Blue leadership tips?

Cadets Ask the Staff
1

I may be doing a second leadership assessment (2 of 2) tomorrow Are there any tips anyone has to offer?

2

Follow SMEAC completely
Encourage and check on your team members

Those are the 2 areas cadets I assess miss out on the most

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3

thanks :smiley: is the correct definitions for SMEAC
situation mission execution any questions and check understanding?

4

That is indeed the correct definition of SMEAC

5

From having run a LOT of leadership exercise (both at RAFC Cranwell & at sqn level), one common problem is running a great SMEAC brief - but not having a plan.

Thereafter, the exercise falls down, with poor communication, loss of control as team members try to work out a solution & implement it, the leader gets too involved as a result…

Your time allowed will always seem too short, but factor in some time to look at a plan before you brief your team.

There will often be the need to have a standards / safety person; make sure they aren’t given other tasks that prevent them from doing that adequately. Same for 2IC.

You will always need a timekeeper - if you are designated as leader, even before you are briefed by the staff member about the task, appoint a timekeeper - tell them to start timing as soon as you say so. When the staff member says “your time starts NOW” - shout to your time keeper to start their timing. So many exercises fail due to incorrect time keeping.

Don’t impose your own limitations - stick to those briefed to you.

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6

Without being shouty or bossy act in a way that makes it clear to someone walking in that you are in charge. Listen to your team but be firm once a plan is agreed.

(There’s usually no perfect solution to an exercise but carrying out a plan, even if flawed, is better than no plan!)

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7

This is one of the reasons why SMEAC was changed to SMRLACPDACE. Whereas SMEAC assumes the briefer already knows exactly how they will execute the mission: SMRLACPDACE changes things up so that the situation, mission, resources, and limitations are explained to the whole team, who are given an opportunity to ask questions and have their understanding checked, prior to collaboratively forming a plan, delegating responsibilities, etc.

8

Problem is SMEAC is catchy, SMRLACPDACE looks like your keyboard is broken.

And that’s not just being flippant, as a tool that doesn’t seem that helpful for a 14 year old to learn and use, they’ll never remember it. Is it taught as part of some wider technique, Googling that abomination of an acronym only throws up ACC results. Would be interesting to see it in use.

Great if you have templates to hand, presumably you would do in the real world? Remembering more than half a dozen letters seems a little unwise.

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9

Yes, but it often complicates what should be a relatively simple solution, & / or degenerates into a haphazard “joint” plan which has little or no chance of success. This is normally compounded by lack of comprehension by the leader & some of the team as the “plan” isn’t necessarily understood.

A (sometimes) better way is to take aside a couple of the (stronger) team members & ask for their ideas. If this is fruitful, great, the leader can brief a plan that comes across as his / hers, rather than a bun flght “plan” between 6-7 cadets altogether.

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10

This isn’t the thread for a long-winded debate about briefing methodology.

The question is for tips to pass based on the syllabus as it is, not as you would like it to be.

11

Quick update thank you all for the feedback i passed tonight with positive feedback thanks guys!!

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12

Well done. Is leadership something you’re looking to continue developing?

13

Yes looking to do a bronze course in the future :smiley:

14

Excellent. Good luck with that as well, but before then be sure to try to practice and revise what you’ve already learned, because you will forget and lose it otherwise.

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15

May i ask the requirements of bronze leadership?

16
  • complete blue
  • be a cadet for 12 months
  • wait for 6 months after completing blue
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17

need to wait 6 months :frowning:

18

There’s quite a jump in expectation and performance from blue to bronze. You need to have opportunity to gain experience with the skills you’ve learned so far before progressing.

What you’ve learned so far won’t be developed and ingrained without time and repeated practice.

That’s why there’s a 6 month minimum gap.

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19

yeah you do need time for it to sink in and be able take it on properly