Unmotivated Cadet

[Cadet Airman First Class]

 I have a cadet in my squadron that tends to not want to listen to what i have to say and Tends to be overall not interested. He had gone to a ceremony and when we were getting ready to go in i told him to change his rank over to the jacket but he did not do this. So i had him stand in the back of the flight but how can i fix a problem like this. I don't want to be all in his face because then he would quit but i don't want him to think he can push me around either.

P.S. Pardon my grammar please.

Thanks for all your time and efforts,
    Cadet Airman First Class Cutler

[lordmonar]

First.....where are you....I see you are at an Over Seas unit.

Second....on you unmotivated cadet.  The nuclear option is to 2b him.  If he does not want to play by the rules then he can go play elsewhere.

Backing off from there.  You can demote him.  Suspend his activities, hold back promotions, letter of counseling.

I would try first to go to your leadership officer or squadron commander with your concerns.

[SoCalMarine]

Lordmonar is correct, but to add to what he said...

Work your way through the chain. In all honesty you should be able to get an something done that night. Go thru your cadet leadership first, and if they can't fix it than ask go and speak with the SM in command of cadets or the XO of the squadron. Sometimes seniors don't always catch everything because some are very hands-off, and some are just very busy.

If you're in a squadron that truly cares about its membership you can bet it will get fixed that night, or the next week. Anything longer than that and the cadet will be gone, or the squadron isn't worth your time.

Those are my personal views on it though.

[ol'fido]

Before you work your way through your chain of command and get something started officially that you might not be able to stop, why don't you just talk to the cadet one on one. I don't mean in a I am your element or flight leader capacity. I mean in a "Hey, let's just be us and talk a minute." You might find the reason that they are "unmotivated". It might be that they really don't want to be there but their parents made them or they might have some other readily unapparent reason for acting as they do. Then if that doesn't work, you might need to get someone else involved.

[bassque]

Lots of good options here.  Typically, when I work with someone (either professionally or when I was in the cadet ranks) it always works to find out what motivates someone.  People only do things they want to do.  You have to motivate (and sell) them when you want something as well.  There is a lot of great Civil Air Patrol materials on how to lead and motivate, but you can find some things in the professional world as well.  It's a big book but I'd suggest something like Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People),  or Wooden on Leadership.  (Links Below) They may not help you in the short term but if and when this ever comes back up when you are in other cadet phases or when your a manager at your company, these are invaluable!!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439167346/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0671723650&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DXKRKKBW0FWTGS9YW38

http://www.amazon.com/Wooden-Leadership-Create-Winning-Organization/dp/0071453393/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308510296&sr=1-1

I hope this helps.

Jeff

[DBlair]

First.....where are you....I see you are at an Over Seas unit.

Second....on you unmotivated cadet.  The nuclear option is to 2b him.  If he does not want to play by the rules then he can go play elsewhere.

Backing off from there.  You can demote him.  Suspend his activities, hold back promotions, letter of counseling.

I would try first to go to your leadership officer or squadron commander with your concerns.

I think most of us understand what you mean, but just to clarify to the C/A1C who posted this question before things are misread/misunderstood and brew into a separate issue that I've seen develop a number of times when a Cadet incorrectly thinks he/she has more administrative/punitive/command power in the unit (and in CAP) than they actually do, and so allow me to clarify a bit...


C/A1C Cutler--
To clarify... you personally cannot actually 2B, demote, suspend participation, or hold promotions of another Cadet, but rather these are options available to the Senior Members in the unit (ultimately, the power is with your Unit Commander) if they choose to escalate this situation to such a level of punishment. That said, if the Cadet is already lacking in motivation/interest, punishing him in these ways may not really help things, but rather cause him to be even more discouraged/unmotivated. I'd suggest an approach of finding out what is the root issue and resolving it from there-- suggestions provided below.

I'm not sure of your exact position in the unit or how long you've been in CAP, but learning to deal with other Cadets and problems like this is something you'll learn over time and with progression through the Cadet Program. As an C/A1C, you are still very early in the program, and so remember that everything is a learning process along the way. Currently, you may be in a leadership position that is not usually intended for a C/A1C, and so I suggest you ask for help-- which I'm glad to see you did here, but also ask for help in your unit.

If your unit has any Cadet Officers or experienced Cadet NCOs, you may want to seek their advice on this situation. Also remember the importance of the chain of command and discussing this situation with the Cadet above you in the chain. Additionally, the Leadership Officer (a Senior Member) is often a good resource in helping to offer guidance about what should be done.

As the Leadership Officer is a Senior Member who is tasked to be deeply involved with the Cadet Program, it is essential that he/she know what is going on, especially if things are to be escalated to some of the punishments mentioned above. You'll also want to make sure your Squadron Commander knows what is going on-- either through the chain of command, or via you explaining it personally.

As has been posted by others in this thread, I would suggest much of the same. Firstly, take the Cadet aside and explain that you've noticed that he doesn't seem motivated or interested, and try to find out if there is a reason for it. Ask the Cadet what he likes most about CAP, and what he likes least, and what prompted him to join. Explain to him that the Cadet Program requires involvement and following along with what they are told, including our many rules and regulations. Remind him of what it says about the Cadet Oath, and ask him to explain what it means to him. The Cadet Oath explains everything that is expected of a Cadet, and every time that Cadet recites it, they are re-affirming that they will comply with it. 


Here are a few common reasons for unmotivated/uninterested Cadets...


Expectation of Activities:

Sometimes Cadets may seem uninterested if they joined with a specific activity in mind and feel discouraged if they don't get to do that activity right away or at all.

If he has an interest in a certain activity/area of CAP, perhaps he can be encouraged/motivated by providing him with opportunities to be involved in some way with that (maybe helping to plan something, teaching a class to the flight, etc.) or explain to him how he can eventually get involved with that activity-- such as the requirements and what it takes to get involved.

If the Cadet mentions an activity that perhaps others may also enjoy, pass it up the chain of command and maybe it can be organized.


Reason for Joining:

Another reason I've seen for why some Cadets are unmotivated and uninterested in participation sometimes has to do with a Cadet's reason for joining. For example:

Did he himself really want to join, or was it really the idea/expectation of a Parent? Some parents incorrectly try to use CAP as a babysitting service or as a tool to discipline their child. Sometimes, military parents encourage their child to join, when the Cadet himself has no interest in anything CAP or military-related.

I've also seen Cadets who join CAP solely because they think it will benefit them in getting an appointment to a service academy or otherwise benefit them when they join the military, or as an additional activity to add to their resume when applying to college, but really have no desire to get involved and participate.

Lastly, sometimes Cadets join CAP thinking that it is the Boy Scouts-- while similar in a few ways, it is a vastly different program with (mostly) different activities and a different organizational mindset. If he was looking for a Boy Scout-type organization, he would be better off joining the Boy Scouts. Each of these are reasons for joining that I've unfortunately seen in CAP and realistically are difficult to overcome.

If his reason for joining is related to any of these, he may want to re-think whether he really wants to be a Cadet.




As you discuss the issue with this Cadet and see if there is a reason, be sure to mention what he says to the Cadet above you in the chain, and also make sure the Senior Members know what is going on. If he has a personal problem, he may even need to speak with the Chaplain. A follow-up discussion between him and the Leadership Officer, you, and your superior on the chain of command may prove to be successful in figuring out what is going on and how it can be resolved.

If you need any further guidance, let us know and we'll attempt to offer suggestions.