How can I become a better leader and lead my guys to do a job they hate doing and are not up to the level they should be?

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 02:28:50 -0400

Response by SFC Douglas Eshenbaugh made Jun 25 at 2014 3:59 AM

SFC Douglas Eshenbaugh — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 03:59:55 -0400

How do you become a better leader? Experience and education. We learn from our mistakes but it's better to learn from others mistakes. So read, read anything you can about small group leading in the military. Know your job but not only that, learn how to interact with others. Taking some intro to management or even physiology courses can pay off in the long run as well (taking an english comp class doesn't hurt either). Becoming a better leader doesn't happen over night. This is why we don't promote people to Capt/Col or CPO/SFC overnight.

How do you lead your guys to do a job they hate? Set the example. If that means you get in there with them then you do it. The military is full of jobs we all hate. If your standing the line right there with them you show that you are not only do you realize that it does suck but that it is that important that you put that fact aside and are doing it anyways. There is an old saying 'never ask anyone to do something you are not willing to do yourself'. If your guys know that you believe this then you will rarely have a problem with them doing a job they hate.

How do you get your guys to perform up to the level they should be at? Do not accept substandard work. If that means they have to redo the work then they redo the work. If that means you give them more time or resources to do the work properly then you make that happen. If they need more or new training then you give them that training or get someone that can give them that training. Now the question is are you expecting them to meet a standard or exceed a standard. There is nothing wrong with expecting your guys to exceed a standard but you have to be realistic. Expecting someone to max out a proficiency in something is kind of unrealistic, especially if you have not given them the resources to do that. But say expecting them to reach 75% of maximum proficiency and giving them the tools to do that then that is a lot more reasonable. Just remember, your branch has set what the require proficiency for a given task is. It's kind of hard to ask your guys to exceed that standard if you are having a hard time meeting that standard yourself.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 4 at 2014 11:58 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 23:58:15 -0400

I can empathize with this situation because I have been there. In my experience it boils down to two things: A clear explanation of what needs to be done and 2) Concise instructions on how to do it. I agree that there are many jobs in the military that we hate doing but the secret to taking any job and excelling at it came down to changing my mindset.
I set out to make the job completely mine. This required a thorough understanding of the job and once I had a good grasp on things, I would then move onto improving it. Every job pawned off to me I have made better and in the end it became a little difficult to pass on because of how much effort I invested into it. In sum, understand it, make it yours, improve it and the enthusiasm about the job you once disliked will start to show. You will find it is easy to lead people into doing a work you fully understand and have mastered versus just telling them.

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2014 8:34 PM

CPO Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 20:34:53 -0400

Never ask your guys to do something you are not willing to do. Make that job the most important thing to you. they will then see you put 100% into any job no matter how crappy or bad that job might be. They will start to put in the same effort. Reward them if it is feasible to do so. Even if it is a pat on the back. Positive reinforcement will ensure they continue to work hard.

Response by SGT Richard H. made Sep 13 at 2014 8:39 PM

SGT Richard H. — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 20:39:54 -0400

This is kind of a silly & simple little meme, that we've probably all seen, but it says a lot, if you give it some thought.....

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 16 at 2014 11:43 AM

CPO Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 11:43:51 -0500

I agree with the advice listed here. Motivating others is a dynamic task at best, I know it sounds cliche but it really depends on the day and the mood of subordinates. A good leader can recognize what their sailors need for motivation, some days it's sleep or time off and some times they need to be challenged. Stay positive and it will rub off, if you are getting frustrated with the crappy jobs others will follow your path. Buck up get the job done and move on.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 16 at 2014 12:07 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 12:07:17 -0500

The fact that you ask is step one. You are willing to learn. Good for you. If the job sucks, you doing it with them will help. But don't get involved with talking down the task. Once you agree the task is stupid, you can't make them want to do it. Reward them for execution. But never degrade the job.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 7 at 2015 12:21 AM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 07 Jun 2015 00:21:18 -0400

I see that a lot as an LPO of CS's where they say they hate there job but they are only scratching the surface of what there job is and where it can take them. With my job I have the pleasure of training by showing, interacting, and tasting afterwards. I think taking a step back and looking at the root cause or motivation affecting the attitude of your guys is a start. A lot of times they will say they don't get enough recognition. You can start by recognizing the hard workers or ones that are hard workers that donor get fair recognition with positive counseling with the chain of command in attendance. Getting them schooling or certification classes is another. Other times just rolling your sleeves up and jumping in to help with the job is looked upon positively by peers and subordinates alike.

Response by PO3 Joseph Wieck made Jun 11 at 2015 9:27 AM

PO3 Joseph Wieck — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 09:27:10 -0400

Another big piece of being a leader is to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the team and of each individual member. One huge thing that will demotivate someone is to come down on something hard when they put 100% in. You have to be able to recognize what they need and get them trained/tools/whatever else is needed to improve that item. For example, if someone is working a maintenance task and it takes them 50% longer than anyone else, but the job is correct, you should look at it and see are they just working slow/being lazy, or is their skill level what is holding them back? If they are giving it their all, help them get better and build their skill. You also cannot let the others who are good at it belittle them for it.

On the civilian side of life, I had several technicians working under me. A few were outstanding techs and let everyone know about it. Others who met quotas and others who just could not get the repairs done in sufficient quantities to meet requirements. I made some changes and made it a team goal. The whole team had to average the goal. Well those who were the top performers quickly learned it was better to help the lower performers in order to get the rewards. I also rewarded them separately for stepping up and assisting the lower performers. Once I did that the team got it. Fast forward 2 years and a tech that the manager wanted to fire because her numbers were not anywhere near the requirements, I had the pleasure of promoting her to Senior Tech, and Section lead. She was one of the best performing technicians in the company.

As was said previously, it is a dynamic situation that you must constantly analyse.