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CAP politics

Started by flyguy06, October 07, 2006, 06:10:14 PM

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Al Sayre

Unfortunately, if you believe politics is the problem, the best way to fix it is from the inside out.  By not getting "involved" in the upper echelons, you do yourself and others a disservice.  If you become a trusted and respected member of the Wing Staff, the Wing Commander is a lot more likely listen to you than some random faceless squadron staffer who chews on his ear once a year at the Wing Christmas party.
 
Face it folks, if you want to fix a problem, you need to get close enough to turn the wrench.
Lt Col Al Sayre
MS Wing Staff Dude
Admiral, Great Navy of the State of Nebraska
GRW #2787

DNall

I sympathize, as I think we all do. I can see that "getting more involved" seems like rewarding & enabling the behavior we're seeing at the top & the system that bred it & still does breed little version of it from Gp staff to Wg to Region. It's a fact that you get ahead & get a voice in CAP by personal politics. On the surface that's just unjust, but systemically it builds on top of itself & causes the quality of leadership to go down at an equally exponential pace. Afterall, what person of true merit long endures such idiocy. The military uses & abuses its people, and they stay there willingly, to an extent out of patriotism, but really more because of the quality of people they serve with the culture the attitude. Do you really want to share the company, culture, or attitude of CAP leadership so much that you'd endure the position for the opportunity to work with them? Most good people run like hell from that. They you get the Nat CC asking why good people won't step up to lead beyond their own backyard.

I tell guys, I feel your pain & all, but this is at the heart of what CAP is right now, it suck all hell & I don't know what to do about it short of a hostile takeover by Congress or AF to restore accountable leadership worthy of our people in the field. I certinaly think you need to do what you can to make CAP better, and in the process gain the ear of people that will listen to reason, but otherwise I'm all ears on how to fix the big picture. I really think it transcends the current leadership & won't be solved even if you get a great commander in there.

ZigZag911

Quote from: DNall on November 03, 2006, 03:35:08 AM
. I really think it transcends the current leadership & won't be solved even if you get a great commander in there.

I beg to disagree -- change at the top, change the attitudes, change the culture, start the repair process....things will improve

DNall

Quote from: ZigZag911 on November 03, 2006, 04:17:08 AM
Quote from: DNall on November 03, 2006, 03:35:08 AM
. I really think it transcends the current leadership & won't be solved even if you get a great commander in there.

I beg to disagree -- change at the top, change the attitudes, change the culture, start the repair process....things will improve
My position is the underlying system produced this leadership & allowed things to progress as they are now (with one person basically replacing everyone with his people - that influence will be felt long after he leaves). A great commander in that spot would still be hamstrung by the weak foundation under them & could provide no assurance for a secure future. A great commander could make things a little better for a period, but they can't actually change the culture/attitudes/etc single handedly & by force of will alone. The underlying system keeps good people out & causes poor people to rise to the top, and doesn't hold people accountable, which in turn effects everything down change & that pushes off members by the thousands. I actually don't want a good leader next. That's a bandaid on a cut off leg. All it does is delay the chance to change they big picture for the better.

ZigZag911

Quote from: DNall on November 04, 2006, 06:53:05 AM
Quote from: ZigZag911 on November 03, 2006, 04:17:08 AM
Quote from: DNall on November 03, 2006, 03:35:08 AM
. I really think it transcends the current leadership & won't be solved even if you get a great commander in there.

I beg to disagree -- change at the top, change the attitudes, change the culture, start the repair process....things will improve
My position is the underlying system produced this leadership & allowed things to progress as they are now (with one person basically replacing everyone with his people - that influence will be felt long after he leaves). A great commander in that spot would still be hamstrung by the weak foundation under them & could provide no assurance for a secure future. A great commander could make things a little better for a period, but they can't actually change the culture/attitudes/etc single handedly & by force of will alone. The underlying system keeps good people out & causes poor people to rise to the top, and doesn't hold people accountable, which in turn effects everything down change & that pushes off members by the thousands. I actually don't want a good leader next. That's a bandaid on a cut off leg. All it does is delay the chance to change they big picture for the better.

I totally agree that we need a sweeping cultural change in CAP.

One way to do that, which I've mentioned elsewhere on this board, would be to separate the functions of wing commander and corporate policy maker.

While it's true that wing CCs need to be corporate officers, one can be a corporate officer without sitting on the corporate board.

Commanders should be carrying out the CAP program in their wings.

lordmonar

Quote from: Al Sayre on November 03, 2006, 03:28:15 AM
Unfortunately, if you believe politics is the problem, the best way to fix it is from the inside out.  By not getting "involved" in the upper echelons, you do yourself and others a disservice.  If you become a trusted and respected member of the Wing Staff, the Wing Commander is a lot more likely listen to you than some random faceless squadron staffer who chews on his ear once a year at the Wing Christmas party.
 
Face it folks, if you want to fix a problem, you need to get close enough to turn the wrench.

Bingo!
PATRICK M. HARRIS, SMSgt, CAP

DNall

Quote from: ZigZag911 on November 04, 2006, 06:06:20 PM
I totally agree that we need a sweeping cultural change in CAP.

One way to do that, which I've mentioned elsewhere on this board, would be to separate the functions of wing commander and corporate policy maker.

While it's true that wing CCs need to be corporate officers, one can be a corporate officer without sitting on the corporate board.

Commanders should be carrying out the CAP program in their wings.
You know I'm really uncomfortable with elected leadership, and this isn't my idea, but it seems like we have the President & senate part of the governing body, but we need an elected group to represent membership on a per capita basis like the house. Again, not my idea & I don't know if it'd be a good idea at all, but it's worth consideration.