Senior Member job performance evaluations

[LtCol057]

How many of you that are commanders do a job performance evaluation on your senior members that hold staff positions?  We're supposed to do them on cadets, but what about the seniors?

I have a senior member that I'm consistently having to contact about the monthly reports that he's supposed to do.  When he doesn't do them, I get an email (or call) from the group commander wanting to know why the reports weren't turned in on time.  This SM is an officer, and already hinting around that his TIG for promotion to Capt is coming up.  At this time, I'm really leaning towards telling him that I will not be promoting him because of this problem, but I want a way of documenting his slack job performance.

I know there used to be a version of a military OER on the NHQ website in the best practices, but can't find it now.  Any of you have something like this?

[Dutchboy]

Sir, Keep in mind, that the Group commander would be the approval authority for the Promotion to Captain, if I remember correctly, Majot is Wing, LtCol is Region?

[Dutchboy]

But I would make sure to tell the group commander your concerns.

[bosshawk]

You are asking about a form: there is one.  CAP Form 40, currently in use in the Organizational Effectiveness track.  Closest thing that I have seen to an OER form.

[Nick]

Sir, Keep in mind, that the Group commander would be the approval authority for the Promotion to Captain, if I remember correctly, Majot is Wing, LtCol is Region?

Keep in mind, that if the squadron commander doesn't sign the Form 2 in the first place, it won't even make it to the group commander for approval.

[Nick]

You are asking about a form: there is one.  CAP Form 40, currently in use in the Organizational Effectiveness track.  Closest thing that I have seen to an OER form.

I didn't even know that came out -- that practically IS an OPR.  I'm impressed.

[LtCol057]

Thanks for the responses.  The F 40 is the form I was looking for.  I had seen a different version of it several years ago. It wasn't a CAP Form then.  Now I need to start doing them for my senior members.

And messofficer, yes, I am aware of who the promoting authority is.  However, I also know that as the squadron commander, if I don't approve the promotion, it doesn't make it to the group commander for his approval.  As the group personnel officer, and a former Wing personnel officer, I am a stickler about promotion paperwork.

[Hawk200]

This SM is an officer, and already hinting around that his TIG for promotion to Capt is coming up.  At this time, I'm really leaning towards telling him that I will not be promoting him because of this problem, but I want a way of documenting his slack job performance.

Ignore the hints completely. Document in some manner that you've been receiving phone calls, and if there are emails concerning it, then print them out and hold onto them.

If the member demands the rank, let him know why he might be delayed. Document what needs to be done for improvement so there is a clear outline of what is expected. If the outlined criteria are not met, tell him there will be further delay.

I'd let the next levels up know what the issue is, especially those that are in the promoting authority chain. If they're aware of issues, they may hold off on passing up the promotions til after they check with you on it.

Sir, Keep in mind, that the Group commander would be the approval authority for the Promotion to Captain, if I remember correctly, Majot is Wing, LtCol is Region?

They're the approval authority, but those levels don't generate the paperwork for the promotion. A group or wing CC isn't going to initiate the form in the first place, that's the unit's job.

[FW]

I just love when members "tell" commanders they have the TIG for promotion and have met the requirements so..... "where's my promotion?".

I personally don't care about a member who just sticks around and fills in the blanks for promotion.  Completion of the PD componant for a grade level just makes us ELIGABLE for a promotion.  There are a few intangables giving a commander discretion on a promotion.  Job performance is one.

I would definetly reccomend a job performance eval every year (or more if necessary) to back up any possible IG issues.

[Cecil DP]

In an ideal world, the Commander, DC, or in a higher HQ, the CofS would be sitting down with each SM on a regular basis to discuss their job performance. If you decide to hold off on a promotion, you should be going over what's wrong and corrective measures that would have to be done before he/she would be considered for promotion. If you don't promote him and haven't told him what needs to be done to get promoted, it could lead to an IG complaint which he will win without the documentation.

[LtCol057]

I've decided that effective today, I'll be sitting down with each senior member and going over their job performance.  I've been negligent in this, as this was one item I wanted to do when I took over as commander.  In January, I've been a senior member for 20 years, and in all the time I've been in, I've never had anyone sit down with me and go over my records or job performance. and I meant to correct that.

[RiverAux]

Sad to say that I never did that while a squadron commander.  However, the only person I probably would have had a problem promoting due to poor staff job performance had other issues that kept him from even becoming eligible, so it wasn't a factor. 

[Fifinella]

^^ wasn't a factor for poor performers.  But some SMs need a nudge, or just guidance, to continue to progress.  And some volunteers are motivated by the knowledge that someone is paying attention to what they are doing and how they are doing it.  Feedback might make the difference in retaining a good volunteer or having him/her slip away because they don't feel valued.  Lot more to the equation than just CYA.

[Gunner C]

Honestly, the only folks I had a performance problem with were the Lt Cols.  Everyone else (excepting one major who'd been in for 30 years and showed up to sell patches, etc to the cadets) did a pretty exceptional job. 

[flyguy06]

Interesting comments. I like this thread. i have a sort of related question.

First of all, if I didnt promote every non performing sm inmy unit Only two members would get promoted.

But with that said what if a sm doesnt care about getting promoted. We have many members in my unit that dont give a hill of beans about the next promotion. So how do you get them to perform better?

[LtCol057]

Flyguy, I'll be interested in any suggestions you get myself.  Heck, at this point, I'd be happy to just to get some of the senior members to show up for a meeting.

[flyguy06]

Flyguy, I'll be interested in any suggestions you get myself.  Heck, at this point, I'd be happy to just to get some of the senior members to show up for a meeting.

Are we in the same Squadron? 

My issue is like he said. Out of 16 SM's on the roster we usually get 5 that show up regularly. Of that 5, three participate in activities outside of weekly meetings. 

Rank just doesnt mean anything to them. One SM told me "I am not concerned about my rank, I jjst want to help and make a difference" What do you say to that?

Our pevious commander for some reason gave a lot of folks the senior rating intheir perspective specialty tracks so they are putting on MAJ ( I actually went through the steps to earn mine) and that bothers me.

[jimmydeanno]

I think there is a huge difference between someone who doesn't care about promotions and a member that doesn't show up.

In my unit, there is a senior in his 70s.  He joined about three years ago and is still a 2d Lt.  He hasn't completed anything else past level 1, because he says, "I'm not going to be around much longer, so I'd rather just focus on getting the mission done."

He enjoys doing CAP stuff.  He's active and participates.  He just has no interest in sitting through a weekend of powerpoints and lectures.

On the other hand, members who aren't showing up, I find frequently don't have any reason to do so.  The squadron doesn't have a real program to show up to.  Seniors don't do training or any other kind of preplanned activities, end up just sitting around and shootin' the excrement.

It takes a bit more focus and such to keep adults engaged, because they actually see their time as valuable, and it isn't like the cadets where you can lump them all into the same thing - because they have different things to accomplish.

One unit I was in, the senior numbers were high on the roster and we only had 2-3 showing up.  I called a senior meeting w/ snacks and beverages, had most of them show up. (free donuts always seem to do the trick...go figure)  From there I was pretty blunt about the purpose of the meeting and said, "Most of you aren't coming regularly.  What can I do to fix that?" (I was new to the unit)

1) Some said they like coming but can only make time here and there.
2) Others said the unit didn't do anything.
3) Others said the unit neglected them, never assigned them a position - even after asking.
4) Some said the unit's leadership was unresponsive so they just "gave up."

We spent probably 4 hours hashing out our units senior program issues and resolved to make them better.

The result was a new core of motivated seniors who all had positions at the end and had ownership of those areas.  Yeah, some didn't really come back, but the 15-20 we had re-engage were worth it.

[heliodoc]

After going thru the CERT TTT through the State EMA

jimmydeano hits it on the head. 

Some of the membership will leave due to poor leadership and CAP really HAS to get over the PowerPoint way of doing all.

If the Sqdn or the Wing for that fact.... has no real program or even cares about the volunteers...... why stick around.

Further, the rank and grade in CAP, may or may not appeal to everyone.  Certainly, it does not to me after my 22 in RM and pretty much the folks I run with, in and out of the RM, see CAP rank and grade as pretty hokey, anyhow.  Might make  a few people feeeeeeel good, but in reality...if the people are personable and knowledgeable in an organization and don't flaunt CAP rank and grade, AND can show a true interest in delivering the CAP mission to adult learners, then the Sqdn can be on to something...........

Yeah CAPTalkers can yip about self starters and all that....but go through a real education program and see what is taught.   The older the member, the more engagement is needed to either keep that person interested or active, or they will simply leave.

Can not CAP understand that SIMPLE premise of of a better program that just sitting through PowerPoint presentations.... you can get them anywhere..... Business and government would be nowhere without PowerPoint nowadays.

CAP simply HAS to change it ways after 68 years and Death by PowerPoint,online testing, etc,  like the CAP safety program, has swung the pendulum so far that it is really hard for CAP to even identify the simplest in ideas in how to keep the people it has and stop worrying on how they recruit.

Have a program that is interesting and not just a bunch of reg rehash every week and just MAYBE folks will stick around and talk up the CAP program.  Otherwise, here is one for CAP to learn, they will just go away without having anything positive about CAP.  Most of the SM's in my Sqdn have a love/hate about CAP which is pretty much culture in CAP and agree CAP needs some massive changes.

[Fifinella]

Yes, there are SM's who aren't motivated by rank.  Most *are* interested by a program with a lot going on. 

In my cadet squadron, I encouraged all seniors to progress as an example to the cadets.  Even the ones who didn't care about their rank could appreciate the value of being a role model for the cadets.  And the cadets *do* notice if their SM's are progressing, esp. when *all* accomplishments are recognized in front of the squadron.