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Army Directive 2013-29 (Army Command Climate Assessments) dated 23DEC13, states changes to how units will conduct their mandated Command Climate Assessments. The main changes are the following:<br><br>1. The only assessment that will be used will be the DefenSe Equal Opportunity Management Institute Organizational Climate Survey (DEOCS). <br><br>2. All Active Army company commanders will conduct an initial command climate assessment within 30 days of assuming command, to be followed by 'a subsequent assessment 6 months later, another assessment 12 months after assuming command and annually thereafter while retaining command.<br><br>3. All Active Army commanders above the company level will conduct an initial<br>command climate assessment within 60 days of assuming command, to be followed by a subsequent assessment 12 months later and annually thereafter while retaining command.<br><br>With the recent change to how often Soldiers are going to have to take these Command Climate Surveys, do you think that Soldiers are going to participate and provide honest feedback, or will they get frustrated with having to take multiple surveys and just, "check the block"?<br>
EO
SHARP
Morale
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 12
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MSG - Problem I have with all these surveys is Soldiers don't see the point. I can't say I blame them. We're asked/told time and again to take one survey after another and nothing changes. I strongly suggest we quit making new surveys and fix what we already know is broken.
Just my ten cents.
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MSG Ryan C.
SPC Davis,
Believe me, I know your frustrations. Prior to me becoming an Equal Opportunity Advisor, I hated doing survey after survey and never knowing what was being done, if anything. After going to EO school and learning how effective these surveys can be when done correctly, I fully believe they can affect positive change in a unit's climate.
What should happen is that the survey is given to the unit, anonymously, and then the results are analyzed by someone who knows what they are looking at (usually the unit EOL or EOA). The results of the survey are only the first step in the process.
They survey can give you areas to pinpoint on for further assessment (such as communication, low job satisfaction, possible hazing of new Soldiers, etc). This is where the sensing sessions come into play. A trained EO practitioner should then set up focus groups (or sensing sessions), broken down by lower enlisted, males and females, SGT-SSG, SFC and higher, to discuss these focus areas in a closed environment, free from intimidation, reprisals, etc. You would be surprised how many issues come up once the Soldiers are confident with the process. The results of the focus group are presented to the commander (keeping the anonymity of the Soldiers), where he or she can develop a plan of action to improve areas that are lacking and sustain areas that are successful. Then the commander has the responsibility to back-brief the entire unit on the survey, what was identified, and what the plan of action to fix/sustain is going to be. This builds confidence in the Soldiers that someone is actually reading the surveys and that their voice is heard.
Even if focus groups are not done, the commander should still back-brief the unit on the survey results and plan of action. Problem is, that doesn't happen in a lot of units. I feel that the process will get better with these new requirements, but it may take a while to see results.
Believe me, I know your frustrations. Prior to me becoming an Equal Opportunity Advisor, I hated doing survey after survey and never knowing what was being done, if anything. After going to EO school and learning how effective these surveys can be when done correctly, I fully believe they can affect positive change in a unit's climate.
What should happen is that the survey is given to the unit, anonymously, and then the results are analyzed by someone who knows what they are looking at (usually the unit EOL or EOA). The results of the survey are only the first step in the process.
They survey can give you areas to pinpoint on for further assessment (such as communication, low job satisfaction, possible hazing of new Soldiers, etc). This is where the sensing sessions come into play. A trained EO practitioner should then set up focus groups (or sensing sessions), broken down by lower enlisted, males and females, SGT-SSG, SFC and higher, to discuss these focus areas in a closed environment, free from intimidation, reprisals, etc. You would be surprised how many issues come up once the Soldiers are confident with the process. The results of the focus group are presented to the commander (keeping the anonymity of the Soldiers), where he or she can develop a plan of action to improve areas that are lacking and sustain areas that are successful. Then the commander has the responsibility to back-brief the entire unit on the survey, what was identified, and what the plan of action to fix/sustain is going to be. This builds confidence in the Soldiers that someone is actually reading the surveys and that their voice is heard.
Even if focus groups are not done, the commander should still back-brief the unit on the survey results and plan of action. Problem is, that doesn't happen in a lot of units. I feel that the process will get better with these new requirements, but it may take a while to see results.
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1SG Michael Blount
MSG - and the last time this happened what when? Hasn't happened in my unit for the two years I've been in it so far. Most people who complete the survey are just happy it's done. I'm not trying to blast or degrade what you're doing. I'm saying if the commanders don't do anything with the survey results, why should the Soldiers care if they participate or not? Just seems like that old saying "we pretend to work; they pretend to pay us"
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SPC (Join to see)
MSG Cole,
We had the sensing sessions as well two of them to go with the surveys. It wasn't divided up by rank just a random picking of enlisted soldiers present from the company of which I was one. Seemed like everyone was content with the command environment, however, I would like to point out my suggestion of more squat racks in the gym didn't produce any results unfortunately.
Also thank you for the feedback i'll pass it along to my fellow mafia members and have them disseminate it.
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MSG Ryan C.
1SG(P) Blount,
It depends on how engaged the EOLs and EOAs are with those commanders. When I first got to my command, surveys were not being conducted to standard. After educating the EOLs and command teams on the process, there was a vast improvement. Some units are better than others, but the units with EOLs that put forth the effort to excel at their collateral duty were able to have better influence on their commanders to conduct it correctly.
A lot of the problem is that many commanders do not know what to do with the results, or how the process works. They just check the block and wait for the next requirement. That is why every commander has a senior NCO assigned to them. It is our responsibility to not only teach, coach, and mentor the Soldiers, but also the commander as well. If a unit has a bad command climate, it is that 1SG/CSMs responsibility to help fix it as well. It's a team effort. The unit EOL should be addressing the issues with their 1SG/CSM to assist in meeting the standard.
It depends on how engaged the EOLs and EOAs are with those commanders. When I first got to my command, surveys were not being conducted to standard. After educating the EOLs and command teams on the process, there was a vast improvement. Some units are better than others, but the units with EOLs that put forth the effort to excel at their collateral duty were able to have better influence on their commanders to conduct it correctly.
A lot of the problem is that many commanders do not know what to do with the results, or how the process works. They just check the block and wait for the next requirement. That is why every commander has a senior NCO assigned to them. It is our responsibility to not only teach, coach, and mentor the Soldiers, but also the commander as well. If a unit has a bad command climate, it is that 1SG/CSMs responsibility to help fix it as well. It's a team effort. The unit EOL should be addressing the issues with their 1SG/CSM to assist in meeting the standard.
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Surveys are not always welcome with soldiers because they are hit with so many. Sensing sessions are up there as well because soldiers don't believe anything will ever be changed.
A good leadership team will use this tool as an honest assessment and make needed changes. A commander is authorized to have specific questions added to the surveys before publishing so they can target areas of concern. However they need to make sure act on those issues rather than write it off as merely complaining soldiers.
Many times the 1SG or other senior NCOs are the subject of many complaints and the commander needs to be strong enough to take action regardless of rank, but he/she also needs to be smart enough to see through some of the BS that is written.
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I think that it will be important for the unit EOL along with the senior leaders to explain the Army Directive to their unit and explain its importance in the "bigger picture." Soldiers will need reminded of that with each survey. They will also need to be reminded of what level each survey is covering (CO, BN, BDE, etc). It is important to ensure that with each survey, these topics are discussed. I think that will help with receiving constructive feedback on the surveys.
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