If your rater has a personal problem with you, what would you do?

2015-05-31T19:50:33-04:00

If your rater has a personal problem with you because they listen to someone that use to work from them and they are friends and that person didn't like you what should you do? Should you bring that up with your senior rater? Also if your rater told you as an officer that he would treat you like a private should you report them?

Response by CPT Ahmed Faried made May 31 at 2015 7:55 PM

2015-05-31T19:55:18-04:00

Involve the senior rater, talk to the rater. Don't sign it until at the very least the SR hears your side of it.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 31 at 2015 8:08 PM

2015-05-31T20:08:55-04:00

I believe its time to talk to your Senior Rater using the Open Door Policy and have a candid conversation on how your being treated. Your a Commissioned Officer and you should be treated with respect. However its your career, but if my rater told this to me, I would definitely talk to my Senior Rater.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made May 31 at 2015 8:41 PM

2015-05-31T20:41:22-04:00

Performance, performance, and most importantly, PERFORMANCE.
That is what you should be rated on, with very little in the way of exception. If you believe that the issue has substance and may scuttle you in the eyes of your rater, my advice would be twofold:
1. Document carefully what you have done and bring it to your quarterly OER counselings, You'll know early on if your rater disagrees with your view of your performance, and what the substance of that disagreement is. This will come in handy if you have to pursue redress later.
2. Do reconnaissance. What does this former Soldier have an axe to grind about? What do others that are in the know feel about it? Why is your rater drinking the Kool-Aid? This information will allow you to organize relationships into threats and allies and will also come in handy if redress is necessary.

I can't really envision a situation short of pushing me into releaving an officer where I would tell them I would treat them like a Private. That doesn't exactly scream the Army Value of Respect.
What precipitated that comment? It might inform on what your rater's mindset is.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made May 31 at 2015 9:05 PM

2015-05-31T21:05:47-04:00

I don't know about you Chief, but I my case I be talking to the SR and probably that would be the last day I work for that rater, this is also an issue you should bring to your senior warrant, they for sure could help you.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 31 at 2015 9:07 PM

2015-05-31T21:07:54-04:00

Too often ratings are handed out based on likership vs performance, potential. I had the same situation as you. My rater straight up said he didn't like me, my oer is a pure reflection of that. I am appealing it now.

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Jun 1 at 2015 11:18 AM

2015-06-01T11:18:58-04:00

I'm going to echo what CPT John Hermida said. Talk to the Rater, respectfully (Rater is your rater and senior to you...) but directly. Be forthright, something like:
"Sir, I feel that you have a negative opinion of me and my abilities/motivation/whatever. What actions on my part would convince you that I am a competent Officer and a valuable member of your team?"

Generally, you can expect one of three responses:
1. A decent counseling session(s) will evolve, resetting your relationship.
2. You'll be told to GTFO, and you'll know something.
3. You'll be brushed off with platitudes. In this case, you are no worse off than you were.

I would be cautious about bringing it to your Senior Rater, without exhaustive - and verifiable - efforts on your part to correct. Escalating a personality issue and whining are very close cousins - and they are determined in the eye of the beholder (i.e. your intent is irrelevant).

My first question if someone came to me to complain about their rater would be "so what have you done about it?" I would consider "brought it to you." to be an unsat answer, which would lower my opinion of the subject Officer. If they said, "I have attempted to set office calls with him on the following 6 dates, send in a draft support form asking for comments on the following 3 dates, ...." I might be more willing to listen.

Two topics deserve special attention. The first is the idea of "reporting" someone (be it IG, EO, EEO, rating chain, whatever). Keep the following in mind: Reporting for WHAT? And by WHAT, I mean what SPECIFIC law, regulation, or policy is being violated. It is worth noting that "being an ass" is not prohibited by law, regulation, or policy. There are certain ACTIONS that are, but they are discrete actions that can be pointed to. In your case, the mere statement that "I am going to treat you like a private" makes the "being an ass" cut, I don't know - given the information that I have - that it is in any way prohibited conduct. Reporting may well result in an investigation. If that investigation cannot substantiate a violation of law, regulation, or policy then you will not get the desired relief and the Rater (and likely the Senior) will have an even bigger axe to grind. With regards to "but retaliation is not allowed!":
1. Yeah, right.
2. The rater can always find justifications to support their actions - especially if they are forwarded that they will need to. That extra duty will just have been luck of the draw?
3. "You already went on record that they had a low opinion of you, and now you're saying that their low opinion of you is due to the reporting?..."

The second issue is the OER and either refusing to sign or appealing. With regards to the OER it must be understood that it is the RATER's evaluation of your performance. Your signature does not indicate agreement. It indicates that you have reviewed it, know its contents, and that it is ADMINISTRATIVELY accurate. We talk a lot about "refusing to sign" when we don't like what is in the evaluation. Keep in mind, at the end of the day, the rating chain can just mark it "Soldier refused to sign" and send it on... Which makes it look even worse in your record, as it draws attention. If it is a referred report, you can add comments that you think are relevant. NOTE: I am not saying to passively roll over if you get a bad eval. I am saying to be very aware of the actual process, and our roles therein, as opposed to how people talk.

With regard to the appeal thing, also keep in mind that you are really limited in what you can appeal. You can appeal matters of OBJECTIVE FACT (are any factual statements in the OER INCORRECT? Can you prove it?) and clear bias (Did it really say "She does the best that can be expected of a woman"?...). At the end of the day, it is that RATER's evaluation of your performance. Unless the rater is an idiot, they will not have any factual errors or obvious bias. All of the negative comments will focus on their subjective impressions of you - you cannot disprove their statements about their opinion of you. I can foresee very few situations where I would expect an Officer to successfully appeal an evaluation. It does happen, but it is fairly rare.

On the whole, your best bet is to address it proactively and build a good relationship with your rater. Your second best would be work to be moved.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Jun 5 at 2015 7:52 PM

2015-06-05T19:52:17-04:00

Let me see if I got this straight, your rater wants to treat a W-2 like a private? Sounds like this person has an ax to grind with a WO somewhere in his past. Personally I think you need to ask what his/her beef is? More often than not a lot of line officers don't always truly understand the roles of WO's. As a BMT I have fallen under Company officers and Battalion Officers, all I can say is when you fall under a company command, they see their world, whereas a BN XO or S-4 will see it through a bigger lens.