diverse skills and operating procedures, which are all part of the same workforce. The FAIR Way strategy provides a consistent approach to dealing effectively with diversity.

Esprit de corps

Esprit de corps is loyalty to, pride in, and enthusiasm for a unit shown by its members. Observe whether people display satisfaction and commitment to the organization, respect toward other members, confidence in leadership, and knowledge about the organization to identify the level of esprit de corps.

Contrast Error

Evaluating a person in relation to another person, rather than on how well they performed in relation to his/her duties, goals, and stated performance standards

Past Performance Error

Evaluating based on past performance rather than present performance.

Evaluation Concepts

Evaluation should begin with communication. You have to follow the previous two main points of establishing and explaining performance expectations. Actually, many supervisors neglect this important responsibility. Eventually, you'll have to assess your subordinates' performance, and you do that by comparing your observations with the standards you initially established.

Developmental Special Duties (DSD)

Evaluations (EPRs) are an important part of the developmental special duty process. Commanders review the EPRs and personnel records of their best performers to determine whom to nominate for critical special duty positions such as Military Training Instructor, PME instructor, Technical Training Instructor, etc. These developmental special duties are instrumental in molding and mentoring our Airmen, while also providing a developmental career path for those nominated and selected for a Developmental Special Duty. Supervisors who honestly and accurately capture an Airman's performance enable the Developmental Special Duty process to fill vital leadership and development positions.

Think Inclusively:

Everyone is considered a valuable member of the organization. We all have the responsibility to give to, and receive from, the effects and benefits of diversity. However, thinking competitively tends to pit one socially different group against another with intentions of only satisfying one group's personal interests. Therefore, we must recognize the neglected interests and needs of all groups that exist within our organizations. The goal is to make everyone has needs and concerns a part of the mainstream diversity effort.

Feedback

Feedback is giving and receiving information about expectations. It also includes information on how to meet expectations. NCOs should give this type of feedback given early and often, especially when it involves a new assignment or new people. This feedback can be formal or informal. Though the Air Force mandates formal feedback on a semi-annual basis, informal feedback concerning day-to-day operations helps keep organizational efforts headed in the right direction. NCOs need to give feedback, but they must also seek it as well. This giving and receiving of feedback reduces misunderstandings and provides clarity to all involved. In receiving feedback, find out what your people think and what they expect. Feedback may point out that they do not have the equipment they need to do the job or the necessary skills or confidence to succeed.

Delivering Performance Feedback

Find a quiet location where you will not be interrupted. If you work on opposite shifts, flight line, or in different sections. An office, conference room or other location is recommended, but not mandatory. If you don't have an office to use, don't worry. Supervisors give effective feedback everyday in quiet corners of dining facilities, base resource centers (formerly base libraries), park picnic areas, or in a quiet area on the job site. Schedule the feedback session well enough ahead of time so your Airman is prepared and not anticipating the session. When you planned for the session you completed the Pre-Session steps of the Interpersonal Sessions Model. Now you will begin to work your way through the actual performance feedback session.

First, you should try to understand the world from your supervisor's point of view. A fundamental rule a follower must remember is that every leader is also a subordinate; your supervisor is also someone's follower. This means your supervisor is often operating under someone else's set of rules and agendas. Keep this in mind whenever you feel you've been given an unrealistic suspense or an impossible task. A successful follower will adapt to his or her supervisor's way of thinking and doing things. This doesn't mean total defeat or a loss of self-respect; it simply means realizing supervisors are in a position of authority and therefore set agendas for followers. Of course, open communication can clarify some of these difficult situations, so ask for an explanation when appropriate.

Followers also must sometimes put personal feelings aside to accomplish the mission. One way to look at it is to realize that "different" is not always "wrong." Just because you see things differently from your supervisor, doesn't mean either of you is necessarily wrong. You may not know (or have access to) all the information the supervisor knows in order to make the decision. Therefore, you have to trust your supervisor to make the final call. By being supportive and understanding, you'll have a better chance of earning a position of influence in your supervisor's eyes. It also helps you to earn your supervisor's trust and respect, which is the next factor to consider

IMPORTANT NOTE: AFGM 4 to AFI 36-2406, 17 September 2014 states:

For the purpose of documenting sex-related offense(s), a punitive administrative action is defined as a Letter of Reprimand. This is a new update and all other concepts of the PDP remain unchanged.

The primary dimensions of diversity is the one we are all most familiar with and includes characteristics that are relevant to who we are and that cannot be voluntarily altered (usually).

Gender, Age, Race, Sexual affiliation/orientation, mental and physical abilities/qualities, ethnicity/culture

The Similar-to-Me Effect

Giving higher evaluations to people who are similar to the rater in terms of background or attitudes.

The first step to ensure your subordinates are successful is to establish proper standards and expectations. Performance standards and expectations contribute to your organization being able to meet its goals. They describe what constitutes satisfactory performance on a job. Performance standards are mandatory requirements the subordinate must meet that aren't clearly identified in the job description.

Good performance standards help structure clear expectations of what to do and how to do it. If possible, involve your subordinates in setting the standards under which you'll evaluate their performance; this goes back to knowing your people and trying to build influence with them.

Collusion

Have you ever heard a sexual or racially motivated joke at work? Did you laugh with the others? If not, did you attempt to correct the situation? If you overlooked the situation and did not confront the individual who told it-you are guilty of collusion. Collusion occurs when people cooperate with others, knowingly or unknowingly, to reinforce the behaviors that prevent others from fully entering into the workplace culture. It can take the form of silence (neither supporting nor defending the right to inclusion of a certain person or group), denial (ignoring the existence of problems), or active participation (assisting others to reinforce exclusion

Human Relations Skills

Human relation skills are those things the team leader applies to promote effective team member relationships and interaction within the team. The appropriate actions are dependent on the leader possessing certain skills.

UIFs and Control Rosters

If discipline (counseling, admonishment, and reprimand) has failed to correct an individual, or the behavior is severe enough to warrant increased actions, four additional options are available to the airman's commander. Only the last two options of the PDP are considered punishment, so enlisted personnel may not administer them; they are reserved for commissioned officer/commander use only.

indirect observation

If you have several Airmen, your Airmen are on different shifts or they work in different locations you may have to use indirect observation as a method of monitoring. Seek indirect observations from trusted peers or leaders so you receive unbiased and honest observations. Ensure those who provide indirect observations understand the standards you have set for your Airmen. This type of monitoring can also include observations from customers.

Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell

In 2011, the President of the United States ordered the repeal of the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy and the Air Force complied by preparing the necessary policies and regulations. Implementation of these policies is consistent with the standards of military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention.

Documentation

In accordance with AFI 36-2907, Unfavorable Information File (UIF) Program, you can document LOCs on an AF Form 174, Record of Individual Counseling, or using letterhead stationery. There is no specific format for LOCs, but they (and all other written discipline) should accurately reflect the dates, facts, recommended improvements, and any other significant data. When writing LOCs, LOAs and LORs, consult with your unit first sergeant and/or base legal office, as there are particular comments and formats for these documents that include Privacy Act and usage statements. (If you fail to include all the mandatory verbiage, your documentation may be useless if further corrective measures occur.) Also, if an airman continues to have disciplinary problems, you must coordinate through your chain of command to the commander so he or she can ensure certain documents are filed in the UIF, if it is already established.

coercive

In addition to legitimate and connection powers, positional influence is based on two more powers - coercive and reward. Coercive power is the leader's ability to enforce discipline—the perception followers have of your ability to take action by counseling, giving administrative paperwork (LOC, LOR, etc.), recommending punishment, etc. As a supervisor, your coercive power can erode if you don't hold your subordinates accountable and ensure compliance with the standards

Diversity and the Organization

In order for any organization to be successful, it must utilize all of its resources effectively. One of our most important resources is people. AFI 36-2618 clearly states that the enlisted force is a diverse group of functionally and operationally specialized Airmen. Just within our individual Air Force specialty codes, we have diverse career fields, responsibilities, and expectations. So how do we operate harmoniously when we are so diverse? The answer lies within our training, continuous support, and awareness.

Inclusion

Inclusion is making sure everyone has the opportunity to fully participate in the workplace. It involves responding to the needs of all workers so they feel valued and part of the team. It is important to make sure that work activities, including work-related social activities, do not exclude or disadvantage anyone. If we continually select times for meetings that conflict with other's schedules, we are excluding them. As managers, we need to take every opportunity to include our people, especially when decisions are made that affect their area of responsibility

Legitimate

Influence based on position comes from the leader's title, rank, or assignment in an organization; it is called legitimate power. As a senior airman, you have a certain amount of legitimate power because you out-rank all airmen basic through airmen first class personnel. As you progress through the ranks, you may gain even more influence as you acquire other titles like supervisor or NCOIC. You can build your legitimate power by effectively fulfilling your supervisory responsibilities.

Power and Influence

Influence is something leaders should strive to gain from their subordinates. When you, as a leader, are able to influence your followers, you're able to affect/impact their behaviors. This ability to influence, or influence potential, is referred to as your "power" base.

Initial Performance Feedback

Initial Feedback is where you establish expectations for the upcoming rating/reporting period. As a supervisor, you are required to deliver an Initial feedback session within the first 60 days of your assignment as a supervisor. You will conduct an initial feedback for all Airmen you supervise.

Initiative

Initiative can be described as motivation, determination, perseverance, and risk-taking. Being a good follower requires more than just meeting the standards. Effective followers strive to excel at everything they do. A good follower should also abide by certain actions that enhance their roles and positions. The following ten guidelines, while not all inclusive, provide additional direction to effective followership, much like our general and specific Junior Enlisted Airman and NCO responsibilities do in AFI 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure.

When you establish a standard, make sure you have the authority to do so. You can gauge your level of authority by checking the standard against some other authority (AF Instructions, commander policy, etc.)

Last but not least, remember that you must "exceed the standards and expectations levied upon airmen, epitomize excellence, and lead by example through exhibiting professional behavior, military bearing, respect for authority, and the highest standards of dress and appearance."5 Your ability to demonstrate strict adherence to standards will likely reduce the amount of discipline you must administer. Once you've decided the standard is necessary, proper, and effective, you can rely on Articles 91 and 92 of the UCMJ to back up your authority to ensure compliance with the standard, as these articles provide authority to noncommissioned officers in the US military.

Leader Actions

Leader Actions: Are past and present leader actions conducive to people fulfilling their responsibilities and developing professionally? Some specific leader actions that affect the organizational environment are establishing direction and priorities, creating policy, making decisions, and providing information. By assessing the situation, people and environment, you should adapt your leadership behavior in such a way as to close the gap between what you see now and what you expect in the future.

Loyalty

Loyalty supports and enhances the effectiveness of leaders. Without loyal followers, leaders can't create an environment of trust, teamwork, and continuous improvement. Loyalty includes being faithful, obedient, and respectful. Look at each component separately. Faithfulness Followers demonstrate loyalty by faithfully supporting leaders' decisions and actions. This involves refraining from complaining to others about your leader. In fact, one of the best ways followers can demonstrate loyalty to their leaders is by recognizing their leader's weak areas and compensating for them whenever possible. Obedience This is one of the most important aspects of loyalty, yet often the most difficult to understand. A willingness to submit to those in positions of authority is especially critical for military followers because of the nature of our mission. Effective leadership is not possible unless followers realize this. Followers aren't expected to follow blindly, but they must adopt an attitude that allows them to accept obedience. Respectfulness Followers must adopt an attitude of respect for those in authority and behave in accordance with that attitude. This means putting aside your personal likes and dislikes out of respect to your leader. Effective followership, and hence, effective leadership, will be extremely limited in the absence of respectfulness from followers.

As a leader, many methods, or 'hats', are available to assist you in 'closing the gap'. You learned about a few of them in the Full Range Leadership Development chapter. They include:

Management by Exception-Passive (MBE-P), Management by Exception-Active, Contingent Rewards, and Transformational Leader. It is important for you to understand that effective leaders change their 'hat' based on what they have diagnosed. However, leaders still need to be able to communicate their needs and expectations to their people

Social Biases

Merriam-Webster defines bias as "an inclination [predisposition] of temperament or outlook, a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment."34 Being socially biased is where one unfairly favors or prefers one person, culture, group, or race to another. This is usually the effects of our upbringing, values, pre-existing beliefs, and interests and makes it impossible for us to be impartial. Social biases adversely affect many organizational processes like hiring and decision-making along with other areas like media, education, politics, policy-making, and basic social interactions.

Mid-term Performance Feedback

Midterm feedback must occur between the date supervision began and the projected EPR closeout date. The midterm feedback is your opportunity to evaluate your Airman's performance midway through the evaluation period, and inform him/her of how well he/she has been meeting the standards established during the initial feedback. This is also a good time to develop a plan to correct any deviations noted up to this point. You will follow the same steps you learned earlier in the reading about filling out the AF FM 931 for the initial performance feedback session.

Mission Statements

Mission Statement: the fundamental purpose of an organization or an enterprise and succinctly describe why it exists and what it does to achieve its vision

Morale

Morale is the amount of enthusiasm and dedication to a commonly shared goal that unifies a group. Assess it by observing the personal conduct, appearance, response to direction and motivation of your people.

New Member:

New personnel can affect interpersonal relationships in ways that upset or reinforce team dynamics. Regardless of what stage teams are at, more often than not, they return to the forming stage in order to develop a relationship with the new members. New members learn details regarding the goal, their role, and expected performance and behaviors. Teams may quickly progress through the stages to get back to where they were, it all depends on how well new members interact and are accepted.

Nonjudicial Punishment (NJP

Nonjudicial punishment, or NJP, works in conjunction with the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to allow an individual to accept punishment in lieu of trial by courts martial. As such, it is one of the commander's most valuable tools for maintaining good order and discipline. While you are not expected or required to know each article of the UCMJ, you should be very familiar with the legal process and military justice system.

information

On the other hand, a person's information power is his/her perceived access to important data and useful information, like reenlistment information or promotion statistics. As a leader, you can erode this power if you constantly deny your subordinates access to information or if you never know the answers to questions that they ask. Leaders who rely solely on their personal power to lead and motivate may be limited in effectiveness. Every leader is bound to make some mistakes, and personal influence may be weakened by changes in the followers' perceptions of the leader when there is nothing else to demand respect.

Monitoring Performance

Once your Airmen understand what is expected of them, your responsibility is to monitor their performance. Monitoring performance happens throughout the entire performance evaluation (reporting) period. Monitor your Airman's performance by observing behaviors and what your Airmen are doing on the job and how well they are doing it. If their results meet or exceed your standards, then chances are they are doing what you told them. If not, it is your job to find out why.

Position Power

Position power is derived from your position within the organization and is given or delegated to you by your superiors. When you become a supervisor, you'll have positional power over your subordinates. This means that you're given authority and expected to use that authority appropriately.

All teams start as a group and gradually or rapidly head toward the goal of becoming a team. According to Psychologist Bruce W. Tuckman,24 teams progress through five predictable stages to maturity. Understanding these stages helps teams recognize, accept, and work through issues big and small to become a well-functioning team. Overreacting can be detrimental to a team in achieving its goals and often causes members to take things too personally. One thing is certain, no matter how well team members work together, the progress is usually never smooth.

One way to view the stages is to compare them to a relationship. When initiating a relationship, you typically begin with introductions. As rapport develops and you become more comfortable with the relationship, you find yourself sharing more personal information like views, values, and opinions. This communication usually sparks interest or debate. However, it's not long before you realize what intrigues or irritates the other person so you try to pursue harmony in hopes the relationship grows into something more. Potentially, the relationship matures to a level where you find yourselves working toward goals together. Then, sadly, the relationship ends, either by choice or an unforeseen circumstance.

One-way Communication and Close-mindedness

One-way communication and close-mindedness are also pitfalls to accurate evaluation.

Participation Skills

Participation skills are those things the team leader possesses to act as a functioning, contributing member of the team.

Praising subordinates for excellent work is another type of preventative feedback. You have an obligation to correct individuals when they fail to meet standards, but you also have an obligation to praise them when they meet or exceed standards.

People need to know they're performing effectively so they can continue the good behavior; this prevents them from stopping the actions causing them to excel. We can all agree that praising subordinates is more pleasant than correcting them. Even the poorest performer does something right. It's your job as a supervisor to "catch them doing something right" and tell them. People need and expect to be recognized for their work

Performance Feedback

Performance feedback is the single most important means for developing your Airman. Feedback tells Airmen where they stand in relation to the established standards. Feedback can be formal or informal; however, the Air Force directs supervisors to deliver formal feedback to their subordinates. Performance feedback is private communication regarding performance and professional development between Airmen and their supervisors (raters). Formal feedback sessions are scheduled IAW AFI 36-2406; however, you can conduct feedback more often if needed. Informal feedback can take place anywhere, anytime and is generally given verbally. Feedback is mandatory for all enlisted Airmen and formal feedback sessions (initial and midterm) must be documented on the Airman Comprehensive Assessment Worksheets; AF FM 931, AB-TSgt

Personal Power

Personal power is derived from the confidence and trust that other people, normally the followers, have in the leader. Because it's not a result of rank or position, this type of influence is earned by being the type of leader people follow because they want to, not because they have to. There are three factors that affect the amount of personal influence a leader has: a leader's personality, how well the leader knows his/her job, and a leader's access to useful information.

Prejudices

Prejudice is "[the creation] of an adverse or unreasonable opinion about a person or group without [gathering] all the facts and is usually based on deeply held beliefs." Most prejudices develop early in life, influenced by acquaintances or attachments to specific groups such as family during childhood. These prejudices are often aimed at "those other groups" determined by our stereotypes. Prejudices are evident in behaviors from verbal slurs and ethnic jokes to blatant acts of discrimination.

Preventive

Preventive discipline stops a problem from happening before it starts. Examples of preventive discipline are: initial feedbacks, safety briefings before three-day weekends, rewards, and training/education. Preventive measures emphasize communication of standards, two-way communication, and encouraging each person to do his or her best. They promote an environment of understanding and allow for clarification of standards, as needed. You must be professionally familiar with your subordinates to establish this type of environment.

Proficiency

Proficiency is the ability of a unit to perform its mission and it is based on professional, as well as technical standards of excellence. To gain insight into your people's proficiency levels, observe their problem-solving skills, reaction times under varying conditions, technical skills, professionalism, and teamwork. Although the nature of a Marine Corps organization is different from an Air Force organization, these categories are very relevant to us. However, understanding your people in reference to these four categories is only half of the equation; you must also consider the environment in which your people perform.

If you determine that counseling is not effective or it is not the proper level of discipline to administer based on your Airman's behavior(s) you may need to administer an admonishment or reprimand.

Quite often a letter of counseling, admonishment or reprimand will be enough to change your Airman's behavior and get them on the right track. If you're not sure which method is best in a particular situation, consult your supervisor, other experienced NCOs, or your first sergeant for advice. Remember to administer Progressive Discipline fairly amongst your Airmen.

Referent

Referent power is the personal charisma or likeability characteristics (trust, confidence, etc.) that a person has. This type of power is further enhanced by the relationships you have with your subordinates. A leader with referent power is generally liked and admired by others because of his/her personality. It is this liking for, admiration for, and identification with the leader that influences others.45 While referent power is important, it erodes if a "good personality" is all the leader has. Have you ever heard people say, "My supervisor is a good person, he just doesn't know how to lead"? In this example, the supervisor has referent power, but doesn't possess the other important skills needed to influence.

Do not base the entire evaluation (all sections of the EPR) on isolated incidents; mark the appropriate section(s) of the EPR impacted by the isolated incident. One example of an isolated incident would be a parking ticket received during the reporting period despite an entire year of exemplary performance.

Remember, you must observe typical performance over the entire reporting period. Typical performance does not happen in a week or a month. Pay attention to typical behaviors (positive or negative) and give feedback regularly to keep your Airmen on track. When observing typical performance you must keep the following rater evaluation errors in mind.

Resource Availability

Resource Availability: Are all resources necessary for accomplishing the mission available? Resources generally fall into one of four categories: • Human: Do you have the manning you need in order to accomplish your work center's mission? • Financial: Is your budget adequate enough to cover the needs of your people and mission? • Physical: What is the condition of the work center? Is it too loud? Is the furniture old and broken? • Informational: Do you have all the information you need to accomplish the mission? Are you constantly finding out vital information at the last minute?

Respect

Respect is recognizing each person's unique value, contributions, and potential to the organization. We need to develop and show general respect by establishing work environments that are free of offensive practices and conditions. Effective management of diversity recognizes that each person brings to the organization a unique perspective to issues we face and, in-turn, unique contributions to a solution. With this in mind, we can define effective management of diversity as recognizing the differences in individuals and welcoming those differences to provide new insights and innovative ways of solving problems.

reward

Reward power is your ability to provide rewards—the perception the followers have of your ability to reward their actions by giving or recommending letters of appreciation, 3-day passes, medals, etc. This power is most effective if you appropriately recognize your subordinates when they exceed the standards as well as reward them with the types of recognition they prefer. For example, if your subordinate values time off, rewarding them with a letter of appreciation would be an ineffective use of reward power. By appropriately applying these four powers, you build your positional power and therefore enable yourself to positively influence your followers' behaviors.

Socio-Behavioral Tendencies (SBTs

SBTs are the thought processes we employ to help us make sense of the world we live in. Influenced by our beliefs and values, they define who we are, how we act, respond to situations, and treat others. Though there are advantages to each of these behaviors, these SBTs can negatively affect diversity

Leadership Traits

Selflessness is sacrificing personal wants and needs for a greater cause. This also includes the courage to face and overcome difficulties. The selfless leader is always thinking about how to make the unit, the Air Force, and the country a better place. Loyalty Loyalty is faithfulness to superiors, subordinates, and peers. According to Webster's dictionary, faithfulness is "keeping faith; maintaining allegiance; marked by or showing a strong sense of duty or responsibility."40 Integrity Integrity is total commitment to the highest personal and professional standards. The leader with integrity is honest, sincere, ethical, and fair. It also means knowing right from wrong and having the courage to act on that knowledge. Commitment Commitment is complete devotion to duty; total dedication to the United States, the Air Force, the unit, and our comrades. Commitment requires us to do our best, under any condition, while performing our tasks and duties assigned. Energy Energy is the enthusiasm and motivation to take the initiative. Leading people takes a lot of hard work and effort on the part of the leader—this is where you need energy. A leader who enthusiastically approaches difficult tasks sets a good example for others—an example that is not hard to follow. Decisiveness Decisiveness is a willingness to make decisions, act on them, and accept responsibility for those decisions. Part of this trait includes effectively communicating those decisions to others.

Set Up Plan

Set up a plan to begin the development process. This includes sitting down with the individual, going over your diagnosis of his capabilities and developmental needs, and establishing milestones and deadlines to cover a specific period. It also includes identifying and securing any resources needed to allow the Airman to fulfill current or future job/role and responsibilities more effectively.

The difficulty leaders have is getting their people to perceive themselves as more than a group, but as an actual team. Teams are committed to their members' personal growth. A team will outperform a group and all reasonable expectations of the individual members. This is because a team has a synergistic effect; one plus one equals a lot more than two.

Some work centers suffer from this lack of collective effort. Members of the work center view themselves as individuals doing their part until a PCS comes along or they separate or retire. This is usually because they do not know, understand, or buy in to the work center's mission/vision.

Improving the Situation

Sometimes, the situation or work environment is inappropriate for a subordinate. If this is the case, you may need to devise an improvement plan that will address organizational design, physical layout of the work facility, resources available to accomplish required tasks, work schedules, and your supervisory methods. Don't be afraid to get creative with implementing "outside the box" changes; just remember to get approval so you'll have support from your leadership. However, if the situation isn't the problem, take a look at the job itself.

Step 1: Establish rapport and state the purpose of the session—Explain why you are having the session and tell them the session is a two-way communication between both of you. (OPENING) Step 2: Encourage the ratee to appraise their own performance—Listen to them and avoid dominating the discussion. Use open-ended questions, not "yes/no" questions. (ATTENDING, RESPONDING & RESOLVING) Step 3: Initial Feedback: Explain the expected performance standards and discuss the word pictures on the ACA with your Airman. (ATTENDING, RESPONDING & RESOLVING)

Step 4: Ask your Airman for comments throughout the session—Actively listen when your Airman presents his/her comments. (ATTENDING, RESPONDING & RESOLVING) Step 5: Negotiate a performance agreement: Ask your Airman how they would like to improve. (RESOLVING) Step 6: Set future goals: set specific goals that are clear and can be measured against the standards you set. (RESOLVING) Step 7: Close the session by reflecting on what was discussed and end the session on a positive note. (CLOSING) Step 8: Schedule a follow-up (Post-Session) with them on any specific items you discussed during the feedback which require additional information, resources, assistance, etc.

Certain administrative decisions are required at specific times. These primarily include enlisted performance reports and recommendations for reenlistment. Other decisions are optional or situational, like recommendations for awards and decorations and recommendations for work center positions and special duty assignments.

Still, there are times you'll have to make administrative decisions—like recommending corrective actions to your supervisory chain of command or first sergeant—if your subordinate gets into trouble. Regardless of what type of administrative decision you're making or recommending, you'll have to report it verbally, in writing, or both

Effective leaders must always keep in mind two fundamental concepts: the mission and the Airmen

The Mission is whatever the unit, or person is responsible to do; the task to get done The Airmen are the ones that accomplish the mission. Without Airmen there is no mission

Team Dynamics

is an ongoing process involving interaction of individuals within a team to achieve the desired objective.

responsibilities of a 'Supervisor of Airmen

Supervisors of Airmen are professionals who understand and effectively apply leadership and management concepts to train and develop their people. They manage human resources by providing ethical guidance and assisting to resolve personal and professional issues. While adhering to the United States Air Force Core Values and applying an understanding of human behavior, they mold their people into a cohesive team capable of meeting any challenge. Supervisors of Airmen oversee various programs, ensuring their sections or work centers can adapt to an ever-changing global environment. Air Force supervisors of Airmen possess strong interpersonal skills to lead their people, manage change, promote transformation, and execute directions. They are committed to the profession of arms, inspire a willingness to do what's right, and manage processes that will ensure the Air Force remains the world's premier air, space, and cyberspace force

During this stage, a team member may try to rationalize his or her position and spend considerable time trying to convince the team to take the action he or she feels is appropriate. This is how cliques begin to form. Conflict within the team rises to a higher level in this stage than during any other stage. The team does not have a strong sense of camaraderie and some members may feel very uncomfortable as latent hostility is expressed. Some members may become very quiet and some may become very vocal as tensions rise.

Team leaders are encouraged to clearly define the team's goals and objectives at this point. The intent here is to focus the members on the objective and the reason why the team exists. Though it may not seem possible, there is some productivity as the team slowly progresses toward a unified direction. However, if members click immediately, there is less confusion and conflict, the easier it is to define objectives or goals, and the faster the team appears to agree on them. This is also the case if members have worked together before. As the storming stage subsides and team members become accustomed to working with one another, the team begins easing into the Norming stage of team development.

Team Members

Team members, for obvious reasons, make up the bulk of the team. They are usually functional experts in their respective areas and bring a wealth of ideas to the team. Their contributions to the success of the team's goals and objectives can never be underestimated. It is important for the leader to know and understand each member's skills, talents, and personality. Armed with this information, team leaders are better prepared to set up team members so they can contribute to the team in the most effective manner possible. Furthermore, this ensures team members fulfill both the needs of the team and their need to feel valued. This concept is often referred to as "aligning versus assigning."

The Enlisted Evaluation System

The Air Force designed the Enlisted Evaluation System to improve the reporting and evaluation process for our Airmen. When the Air Force became a separate service in 1947, squadron commanders had tremendous power over the careers of enlisted members assigned to their squadrons. During this time, squadron commanders gave Airmen simple character and efficiency ratings. These one-word evaluations could make or break an enlisted Airman's career. When a vacancy existed in a particular grade, the squadron commander determined who would fill the vacancy. The commander had legitimate power to promote enlisted members to any grade and could just as easily demote an individual down to the rank of private.

Force Management

The Air Force uses Force Management programs to balance the force. The EES is a tool, which promotion boards use to select the right Airmen for promotion to higher rank and increased responsibilities. EES also provides valuable performance indicators during retention boards held as part of Force Management programs. Accurate performance evaluation and ratings enable Force Management programs to keep our best Airmen. Of course, this only happens if supervisors make honest and accurate evaluations of their Airmen's duty performance and breadth of experience. If a supervisor fails to honestly and accurately evaluate their Airmen several things can happen. First, undeserving Airmen remain in the service and/or move to positions of leadership and increased responsibility. Second, deserving Airmen may not increase in rank and responsibility and ultimately could decide to separate from the Air Force.

In 2007, the Air Force again improved the EES by creating streamlined feedback and evaluation forms. The newly revised Performance Feedback Worksheet (PFW) feedback areas mirrored the performance areas on the newly revised EPR. The Performance Feedback Worksheet introduced in 2007 eliminated the sliding scale previously used by supervisors to assess subordinate performance. Additionally, the Air Force added Fitness as an evaluation area on the EPR. Lastly, the Air Force mandated the use of digital signatures on all EPRs except referral EPRs.

The Enlisted Evaluation System continued to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of the Air Force. In early 2012, the Air Force field-tested a new performance feedback worksheet to assess how supervisors interact and provide feedback to their Airmen. The Air Force determined the 2007 performance feedback worksheet was supervisor driven and did not allow Airman to formally assess themselves before and during performance feedback sessions. July 2014, the Air Force mandated the use of the Airman Comprehensive Assessment (ACA).

Influence and Leadership

The appropriate use of a leader's personal and positional influence is critical in meeting mission requirements and obtaining organizational effectiveness. Not only must a leader be able to influence people to accomplish the mission, but a leader must also have skills that inspire trust, teamwork, and continuous improvement within the work center. There are many definitions for the term "leadership." However, the word "influence" is a common factor among them all. As a leader, you must recognize the importance of being able to influence your subordinates, through the use of your powers, to accomplish the mission. Misusing your powers or relying on just one power, can have a negative impact on the work environment and cause a breakdown in trust between you and your subordinates. Once this trust is lost, morale eventually erodes and ultimately the mission suffers. In order to be an effective leader, and impact your subordinate's behavior, you must appropriately apply both position and personal powers.

Adjourning/Transforming Stage

The final stage of team development is Adjourning or Transforming. Adjourning is often the case with most short-term AF teams (i.e., tiger teams, project teams, etc.). Adjourning takes place as the team begins to break up and individual members move on to other activities. Most times adjournment is planned, like when a temporary team completes its objectives and no longer has a reason to function. External constraints such as organizational mergers and downsizing can also cause a team to terminate before it completes its known objectives. Regardless of the reason for adjournment, plan the process whenever possible.

Improving the Subordinate

The first action you can take to continue developing your subordinates is to build on their strengths. By building an Airman's strengths, you may eventually help them overcome their weaknesses. Think back to an example when a supervisor or mentor helped you capitalize on your strengths while improving a weakness. For example, you have an Airman who is excellent at training new Airmen on the job, but he/she is afraid of public speaking. Perhaps you sit down with that Airman to develop their public speaking skills by using what they know -The Job. You start small, by having the Airman conduct OJT briefings to the new Airmen. Then you give your Airman opportunities to deliver mission briefings during training days and eventually when DVs visit the squadron.

Purpose The Enlisted Evaluation System has four purposes.

The first is establish performance standards and expectations for ratees, provide feedback on how well the rate is meeting those expectations, and to provide direction on how to better meet those established standards and expectations. The second purpose is to provide a reliable, long-term, cumulative record of performance and promotion potential based on that performance. The third purpose is to provide senior NCO evaluation boards, the Weighted Airman Promotion System (WAPS), and other personnel managers with sound information to assist in identifying the best-qualified enlisted personnel for promotion, as well as other personnel management decisions. The fourth purpose is to document in the permanent record any substantiated allegation of a sex-related offense against an Airman, regardless of grade, that results in conviction by courts-martial, non-judicial punishment, or other punitive administrative action. For the purpose of documenting sex-related offenses, a punitive administrative action is defined as a Letter of Reprimand. Sex-related offenses include crimes such as rape, sexual assault, stalking, sexual contact, indecent viewing, and sexual assault of a child. See the specific UCMJ punitive articles for additional information.

Benefits

The impacts of EES create benefits for you, your Airmen and the Air Force. Above all, you benefit by getting to know the Airmen you supervise. The EES process requires you to sit down and talk to your Airmen on a regular basis; getting to know them is inevitable. The benefit in knowing your Airmen is that it allows you to get the best possible performance from them. By getting to know your Airmen, you can begin to understand the complicated and diverse issues they face in life and while serving in the Military. Your Airmen benefit because they have a supervisor who is shows they care about their growth and development. When your Airmen know how much you care, they will be more motivated to accomplish the mission regardless of the circumstances

To Lead or to Follow, that is the question

The leader is responsible for the direction of the team and to make that happen, there will be times when, for the betterment of the team, they must be willing to follow and allow a member to step up to the leader position. As the team leader, it is important to recognize this, act on it and encourage others to do the same. For example, the team leader is not the expert on everything. He or she must recognize this and provide the expert the latitude to lead in that arena.

Delivering Midterm Feedback

The midterm feedback is delivered halfway between the initial feedback and the end of the reporting period. The same steps (initial feedback) apply; but this time you will review your Airman's performance over the previous months and measure how well they measured up to the established standards. Mark the word pictures in sections VI. through VIII. that honestly and accurately capture your Airman's performance. When you deliver the feedback, tell your Airman exactly how their actual performance measured up against the standards i.e. did not meet, met, or exceeded. Give specific performance examples to explain why you marked them in where you marked them for the word pictures. i.e. few Airmen, majority of Airmen, some Airmen, very few Airmen.

The performance evaluation process—setting standards and expectations, monitoring, evaluating, and providing feedback and counseling—gives you an account of how well your Airmen are fulfilling their responsibilities to meet standards and expectations. This supplies you with information to support various administrative decisions. By using this performance evaluation process and its required documentation, you can confidently make administrative decisions based on actual subordinate performance.

The performance evaluation process completed so far—setting standards and expectations, monitoring, evaluating, and providing feedback and counseling—gives you an excellent account of how well your Airmen are performing. This process supplies you with a lot of information to support various administrative decisions. By using this performance evaluation process and its required documentation, you can confidently make administrative decisions based on actual subordinate performance.

Supervisors

are a person of any rank that directs the activities of an individual or team and is usually responsible for the productivity of that team.

Team Member Role

The primary role of the team member is participant, that is, one who actively participates. This role is fulfilled through: • Sharing knowledge and expertise • Participating in all meetings and discussions • Carrying out all assignments • Being creative • Supporting all team efforts • Seeking challenges

Discipline

The purpose of discipline is to develop people who are able to control themselves and do what is right all the time, every time.

Followership

The qualities and characteristics that make a good leader are similar to those associated with being a good follower. Anybody can be in control of a group of individuals and at the same time be a responsible follower to his/her supervisor. The key is to understand what's expected in followership. Simply put, followers carry out the directions of those in positions of leadership; therefore followership can be defined as "the capacity to follow a leader." This means that followers must also be competent at doing their jobs and committed to mission accomplishment.

Team Leader Roles

The role of the team leader is to manage the team, calling and facilitating meetings, assigning administrative details, and organizing all team activities. Additionally, the team leader: • Represents the team to senior leadership • Provides guidance and direction • Focuses on team goals, behaviors, and standards to accomplish the mission • Listens actively and encourages total participation • Promotes open and clear communication • Rewards the team for performance • Creates a non-threatening environment • Articulates mission, vision, expectations, guidelines

By the early 1960s, the Air Force developed an Airman Performance Report (APR) patterned after the officer rating system. In 1970, these performance reports were included as a factor in the new Weighted Airman Promotion System (WAPS). One of the criticisms of the APR was that ratings were often inflated. In early 1988, the Air Force formed a working group to study the APR. The working group identified two basic problems: most Airmen did not view the APR as a feedback device, and rating and endorsement inflation had limited the APR's ability to provide sound information to promotion boards

The working group made three recommendations: include a performance feedback system as part of the evaluation system, improve the utility of the performance report, and streamline the administrative procedures so supervisors can spend more time doing their primary jobs. These recommendations led to formal feedback and the Enlisted Evaluation System described in AFI 36-2406. By the 1990s, the Air Force had eliminated the APR and transitioned to the Enlisted Performance Report (EPR).

Influence and Followership

There are certain things we can do as followers that will have a positive effect on the amount of influence we have with our leaders. Demonstrating the traits mentioned earlier is a good place to start, but there are a few other facts to consider when trying to gain influence as a follower

An effective leader must learn to control the urge to over-direct the team.

There must be a middle ground between providing no direction and being over-directive. Too much participation can be seen as micromanaging, autocratic, "in their chili," "in their kool-aid" (inappropriate use of Management by Exception-Active (MBE-A from FRLD. However, too little participation may be seen as Passive/Laissez Faire-type leadership (from FRLD chapter

As a supervisor, you will be responsible for documenting your Airmen's performance on an AF Form 910, (AB-TSgt) Enlisted Performance Report. Under certain circumstances, you may have to document performance on AF Form 77, Letter of Evaluation (see AFI 36-2604 for specifics).

These forms document performance, leadership potential, and help to fulfill the purposes of the Enlisted Evaluation System. The EPR is a permanent part of every Airman's record; therefore, it is imperative all supervisors honestly and accurately capture performance on their Airmen's EPRs. Your instructor will conduct an in-class exercise to guide you through the AF Form 910, (AB-TSgt) Enlisted Performance Report. Refer to AFI 36-2406 for specific instructions on preparing and completing the AF Form 910, (AB-TSgt) Enlisted Performance Report.

Act Proactively:

These organizations know the value of diversity and the importance of tapping into it. They integrate diversity into everyday thinking and action. Reactive organizations only deal with diversity when they have to (usually when something has gone wrong) and typically achieve temporary results.

Mainstream Diversity:

These organizations make diversity a part of every effort, process, and procedure. Some organizations pay special attention to diversity and incorporate it into every training and developmental program they conduct. In fragmented organizations, diversity may be exposed to one department but neglected or not even considered in other educational efforts or in everyday operational decisions.

Storming Stage

This is probably the most difficult stage for a team. This is where team members want to know the goals and objectives. It is as if members jump in the water and, thinking they are about to drown, start to thrash about. They begin to realize that the task is different or more difficult than they imagined, and become testy, anxious, or overzealous. Impatient about the lack of progress, but still too inexperienced to know much about decision-making or the scientific approach, members argue about what actions the team should take. They try to rely solely on their personal and professional experience, resisting any need for collaborating with other team members

If you have several workers, or if they're on different shifts or in different locations, you may want to use indirect observation with the help of trusted peers

This type of monitoring involves relying on someone else to provide you with information about how your subordinate is performing. In other words, you may have to work closely with other shift supervisors who work closely with your subordinates. Of course, this will require you to explain what your standards and expectations are of your subordinates to ensure you're on the same page as the shift supervisor you're relying on for performance information.

Impact of Evaluation

To encourage your subordinate to be open to evaluation, you must first look at the climate you create in the work environment. As a supervisor, it's your responsibility to create an atmosphere where your workers want to be evaluated for the purpose of self-improvement. One way to create this atmosphere is to encourage your subordinates to perform evaluations on themselves. This helps them to focus on standards, while critically assessing how well they're living up to your expectations. It also helps prepare them for being evaluators—this meets your responsibility to further develop your subordinates.

People

To gain a complete picture of the status of people, the US Marine Corps uses four categories: morale, esprit de corps, discipline, and proficiency

Productivity is high in the Norming stage. The team dynamics at this stage involve processes of communication, decision-making, leadership and sharing of power, and include the development of norms and expectations. With greater collaboration and a more conducive environment for production, the team may transition into the performing stage.

To keep the team progressing, team leads should maintain this level of collaboration and dynamics by doing things such as monitoring performance and rewarding or correcting as needed; resolving negative conflict; keeping the team focused on goal; and adjusting roles as required to maximize performance.

What to Monitor

To monitor performance, you must observe your Airman's performance, and collect examples of their work. Note their behaviors and the impact on themselves, the team, the unit, and the mission. Monitor tasks your Airman performs regularly, tasks performed periodically, and assigned additional duties. Observe performance over the entire reporting period, and keep notes or a performance folder so you can determine typical performance/behavior when you sit down to write the Enlisted Performance Report (EPR). Monitor timeliness, quality of work, communication skills, organizational skills, responsibility, initiative, and professionalism just to name a few. Monitoring performance on a regular basis makes it easy to provide feedback to subordinates in a timely manner, prevents many problems before they get out of hand. You can monitor performance in three ways: directly, indirectly, or by observing a final product

Leadership-Driven:

Top-down management endorses and actively champions the organization's diversity initiatives. In bottom-up organizations, isolated individuals and groups see the need for diversity initiatives but must struggle for solid support from the top.

Typical Performance

Typical performance is how an Airman performs on a regular basis. Maximum performance is how an Airman performs when exerting as much effort as possible—exceeding standards. When you assess an Airman's performance, always measure their typical performance over the entire reporting period. Evaluate them based on the established standards you set during the initial feedback and how they met those standards up to and after the midterm feedback session

Social Sensitivity

We know that an organization must be supportive of diversity if it intends to be productive and successful. Just saying "we are supporting diversity" is not enough—we as individuals must genuinely internalize the essence of diversity and seek ways to incorporate diversity in our behaviors, daily routines, and operations. Being "socially sensitive" is another "must have" in our organizations as it enables the power and benefits of diversity to thrive. Achieving this requires all Airmen to develop keen awareness and understanding of others' emotions, feelings, personality, temperaments, strengths, cultural differences, values, beliefs, etc. Interpersonal communication is the most effective method for developing personal awareness of the diversity dynamics that exist within our organizations.

Encourage Ownership of Initiatives:

When ownership is strong within an organization, everyone is committed to carrying out their role in valuing diversity, allowing it to flourish. In contrast, people in passive, complacent organizations do only what they must to stay out of trouble. Compliance is important, but it is only a starting point.

Forming Stage

When a team is forming, members cautiously explore the boundaries of acceptable group behavior. Like hesitant swimmers, they stand by the pool, merely putting their toes in the water. This is a stage of transition from individual to member status, and of testing the leader's guidance both formally and informally. Because there is so much going on to distract members' attention in the beginning, progress on work or team goals is slow. During this stage, everyone is on his or her best behavior and group members become acquainted with each other. Every team begins with this initial stage of team development. After the initial excitement and enthusiasm during the forming stage, team members are likely to realize there is work to be done. Conflict is usually absent in this stage.

Unresolved Conflict:

When conflict occurs, perceptive leaders quickly determine whether the conflict is constructive (positive) or destructive (negative) and if it is destructive, they take immediate steps to manage the issue. Leaving conflict unresolved, allows team members to "take sides" creating even more conflict and drawing the team's focus and momentum away from the goal and reducing its productivity

Admonishments and Reprimands

When counseling fails, or if it is not the appropriate first step in the PDP, admonishments and reprimands are also effective administrative corrections. To be effective, you must apply these disciplinary tools equitably to your subordinates. Know that your people will notice when you deviate from your own "standard" for discipline. If you're not sure which method is best in a particular scenario, consult with your supervisor, other experienced NCOs, and perhaps even your first sergeant.

Situation

When diagnosing the situation, the leader must understand what is going on in their work center now and what the expectation is for the future. The leader should focus on elements such as the mission/vision of the unit, progress towards organizational goals, and/or work center effectiveness.

Standards

Without standards it would be difficult to perform your job. Standards are the foundation for expectations. Standards are "morals, ethics, or habits established by an authority, custom, or an individual as acceptable behavior."ii Now, take these attributes into consideration of your role as a supervisor. One of the standards your supervisor will likely have for you is your ability to set standards for your subordinates. The Air Force Instruction 1-1, Air Force Culture, Air Force Standards, serves as a guide for supervisors on setting appropriate standards for your Airmen.

On the other hand, the secondary dimension consists of characteristics that can be changed.

Work ethic Personality Income Educational background Marital status Language abilities Experience Strengths Religious and Philosophical beliefs Temperaments

Improving the Job

You can improve the job by addressing things like the necessity of tasks, appropriateness of tasks, and job design. Evaluate the necessity and appropriateness of tasks, in order to determine whether all tasks are needed (no duplication of effort). Also, find out if all tasks promote mission accomplishment. If not, eliminate unnecessary tasks; this could improve your subordinate's efficiency and motivation. Of course, you should obtain permission from your supervisor or superintendent to ensure that your recommended changes don't violate an AFI, OI, TO, etc.

Environment

Your work center's environment goes a long way in determining how the work center performs. Bartol and Martin explain the work center's environment as "the general conditions that exist within an organization." These conditions tend to either aid or hinder people's efforts to accomplish their jobs

checking completed work, products or services

and by talking to customers who received the product or service. There is great value in looking at program reviews, customer service forms, letters of appreciation, inspection reports or staff assistance visits to check completed work. Monitoring performance gives you information necessary to prepare for informal and formal feedback sessions, evaluate their performance on the Enlisted Performance Reports, and to make administrative recommendations (nominations for awards via AF FM 1206, decorations, letters of counseling, etc.) Monitoring is a continuous process as long as you are supervising Airmen.

Rater

is a term that can be used interchangeably with the term reporting official.

Diagnosing

diagnose in order to determine future actions. For example, when you are sick, you visit a doctor who asks questions in order to figure out what is wrong. Based on that diagnosis, the doctor tells you what you must do in order to feel better. Effective leaders must also master this critical skill in order to make diagnoses in their work centers and with their subordinates as well. As noted by Hersey, diagnosing is the step a leader takes to determine what is going on in an organization. It is a cognitive skill that requires the leader to understand the situation, people and environment.

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Whether an Airman has a UIF or not

ensure that you include your commander support staff and first sergeant when you administer discipline to ensure it becomes part of the airman's official record.

Direct observation

is probably the most popular way of monitoring performance. It involves observing your Airman's performance with your own eyes. To get a true impression of day-to-day performance it is a good idea to stop by your Airman's office, flight, section, etc. The more you interact with your Airman on the job, the more comfortable they will be with you observing their performance. Refrain from being a micromanager because this can cause organizational stress for Airmen. Observe frequently enough to see your Airman's typical performance. Pay attention to their off-duty performance and behavior as well. Additionally, some supervisors have one or two Airmen, so direct observation is easy; however, those with many Airmen may not be able to use direct observation all the time.

Rehabilitative feedback

is the type of feedback done after a subordinate violates a standard or falls below your supervisory line of acceptability. Rehabilitative feedback allows supervisors an opportunity to discuss subordinate weaknesses before they become an official part of the subordinate's record. This gives your subordinates an opportunity to improve. Although finding fault in someone is usually easy, it's not so easy to tell him or her about it. How you present performance feedback on those areas needing improvement goes a long way towards determining the responsiveness of your subordinates.

Preventative feedback

is the type of feedback done before a subordinate violates a standard or falls below your supervisory line of acceptability. The initial feedback you perform with your ratee is considered a type of preventative feedback. By letting people know up front what the standards are as well as what's expected of them, you set them up for success and possibly prevent them from violating a standard because they didn't know. Very few people perform poorly intentionally; lack of awareness is often the cause.

There are four powers that affect the amount of positional influence a leader has:

legitimate, connection, coercive, and reward

Team Leader

team leader is the person who manages the team. Ordinarily, a team leader is a supervisor or manager in the project area. Because he or she is so close to the project, he or she will be better able to guide the members of the team. It is important for the team leader not to dominate the group. He or she should also practice active listening and participate in discussions only as much as necessary depending upon the maturity and experience levels of the team. This participation and active listening should encourage other team members to become more active.

According to AFI 36-2907,

the purpose of individual counseling is to help people use good judgment, assume responsibility, and solve their own problems. Remember when you use counseling, the goal is to help the individual, not make him or her feel worse about failing. When you counsel, show genuine concern for the person and his or her development. Be specific, be honest, and be tactful/sensitive as needed. If you are counseling a subordinate on an issue you lack experience in dealing with or you are uncomfortable discussing it then you should consider referring your Airman to the appropriate outside agency who can assist him or her. Remember, you are not a licensed counselor.

Your job as a supervisor is to create and maintain good order and discipline. Unfortunately, most people hear the word discipline and immediately think "trouble" or "punishment." Discipline is different from these terms because discipline is not just redirecting someone;

when effective, discipline involves correcting, training, nurturing, and advising. Proper discipline shows a person where they failed, how to correct the behavior and encourages them to retry with success. Sometimes, this does involve administrative action or punishment; however, most often it is a lower level of correction.

Diversity Defined

with the Air Force Core Values and the Air Force Mission. Just saying diversity is "differences" does not make us more effective. You must explore diversity a little deeper if you are going to truly understand and appreciate it. There are two broad dimensions of diversity: primary and secondary

The FAIR Way employs four techniques for maximizing retention and productivity and maintaining effective working relationships in workplaces. These techniques are:

• Giving Feedback • Offering Assistance • Assuring Inclusion • Giving Respect

These skills consist of:

• Know when to back off and allow the team to function on its own • Know when to provide direction to the team in order to keep their focus on the task • Know when their level of participation is too much which could cause some team members to abstain • Be careful of too little participation which may be regarded as weak leadership by team members

These skills include:

• Quickly, decisively, respectfully, clearly inform members, face to face, when not meeting the standard • Ensure all members of the team feel a sense of belonging and importance • Be able to deal with team conflicts in a way that doesn't keep it from its goals • Decide how much direction to use in order to not hurt the esteem of team members • Recognize the valuable input of each team member and give out encouragement as necessary to keep team members motivated • Ensure task needs are met without completely disregarding the individual needs of team members

These skills include:

• The ability to speak effectively in order to clearly articulate mission, vision, goals, expectations, and guidelines. • Consistent verbal and nonverbal communication • The use of clear and concise terms • Provide accurate direction on the methods that'll be utilized to achieve team goals • The ability to express ideas clearly in a written format • Apply the skills of an effective listener

This definition contains three critical and interrelated attributes

• The term "ongoing process" allows us to visualize never-ending, dynamic actions. The process of team dynamics is one in which we will be involved for life—or at least as long as we are team members. • "Interaction of individuals" relates to the heart of the process. Interpersonal relationships are inherently associated with Team Dynamics. It is here that individual team members find satisfaction because of the existence of the team. We also have to understand that the motivational needs are quite often different for each member of the team. Status or self-esteem may motivate some members while others may need power or social relationships. The key is satisfying these differing needs based, at least in part, on membership in the team. • "Achievement of the desired objective" is the attribute that separates a team from a group. It is the collective effort to reach the desired objective mentioned earlier and is the real reason for the team's existence.