Well guys after being in CAP for 11 years my time has come! I'll be taking command of my first unit in January! I'm excited and scared at the same time! I don't want to let my people down but I have a lot of work in front of me! Anyone have any advice? Tricks of the trade? Anything that can help a new unit commander?
Get together with the previous commander to find out what their procedures were. Look at what the unit is missing and ways to get the unit what they need. Find ways to help keep the morale of the unit up. Sometimes, it will drop with a change of command. Most of all though, have fun! If you have fun, the members of your unit will have fun! Good luck!
D-E-L-E-G-A-T-E. You can't do it all.
Unless someone is not doing their job, don't change the staff immediately. Talk with them before the change over.
Rule number one: take care of your people.
Rule number two: always follow rule number one.
Hopefully you don't, but if you have any painful or uncomfortable conversations to have, or need to turn the boat in the water, just pull off the band-aid and do it.
1. Treat people the way you liked to be treated.
2. Don't forget what it was like when you first joined CAP.
3. Delegate and monitor their progress.
4. Don't forget everyone learns differently.
5. Enjoy yourself.
QuoteCOLIN POWELL'S RULES
It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
Get mad, then get over it.
Avoid having your ego so close to your position that, when your position falls, your ego goes with it.
It can be done!
Be careful what you choose, you may get it.
Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.
You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours.
Check small things.
Share credit.
Remain calm. Be kind.
Have a vision. Be demanding.
Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers.
Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
AIR FORCE Magazine / March 1991
Provide the vision and the goals of the unit.
Hold individuals accountable.
Deligate
And most of all have fun. Don't let it take over your life.
Quote from: Nolan Teel on November 28, 2009, 05:16:43 PM
Well guys after being in CAP for 11 years my time has come! I'll be taking command of my first unit in January!
WOW, you beat the odds by 10 years and 6 months :-) Normally they make the new guy commander before he knows better.
Seriously, congrats on the command. It can be the most rewarding experience you can have in CAP or it can be your worst nightmare. Your attitude contributes 99% to the success of your command. Another help is talk to other commanders. Especially commanders that you feel have a good program. You may be Commander in title, but your job is to lead and take care of your people.
Check out this post: http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=7946.msg144679#msg144679
I spent close to 14 years as squadron commander; this binder made the job a lot easier. It might seem to make sense to put all of this on a computer. Keep your backup there, but print all the info and put in the binder. The idea is to make it an open book that others than reference. Keep it handy and keep it up to date.
Good luck
Speaking of a binder, do an SUI self-assessment within the first 90 days or sooner.
NIN's three steps to success as a unit commander:
1) Establish a solid unit schedule.
First, get the unit on a rotation of uniform & activities for meetings. It takes a LOT of the guesswork out of running a unit when you can say "3rd meeting night, BDUs. PT & PT Testing." or "1st night, blues, testing, character development." It also makes doing the next thing I'll mention about 100x easier too. It keeps people from showing up in the wrong uniform (although if you have to deviate, be sure to put that out ad infinitum so everybody gets the message)
Schedule planning - I preferred to do quarterly planning meetings on a rolling 12 month calendar.
We'd meet 1x per quarter in a planning meeting that usually involved the entire senior staff and the cadet commander (and sometimes the C/XO or the C/1Sgt). That way the stuff for the upcoming quarter could be solidified right there.
We'd map out in detail the following quarter (nightly training, the weekend stuff, etc), and sort of provide general terms for the three quarters after that. (the longer range stuff could be as un-detailed as "Q1 2009 - Wing Rocket Comp, Sq Trip to USS Intrepid, " or as specific as "14-16 April - Sq Bivouac")
As things got closer, they'd get more solid. If something wasn't solid for the following quarter, it usually got tossed.
This helps your cadets and even more importantly your cadet's parents.
2) Establish the unit standards and enforce both CAP standards and the unit ones.
A lot of units don't have unit standards, and thats cool. But CAP has standards, and you need to enforce those. I'm talking things like haircuts and uniform standards, but also things like "showing up in the right uniform" or "not missing a unit call-down" or "showing up on time!" (the latter examples are more "local unit" standards than CAP ones.)
For example: We had a local standard that was our "basic training" uniform. Everybody knew what it was, and it was established in the unit's operating instructions. After the unit open house, anybody coming back to the unit to start basic training also knew what it was. If you were not in a uniform or a basic training uniform, lets see who you are..
Headgear is another example. Some units don't care about your headgear that much. You leave your flight cap in mom's car, mom drives off and you're out of luck. Some units might say "oh, ho hum, too bad" and thats that. No incentive to improve and "meet the standard" of having a complete uniform. We had standards, however, and we measured individual and group adherence to those standards with nightly inspections, etc. 3 cadets from Alpha flight can't seem to remember their headgear? Not only are those cadets going to get a talking to about the standards, but so is their flight commander.
Standards put everybody on a level playing field.
Your unit may already have these, so don't just go making up arbitrary ones to satisfy the need. But definitely enforce the ones you have already (ie. CAP rules) and then establish ones you need.
3) Communicate the schedule and the standards to all.
Unit Bulletin - We had a printed monthly bulletin that we handed out. The original idea and format was such that we'd print up address stickers for everybody and then anybody who wasn't at the meeting the night the bulletins went out would get it mailed. Yeah, that never exactly worked. :) But the bulletin had the following month's full schedule AND any other calendar items (wing, squadron) events. Great for moms and dads to stick on the fridge.
Website - Get and use a calendaring application to communicate the above info. Make it timely and up to date, otherwise, nobody will use it for the intended purpose.
There ya go: Schedule, standards, communicate.
Nolan,
Congratulations (or condolences? :))! You taking over the reins of Dallas Composite (SWR-TX-391)?
Thanks for stepping up and taking on this important job.
In addition to all the advice you've received so far, I would add this: Put an emphasis on recruiting. Even if your unit is well staffed and in good shape numbers-wise, understand that it will not stay that way. People (including and especially your key people) will be leaving the unit during your tenure. Cadets go off to college. Seniors have life changes of various kinds, move up to Group or Wing, or just burn out on CAP and move on. You have to have replacements ready for this eventuality.
There are many resources here and elsewhere on how to recruit. Everyone has their favorite method so shop around, try out a few ideas, and find what works for your unit. Then put the effort in to make sure you have a steady flow of new members. Don't worry about your unit getting "too big." There are plenty of things that need doing in CAP at all levels, and IMHO we can never have too many people.
Best of luck!!
Quote from: Airrace on November 28, 2009, 09:15:33 PM
1. Treat people the way you liked to be treated.
2. Don't forget what it was like when you first joined CAP.
3. Delegate and monitor their progress.
4. Don't forget everyone learns differently.
5. Enjoy yourself.
Absolutely. There are several people around here who have not a clue about any of this.
Yea
Quote from: AlphaSigOU on November 29, 2009, 05:51:31 PM
Nolan,
Congratulations (or condolences? :))! You taking over the reins of Dallas Composite (SWR-TX-391)?