Jesus some people are tetchy. Maybe it was more of a conduit to gather feedback than a typical “conference” like I would attend at work. Heck even some conferences I go I don’t want or expect feedback but I appreciate them taking the time to gather my input. The mark of the success will be future outcomes. Not today or tomorrow
All of the symposia, conventions, conferences I have been to have resulted in a mighty tome (in the old days), a series of emails or now invariably an link to a website. All of this available immediately or within a few days.
If you do brainstorming sessions the coordinators will invariably facilitate and collate the thoughts and put them into some form of document.
When someone has been to a convention, conference or a training course, you are expected to deliver a talk on what you learned etc back at the ranch.
Why hasn’t there been any feedback like this for the CI Convention. Mind you I hope it’s better than what they put up for the ATC Convention, as you learn nothing from that.
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Er no. The ACO event was not a “local” company meeting where those who did not attend would probably have got a reasonable breakdown of the content/action items from their colleagues or managers.
This was a national-level convention. The very reasonable expectation is that feedback should be disseminated efficiently & quickly to sqns. After all, if it wasn’t for the involvement of CIs, with their wide-ranging skills & qualifications, many sqns would have great difficulty in functioning adequately.
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Why do you need to circulate feedback? No one at Sqn level CI ness is going to change anything. It’s a job for the Head Shed surely?
Are you kidding?? CIs may not necessarily dictate policy, but they sure as heck can suggest it, influence it, & carry it out.
Feedback is essential otherwise “mushroom” syndrome (kept in the dark & fed on sh*t) will ensue (or should I say continue?).
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perhaps - and i’m really sticking my neck out here - the action of actually having a CI convention indicates that HQAC knows they have a problem, and that they very obvious first thing to do in that event is to say ‘yes, x, y and z issues were brought up - x is being adressed right now, y will be looked at as soon as we’ve got more information, but there’s bog all we can do about z…’
it doesn’t take much, anyone from HQAC who was there could have provided the above in 10 minutes within two or three days of the conference.
nose. both hands. the dark.
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You need a defintive communication with detail about thoughts from the top, what was discussed and agreed points, otherwise you get into the standard HQAC dissemination of information policy; say nothing, or tell only a few, which then fuels rumours and hearsay which run around the grapevine resulting in chinese whispers. I do feel this is done on purpose.
Internally at least my company has in the last 8 years been a lot more open about the company performance and direction and thoughts about what the future looks like. We may not like it but at least we know.
To effectively say what was discussed etc is not important is a kick in the genitalia followed by a lump of 2*4 round the head for our single largest staff resource. Not to get this into the open so that it can be discussed by the much wider group than the 40 or so that were allowed to attend, is downright disrespectful in my opinion and given the timeframe, probably confirms to many CIs what they already think.
As far as I’m aware there was no trawl for agenda or items to raise for an open forum. Every year when we have our COs day of dreariness, there is an open forum (it’s the only bright spot) and I have in all the years I’ve been attending asked my staff for things to raise, as they have no other opportunity to do so. We have had some similar events for SNCOs but the range of topics for discussion seems to run out after drill, uniform and parades, not sure whether that’s it for SNCOs in general or it’s just our Wing SNCO team can’t think of anything else. My SNCOs have said sticking hot pins in their eyes is preferable to attending.
But it wasn’t billed as a conference to share ideas up and down the chain. It was a conference to source feedback. All you complaining I bet didn’t go, did you. And that hurts you, be user you feel YOU should have gone. Yes?
I was asked by my CI who asked to go but was rejected, if anything had been sent out from it.
If it was to source feedback, why wasn’t there a general trawl for questions, views or thoughts to take forward. Why not feedback the feedback to the Corps? Good, bad or indifferent not doing so is not the way forward to actively engage people.
If as suggested HQAC know they have a problem their route to resolve it is thus far pretty unimpressive. It is fair to say that CIs have for many years got a rough deal from the organisation.
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my CO told me i’d be about as welcome as a Palestinian at a Bar Mitzvah.
my wing had, according to several OC’s i’ve spoken to personally, or people i trust have spoken to, made clear that the CI convention was not a place where a free and frank exchange of views would take place, and that the only CI’s the Wing had been told to put forward were those CI’s who would be so grateful to be invited that they wouldn’t think of raising any problems.
those of a certain age will remember Sir Humphrey Appleby - the phrase that lept to mind was ‘we found no evidence…’ because, of course, we made it our business to not look in places where evidence might exist.
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“Why do you need to circulate feedback? No one at Sqn level CI ness is going to change anything. It’s a job for the Head Shed surely?”
And by this reckoning we should all sit in the office and do nothing. Just wait for the good idea fairies to come along with the next bright idea.
Maybe there are some CIs who have a plethora of experience from operations and excercises from around the world. Who don’t wish to step foot into uniform. Does that mean we aren’t entitled to help try improve and change this outdated, jumped up youth club?
Or does this mean I have to just sit on a flag and make the tea for the staff?
this attitude towards CIs is appalling. One of the reasons I chose the ATC is because it has the option to be a CI. I don’t want to step into uniform. I don’t want to eat caviar in the orifice’s mess. I just want to teach and help coach the kids.
Jumped up youth club?
Another one who hates the organisation but would cry a river if they weren’t permitted to play out twice a week.
Move along now.
Perhaps you can elaborate on what basis you think people hate the organisation? There is a huge gap between wanting feedback/improvements & hate.
I think that considering CFAV availability to attend & limitation on numbers, you are being exceptionally (& unfairly) pointed towards individuals. An apology would be in order.
I suspect that many who post here are very glad that they do not come under your “control.”
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Get a grip. I don’t hate the organisation. Just the stuck up deadwood dragging it down. Get back to your caviar and lick some silverware in the mess.
Some of us don’t have a desire to be in uniform. Some of us have a lot more experience than some of you in uniform.
I dont feel the need to big time it behind a plastic cap badge.
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Children. Back on topic or I’ll lock this. Manners cost nothing.
I think that considering the apparent disdain from one poster, the tone of the replies remained surprisingly polite.
The fact remains, there was a significant event, attended by some 40 CIs. There were severe limitations for numbers allowed to attend & for a specific group of CFAVs, it was inevitable that many would not be available for the date in question.
Does anyone know the “sponsor” of the event please? They need to be contacted in order to push for the essential feedback, etc.
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[quote=“MikeJenvey, post:36, topic:1920, full:true”]
I think that considering the apparent disdain from one poster, the tone of the replies remained surprisingly polite.
The fact remains, there was a significant event, attended by some 40 CIs. There were severe limitations for numbers allowed to attend & for a specific group of CFAVs, it was inevitable that many would not be available for the date in question.[/quote]
Here here.
40 represents c.1% of the CIs in the Corps, the rest deserve to know what was said and what it means for them as individuals and as a group.
In my wing the CI who attended sent his own notes/minutes up to wing for further dissemination.
and have you seen them come back down for general consumption?
Why? There are scores of meetings and conferences every year. Sometimes we hear about them, sometimes we don’t. Since when did the entitlement to be personally updated become enshrined? Grow up.