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I have this female Specialist who is also a "quick starter," meaning she is pre-OCS. She works hard, gets the mission accomplished, but has a serious negative attitude. I recently put her in for her PCS award since she actually does bust her butt in the office. But lately her negativity/grumpiness is really annoying me. She literally has to announce every complaint that bothers her to the entire office. I'm fairly new to the office and the office long times seem to just ignore her when she acts that way. I have already given her time away from the office since she asked because she was burnt out. Should I engage with her and see what the issue is? Or at least attempt to see what her problem is?
Posted in these groups: 
Leadership
Environment
Leadership Environment
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 12
SFC (Join to see) IN a non-accusatory manner, neutral location away from other staff ears... Sure, I would. "Hey, noticed the office and staff really frustrating you these past few weeks I've been here... would like to know what the issue is . Cant help make it better if I don't know what is wrong"
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Find out what is causing her disdain. I mean, stellar performer but expressing issues. There is an underlying issue. As a Leader, it would behoove (and I really do hate that word) you to try and find the root cause.
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I am going go a different way with this, maybe I am wrong or just plain stuck in the past. If this Soldier is a good performer, solid in her knowledge of her job and what is expected but failing with her "PEOPLE SKILLS" she needs to adjust her presentation so as not to alienate even folks that have nothing to do with her bad attitude. If someone in the office is pushing her button then that individual(s) needs to be dealt with. If this is just how she is when under pressure she needs to examine her methods of dealing with pressure before she commissioned or promoted. She needs to share what is causing her to act out like this before she is put in a position of leadership or she will fail down the line. If she doesn't adjust her tact at this stage she will only get worse when more pressure is heaped upon her. With only what you have supplied us, I would say she she is salvageable, because really who among us hasn't just had it up to here with someone to the point we just start nuking the area.
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SGM Erik Marquez
"If someone in the office is pushing her button then that individual(s) needs to be dealt with. If this is just how she is when under pressure she needs to examine her methods of dealing with pressure before she commissioned or promoted"
And that was my point, find out what the issue is.
"She needs to share"
1SG agree, to a point, but somethings will not be shared to her NCO without request (or maybe completely to that NCO, but you never know until you ask)
That SM is not going to walk up to her new NCO and say "Im in an abusive relationship" most likey, or "Im being sexually harassed by those two officers", or "My mom was murdered last year by my drunk of a father who raped my brother and I for years"
In the long-gone Army...if someone was truly screwing with you in the office, you'd tell them to knock it off, if that did not work you punched them in the face....and then the NCOs knew for sure who was beefing with each other...LOL
And that was my point, find out what the issue is.
"She needs to share"
1SG agree, to a point, but somethings will not be shared to her NCO without request (or maybe completely to that NCO, but you never know until you ask)
That SM is not going to walk up to her new NCO and say "Im in an abusive relationship" most likey, or "Im being sexually harassed by those two officers", or "My mom was murdered last year by my drunk of a father who raped my brother and I for years"
In the long-gone Army...if someone was truly screwing with you in the office, you'd tell them to knock it off, if that did not work you punched them in the face....and then the NCOs knew for sure who was beefing with each other...LOL
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1SG Dennis Hicks
SGM Erik Marquez - While we can't truly see all the facts in this example , there could be other issues. I couldn't survive in todays Army, I like to be direct and blunt which is blasphemy these days. If you have a good working relationship with your troops you can pretty much tease info out of them and either help them or direct them to someone better qualified. Granted as a line dog I didn't have any female Soldiers in my unit and we all pretty much tended to be blunt and lack any internal filter, sometimes the direct mode works. ( I know you know all this) The whole mentorship process really requires knowing your troops so you can better help/mold/train the future leadership below you. As for the old Army we all remember glowingly and maybe not as accurately as we seem to remember, a trip to the woodline without blouses tended to work on most of the knuckleheads and peer pressure fixed the little things out of sight.
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SGM Erik Marquez
1SG Dennis Hicks - Until I went to work in a DIV HQ as the G3 SGM, I thought as you did......it was a different animal once I wne tto work at that level
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1SG Dennis Hicks
SGM Erik Marquez - SGM, I found out about that as well at the end when I became the loud wet fart in church to the Filed Grades and SRNCO's around me as I went about being me :) There was very good reason why I opted out from the SMA.
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