Changing the Narrative

Adult Staff Execs
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How do we change the narrative for the cadets

As staff we are aware (or it a lot of cases not aware and that’s half the issue!) of what’s going on, what it used to look like, of the challenges, and the frustrations.

I’m spotting a really worrying trend that the narrative to the cadets is the worst of this - and quite often it’s the rumours and gossip and not even the what we do know, add into that the meme sites and staff who think cadets don’t need to know anything very little of the positivebits are getting through.

Just some of the examples I’ve seen this weekend are that shooting is gone except for Air Rifle, that there is no adult recruitment due to Wing HQ’s going, that staff cadets will be doing the adjutant and training officer roles with associated paperwork to justify their positions.

But it’s a negative narrative, but by the end of the course once youve spent the day with them discussing what’s happening - about the pause, the hubs, showing them what’s available on SMS, and training portal, what they can do, but balanced up with they do need support from Sqn Staff.

This isn’t a new phenomenon but I wanted to raise it because I geniuly would like some advice on how do we change the narrative to the cadets -( and to some extent the staff) because ultimately as we are this second, on Sqns/wing we can provide a really good experience for them.

It’s not exactly what we want to provide, and it’s not without the frustrations, or with the extras but I’m talking about the normal parade evenings, or the weekend courses at Blue/bronze and maybe even the odd silver courses.

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For me, it’s just doubling down on what your Sqn/sector/partner Sqn’s can deliver locally, and not being fastidious about tying what you can achieve to a particular syllabus or badge hunt. The ACO now barely exists above sector level, so just concentrate on what does exist.

Do stuff for it’s own merit - kids enjoying themselves is a result in itself, it doesn’t have to be an incidental in pursuit of something else.

Given that lots of what once was is now falling apart, Sqn’s need a strong focus on what can be achieved - that demands a strong, short, snappy Commander’s Intent: a ruthless focus on what can be achieved at Sqn/Sector level, and, bluntly, an indifference towards anything else.

Staff need a safe space where they can honk off about how crap it is, and where everyone can discuss and suggest what can be done,and then in cadet facing environments, get on with achieving the Commander’s Intent.

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Find the overlap between what the cadets want and what you can deliver. Do it. Enthuse about it. Be passionate and commit to delivering them the very best experiences within your - and their - means.

Give them amazing experiences, big smiles and awesome memories.

They don’t come to RAFAC to be an extension of school. So, even when we have to do the classroom stuff - make it as interesting, engaging and thought provoking as you can.

It’s hard to do this - and sustain this - in the current climate of uncertainty - particularly with the circulating rumours, poor comms and limited staff engagement - BUT none of this is the cadets fault; so we find ourselves pushing on regardless for their benefit.

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I think set expectations. I took things like Flying Scholarships, Gliding Scholarships out of my recruitment pack years ago. In fact, and it’s sad to say, I don’t really mention flying at all when I recruit.

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My apologies. It was never my intention to feed the doom loop or put off potential recruits. It was just my cynical old brain over-analysing the most dangerous course of action behind the headlines.

An alternative explanation is clearly that the move away from the colours representing the weapon system made some of the badges less accessible. It also created an odd hierarchy where a competition marksman on the L98 would be replaced by a trained shot badge for the L81.

It definitely needed changing: but, personally, I don’t think you should be able to progress to the top badge on an air rifle at the back of your cadet hut.

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From this weekend I don’t think its from here, these cadets are being told by their staff and it’s on one hand I absolutely get the feelings from the staff - they were a Hub and because they are SW, well we all know the current status.

I agree with what’s been said above that staff need a space to come and talk, and share concerns, fears or that even if it’s not necessarily actually happening all the restrictions make it feel like happening.

I’m just concerned the cadets are picking all of that up, or in a lot of cases staff are deciding what’s been decided before it’s even been decided and that’s impacting the cadets at a far higher level that it should be.

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Afraid thats a localised issue.

I am seeing plenty of L98, L81 and L144 across my region. With all of the wings out delivering, and every weekend this month has a shooting activity.

And its not like they all have ready access, with one wing needing to travel 3-odd hours to their parent station to collect wpns…

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But even that says something. Why is it a local issue? And how do we effectively address and overcome the barriers?

Is the blocker squadron staff unwilling, unable or unknowing about the hoops they need to get through to get the relevant SQEP bits. Are Wgs, Rgs, SATTs, RgATs, RAvOs, WAvOs not delivering courses, unapproachable, unavailable, or unwilling? Are OCs the blockers? Is, in the case of shooting, access to ranges, A&A, transport or personnel the challenge? Have we even recovered our appropriate staffing levels post-covid to deliver the activities? Is it that we’ve haemorrhaged that many staff that Wgs cannot deliver the same experiences as their neighbours??

Lots of Cadets will follow the RAFAC pages on social media; look at the peers doing activities they want to do, get enthused and want to do it - only to find “local issues” prevent it happening. But how do we tweak the feedback to the cadets so they don’t become disenfranchised and disengaged because in their area they, their Wing or their Region means they can not pursue their interests???

I know cadets (and staff) who’ve moved Squadrons, Wings and Regions so as to better affect change, pursue their AoRs, “find their tribe” and continue to serve the wider organisation. Unfortunately, not all cadets get that same flexibility.

In many ways, the evidence of these “local issues” do nothing but emphasize that RAFAC is a postcode lottery.

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this was very much me 20+ years ago in my Cadet days

i would read through the Air Cadet Magazine (anyone else remember that?) which was a publication of “good news stories” and get jealous of Cadets doing X, Y or Z.

I was on a “average” Squadron which didn’t specialize in anything but managed to do most things by jumping on Wing events.

I can see with SM the Cadets of today could feel the same but now seeing it instantly on a weekly basis some Squadron or wing posting something of interest.

Without trying to pass the blame i do feel it is a case of :poop: in = :poop:out

because Comms is not effective from above, it is hard to make a good story we push further down the CoC (ie to the Cadets).
with SM it is also a little harder to say “this is/n’t happening” when they see others doing it/Meme pages commenting on it

what you are asking is how do we filter that :poop: when sharing details with the Cadets?
i think it is a perfectly summarised by :poop:

I have always found the successful Squadrons are those that have passionate Staff.

It doesn’t matter if it is watersports, shooting, drill or air rec, I have seen Squadrons in our Wing see massive success in their specialist area because they have the passionate Staff running those events.
The Wing Air Rec Comp was always run by the same Sqn - because of their Staff
The Wing Drill Comp was was always run by the same Sqn - because of their Staff
The Wing Shooting team going to Bisley Comp was was always run by the same Sqn - because of their Staff
The Squadron completing watersports and even DofE on water is completed by one Sqn - because of their Staff

ignore the :poop: as best we can, be economic with the truth - this isn’t lying, but rather than concentrate on the negatives, shout about the positives.
so a case of stop saying “we can’t do X, Y or Z”
and start saying “we’re putting together A, B and C events”

i am not suggesting every Squadron needs to be a specialist, but i am saying each should play to its strengths - Cadets do not join their local Squadron because of what the events Wing run, but because of what is happening twice a week a mile down the road - make that interesting, engaging and worthwhile and the negative won’t matter so much

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I couldn’t help thinking of this thread while writing this:

This is exactly the sort of negative message that just shouldn’t exist.

Why has it taken so long to agree where the promised badge should go. It’s such a simple fix.

How can I spin this?
Clearly, I don’t promise it when delivering blue courses. But I can’t, in good faith, lie about there being a badge agreed and that it’s being held up by … something. I don’t even know what.

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Remember when Tim Peake launched the whole thing… before Covid - and all the cadets went on social media, all excited about it. Then were told “actually - you might need to wait a bit”. Yeah. That’s was the first time I really remember this problem being quite so public - and so very much in the public eye!

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Didn’t they announce it before the Blue syllabus was even available as one of the many “Speak to your squadron staff for more info” releases that squadron staff only knew about from the same PR materials (or ACC, or not at all) that prompted the questions they were having to fend off?

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exactly this!

There was a big fanfare and PR noise made seeing Tim Peake at RIAT, him and Carol announce the exciting new in July with instructions to “speak to Squadron staff” who found out at the same time and took until November the same year to actually share anything and even then I think it was an outline of what the syllabus could look like and 12+ months before anything substantial was available.

as @Batfink suggests this was a very public way of suggesting something was happening yet had nothing behind (syllabus, training material, badges) it to back it up

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