I was recently moved to the flight commander position in my squadron, and I was wondering what a flight commander should or shoul not work through the flight sergeant for?
When it comes to being a flight officer, the biggest thing is to have a good working relationship with your flight sergeant, and you cadet CC. With all three positions filled it is hard to work without a good relationship with each other.
Quote from: manfredvonrichthofen on May 30, 2012, 07:57:28 PM
When it comes to being a flight officer commander, the biggest thing is to have a good working relationship with your flight sergeant, and you cadet CC. With all three positions filled it is hard to work without a good relationship with each other.
Sorry, I don't mean to pick nits here, but that's an important distinction. A flight officer is a senior member.
squad... ;D
Quote from: Ground_Pounder on May 30, 2012, 09:04:37 PM
squad... ;D
Hey, at least I didn't say "FTFY" with a smug look on my face :angel:.
Read 20-1 for both the flight commander and flight sergeant. Talk with your C/CC and C/deputy commander about their expectations for how you work with your flight sergeant. You as a flight commander are moving further into the indirect leadership realm where you lead through others. You will be managing and planning. Your flight sergeant is an invaluable advisor and source of information about your flight. They should also be ensuring the day to day business of the flight is taken care of, acting as a spokesperson for the flight to you and to the first sergeant.
When it comes to being a flight commander, communication, coordination and planning are your best tools.
Communicate your goals and plans to meet your C/CC's goals with your flight sergeant and element/squad leaders. Communicate standards and expectations in writing to your people and hold them to those standards and expectations. Empower them to meet those standards; you will be surprised what innovative ways they develop to meet them. Communicate who a formal leader (Fltight Sergeant, Element/Squad Leaders) and who they are responsible for. Make sure you have your people reporting directly to ONE leader. Multiple leaders creates chaos and added stress. Communicate with your supervisor about their expectations and standards, as well as their goals for their level of the organization. Ask relevant questions when you have them (in the correct setting), and seek all the information you can get from your leaders.
Coordinate with your subordinate leaders to meet the needs of your people, whether it is a test, a class, a uniform item, mentoring a cadet who is not meeting the standard, or retraining someone who was improperly instructed. Coordinate who will teach what class. If you haven't guessed it, this also requires communication.
Prior planning prevents poor performance. Plan your flight's training according to their needs. This means you must know your people well enough to know their needs and work through your subordinate leaders. Plan who will teach what class and when, then give them enough time to prepare a class; including a review of their class before they teach it (gives them a practice run and gives you a chance to catch bad information). Plan a backup event and back up resources if you encounter a conflict. Your level of planning should be focussing on the 1-3 month area, and should fit with the goals and plans of your C/CC.
Good luck with the position
Quote from: Spaceman3750 on May 30, 2012, 08:37:44 PM
Quote from: manfredvonrichthofen on May 30, 2012, 07:57:28 PM
When it comes to being a flight officer commander, the biggest thing is to have a good working relationship with your flight sergeant, and you cadet CC. With all three positions filled it is hard to work without a good relationship with each other.
Sorry, I don't mean to pick nits here, but that's an important distinction. A flight officer is a senior member.
Sorry about that, too used to the term.