Posted on Jul 23, 2016
What if as a Leader you made an important decision and your CSM below you or Commander above you challenged it?
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Have you ever been in a situation where you have made a decision and it was then challenged by your Command Sergeant Major, Sergeant Major, or Staff?
Have you ever made a command decision that was challenged by your immediate Commander or superior above you?
What happened and how did you deal with it as a leader?
I've been challenged on several occasions! I'll share my experience with you below in a response!
Have you ever made a command decision that was challenged by your immediate Commander or superior above you?
What happened and how did you deal with it as a leader?
I've been challenged on several occasions! I'll share my experience with you below in a response!
Leadership
CSM
Challenge
What Would You Do
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 43
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I can only respond to the CSM challenging a Commanders decision. Not publicly I assume. Also, I am assuming the assigned CSM would only privately challenge the commander AFTER THE FACT if he or she had not been asked their advice before the policy or decision was made. Granted I have been retired for nearly a career (17 years), but I doubt that things have changed that much in this respect. I had a few one on one professional discussions with the Commanders I was assigned to as their Senior Enlisted Advisor. I was allowed to candidly provide my input. Sometimes also with XO's and Officer staff present. When a decision was made or a policy directed, it became mine as well, even if I disagreed. I didn't leave the office pouting and talk negative about it or the process. If soldiers or others grumbled, I never talked about our personal discussions, I enforced the decisions or policies. I was proud to have been asked, listened to and be able to contribute. Truth is, there were more than a few decisions reached that I agreed with because of my input or perspective than what I disagreed with. Note: My definition of Command Sergeant Major was a Sergeant Major OF the Command, NOT a Sergeant Major IN Command.
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CW5 (Join to see)
This is still how it works, CSM. This is what loyalty to the command means. It also shows strength of character to know one's place in the scheme of things.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Thanks for your thoughts.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
CSM Michael Sweeney It would have been a pleasure serving with you Michael. I was very forture to have had (5) great CSM's serve with me at the Battalion Level (4 years) and at the Birgade level and in the combat zone for over (7 Years and three different commands). I valued their opinion always and made sure they were a part of all my decisions that involved the enlisted personnel and those under their advisement. If they disagreed with a decision they provided me with the facts and alternatives. Many a time I would take their council into account and adjust fire if needed. They always supported me after the final decision and visa versa. Great Command relationships between the Commander and CSM are so important in my book! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and wisdom on this post!
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When I was a shop NCO, I was directed to take over the evening shift crew. Worst attendance, highest avionics failure rate and lowest morale. They assigned the "undesirables" to this shift which was straight evenings. Airmen on evenings never got to see their wives or kids. My first meeting was an incentive meeting. I told the crew that if we completed all work on time with no failures, I would let someone go home early. Over the next six weeks, absenteeism went to less than 1%. LRU failure rates decreased and morale improved to the point where we were exercising together. My challenge came when my shop chief chewed me out for allowing people to not work their full shift. I made the right call even though the senior NCO disagreed.
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SPC (Join to see)
My ex-husband arrived to a new unit and was given all of the "f*** ups" in the company that were being processed for discharges (drug test failures, PT failure, etc, not ETS). They had continued behavior issues until my ex became their temporary section sgt. When asked how he managed to get their behavior under control, his response... You lumped them all together as screw ups and corralled them into a group designated as the screw ups that weren't worth anyone's time to continue to lead them and treated them like crap and disregarded their families. I simply reminded them that until the final date on their DD214 has been reached, they are still service members and I expect them to act as such, and I treat them as such. If they keep screwing up, they can STILL be article 15ed or Court Martialed and have their discharge orders revoked to serve their punishment, or have the characterization of discharge changed. They get treated with professionalism despite their circumstances, and they respond in kind. He actually had one guy's discharge almost get cancelled because his behavior improved so much under my ex's leadership!
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CW5 (Join to see)
This is leadership. You accomplished your mission.
I always let me people go early when the job was done. My line of reasoning was that if something didn't get done because I sent them home then I was stuck doing that task.
I did tell my Joes/Janes to keep their boots on and not to drink until 1700 in case there was an accountability formation....
I always let me people go early when the job was done. My line of reasoning was that if something didn't get done because I sent them home then I was stuck doing that task.
I did tell my Joes/Janes to keep their boots on and not to drink until 1700 in case there was an accountability formation....
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Sgt Dallas D'Angelo-Gary
I was put in charge of the Midnight Shift during my last base assignment. The Senior NCOs were amazed at how I'd turned them around, and improved productivity to 100%. In reality, they were doing the work, they'd just never been taught how to properly fill out the paperwork. It only took a couple of days to teach them, and they were right up there with the rest.
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Interesting comment, when I was a Correctional Counselor, I had an inmate on my case-load for five (5) years, he requested permission to work at the Dairy outside the wall, I denied him for five years, he and his father both in prison, both escape risks. The Captain (supervisor) over-ruled my decision and permitted him to work at the Dairy. Three days later he and his father escaped from California, went to Iowa and robbed a few banks before getting caught once again, both Career Criminals.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
PO3 Steven Stinnett Great testimonial and example outside the ranks of the military - this happens a lot in the civilian world - accountability! Thanks for sharing!
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SSgt Clare May
SP5 Christine Conley - To acknowledge you were wrong in the civilian world, is an admission you don't know squat about your own career. That leads others to motivate a aurora of discontent with your ineffective leadership skills and undermines your position... that can lead to more qualified persons than you; who will and can do your job... better than you. Those more qualified pray you will haul tail and leave.
In actuality, the unqualified will continue to lead the unwilling, the uninformed or the so what who cares, refuse to voluntarily step aside, performance suffers only to the ones who are knowledgeable, as long as everyone involved collects a paycheck...the only one who cares will be the ones who leave for greener pastures.
In 30 years as an LEO...I never had to apologize about any rule or policy I initiated or wrote as a Chief. I spent more time insuring what I was proposing, was...
#1. Lawful,
#2. justified,
#3. fair to all involved,
#4. represented clear and concise directions.
I spent more time trying not to say; I told you so... a term I finally stopped using because being right, didn't make others more stupid and wasted my time.
Lead by example. Set the standard. Perform the standard if you have to. Worry about the small stuff later, stamp out the fires as they come....and beat the shit out of the hot fires so they don't flare up again.
In actuality, the unqualified will continue to lead the unwilling, the uninformed or the so what who cares, refuse to voluntarily step aside, performance suffers only to the ones who are knowledgeable, as long as everyone involved collects a paycheck...the only one who cares will be the ones who leave for greener pastures.
In 30 years as an LEO...I never had to apologize about any rule or policy I initiated or wrote as a Chief. I spent more time insuring what I was proposing, was...
#1. Lawful,
#2. justified,
#3. fair to all involved,
#4. represented clear and concise directions.
I spent more time trying not to say; I told you so... a term I finally stopped using because being right, didn't make others more stupid and wasted my time.
Lead by example. Set the standard. Perform the standard if you have to. Worry about the small stuff later, stamp out the fires as they come....and beat the shit out of the hot fires so they don't flare up again.
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