Hiya,
I’m having issues with my NCO team. How do I get them to work together?
Thanks in advance,
D.
Can you elaborate on what sort of issues you’re facing? Building a team isn’t an easy task but different strategies work better for different situations
We aren’t working as a team, and there’s a lot of separate dividing issues. We had a meeting tonight and it resulted in a few walking out. They have a lot of quarrels with the other NCOs, and we really need to sort this because it’s causing issues and we’re not as effective anymore and nothing gets done. I’m tempted to go to my OC and ask what to do about those not pulling their weights because it’s causing me personal issues, and I have to plan most things to ensure things get done.
And are you a cadet NCO?
Yeh I’m a Flight Sergeant
Right, here’s what I would do. Get everyone together and tell them all to take off their tapes and put them in the middle of the table or out of the way. Then say “right, something’s going wrong. We’re going to fix it here and we’re going to put our ranks aside and all be equal”. Then get everyone to just be honest - the reason that people may not be pulling their weight could be down to either they don’t like the system or they don’t know their role. Ask them what’s not working and be supportive.
Once all of that’s out of the way, bring reality back into the picture. Have ACP48 and 49 ready to go. Tell everyone to get their tapes back on and then say “okay now we’ve addressed what’s going wrong, we still ultimately have a job and a responsibility to carry out”. Give your JNCOs and SNCOs a copy of the job spec in 48 and 49 respectively, and make sure everyone understands it. They have been promoted for a reason, it’s just about bringing out that potential. If it’s individuals with confidence issues, work with them individually.
At the end of the meeting say something along the lines of “thanks everyone for helping us sort s—t out” (or words to that effect) and positively reinforce that you’re a team and that if you work together then the team will run more smoothly. But equally mention that if anyone has any serious concerns or problems that you have done all you can and that it’s now an issue to raise with the staff.
I know this might seem a bit radical but I have found that simply going back to basics and having a hearty, down to earth conversation where everyone is equal works well. Hope this has helped.
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You should ideally be having regular NCO meetings with your adult SNCO. If you don’t suggest it.
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