A discussion last night got me thinking:
As an OC, if a member of staff (civilian or uniformed) is showing dissent, how do you rein them back in?
It’s a very difficult situation and one I’m not entirely prepared for - I’d like to think you’d cover it on the Squadron Commanders’ Course.
What do you do?
Easy!
Personally, I would have an informal chat to start with, outlining my concerns. It could be possible that they don’t know the effect they are having. If you dont feel comfortable with the situation, i.e. not feeling prepared for it - speak to you Sector Commander, its what they are supposed to be there for.
If you’re both officers, write a letter challenging them to a dual and have your second deliver it in the usual manner.
If they’re an NCO, have them posted to one of the penal squadrons where their eventual death from heart failure dealing with disruptive cadets is assured.
If they’re a CI, have them shot pour encourager les autres.
Alternatively, sit down as grown ups and have a conversation about it.
I like the idea of a duel sounds more civilised
Indeed, you should damn his eyes and backhand him with your glove
It worked for the Royal Navy…demand ‘satisfaction’.
You could quickly get yourself into trouble without professional advice. Doesn’t Wing have HR officers for this sort of thing?
One of the privileges of CCF, I guess, is a school HR department available any time…
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Seriously? What kind of tinpot outfit is the ATC when it maintains too many staff officers (Regional Comdts, anyone?) while being unable to provide the sort of professional service Sqn OCs require? Surely someone at Wing (WgExO?) is able to provide informed advice?
If not, then the ATC needs to take a long hard look at where the money is going, at a Wing/Region level.
And I thought the CCF were supposed to be the unprofessional lot. Jeez.
I can’t speak for other Wings but mine has a (VRT) P Staff Sqn Ldr who deals with all personnel issues.
[quote=“tmmorris” post=10295]Seriously? What kind of tinpot outfit is the ATC when it maintains too many staff officers (Regional Comdts, anyone?) while being unable to provide the sort of professional service Sqn OCs require? Surely someone at Wing (WgExO?) is able to provide informed advice?
If not, then the ATC needs to take a long hard look at where the money is going, at a Wing/Region level.
And I thought the CCF were supposed to be the unprofessional lot. Jeez.[/quote]
tmmorris. I am not a moderator on this site, but I make no appologies for this post. Your crass comments above show a lack of understanding of the way in which the organisation, or at least the larger side of it, works. I would further suggest that practices and professionalism is a particular ‘glass house’ in which our CCF colleagues should not be throwing stones.
Unfortunately, most of us in the ACO do not have immediate or ready access to a dedicated HR department as you appear to enjoy, and I know of nobody in our parent Service who has such a specialist facility at the lower working levels either. What we do have is the Chain of Command, which tinpot or otherwise and if used correctly, generally works for most things. The Wg Ex Os are part of that Chain of Command and a key element of their role is to provide HR advice at working level for their Sqn staff. They also have access to the P staff at HQ Air Cadets should it be deemed necessary.
Perhaps the tone was a bit exasperated (for which I apologise), but I wasn’t the one who found the idea of Wg staff helping laughable. If the CoC can provide advice, then it is doing its job as designed.
Does the OSC provide guidance on personnel matters? (I wouldn’t know; CCF aren’t allowed on it.)
Looking at the OP, if they are that bad, find out what their beef is in writing, normally some handbag BS and if they won’t wind their neck in, advise them as to where the door is. Similarly if you’ve got someone who thinks they are better than everyone else, give them a job out of their comfort zone.
If they don’t want to go, tell them if there is anymore nonsense you won’t sign them on. Then advise your WSO(s) what has passed, just in case they try it on up the chain.
I used to be quite tolerant and understanding, but as the years have gone on I’ve got to the point where I don’t need the aggro and if they’re not happy they need to be doing something else, like watching soaps and other mind-numbing TV on parade nights. You spend a lot of time getting a team together, having one idiot wreck it just ain’t worth the grief.
I know there have been squadrons where there has been no uniform presence temporarily and they were a nightmare to the new CO. So the wing posted in a few uniform staff and CIs to support the CO, rock the boat and get the troublemakers to quit. Much quicker process sometimes than a formal sanctions process and less paperwork. One just stopped attending but still said he was a member of staff. Well he was until his CRB ran out and we used that to get him off our books permanently. 
I can’t see any Wing where they would be able to think like that, requires intelligence and far too much of a risk as you could end up losing the whole squadron and set the OC a task of rebuilding.
However we had an instance several years back where the incumbent OC had a few personal things happen in quick succession and just went. I knew him really well and the Corps was the last thing on his mind. After a few months and arm twisting they got a new OC in and jiffed him with people who had done the rounds, as successive OCs got the ache with them. One of them went in and started giving it what for and the old staff, bar one, left en masse. If Wing’s aim was to get a new start then they achieved it, but the OC had 2 staff who just about tolerated each other. It took c.18 months and lot of getting people through the process really quickly before they regained normality. I don’t think it helped the OC lived c20 miles away, worked shifts and had a small baby and new one on the way. So he had to rely on the people Wing had landed him with for such a long period of time. I got the impression from the OC if it hadn’t been for the one member of remaining old staff, who did a lot of AT, the sqn would have folded.
The sort of thing that you raise and I mentioned above are not sanctions against staff for dissent or similar, they are in essence “ethnic cleansing” because someone doesn’t fit. Forcing people out is extremely disrespectful, which is what effectively happened in the instance I’ve mentioned. I’d have offered them a chance to transfer to me had they lived close enough.
If you have staff who are stirring it front and centre or behind the scenes or staff who seem unhappy, then you need to tackle them and find out what is going on. Just waiting for them to “time out” displays a complete lack of integrity. In my experience the biggest problem is personality clash, which is why I offer them a way out, if they’re not happy or able to work with someone, then they need to think carefully about why they are here … it’s only a hobby. Being the chap/chapess in the chair is not easy. I don’t you’re status in the Corps, but I don’t feel you’re a Sqn Cdr. Who knows one day you may find out it is world of swirling grey mistyness and not black and white. As the saying goes, there’s nowt so queer as folk.
There are no consequences for errant staff, uniformed or civilian, hence the Corp will continue to achieve less than it could with its young people. We all know of staff (my experience is of useless NCO’s and civilian staff)that attend the squadron, do little really, have to be told what to do at a micro-level, or just sit in the office spouting off about the old days etc.
This organisation tolerates far too much and therby maintains s significant minority of staff that are so obviously inappropriate for any role.
Ok. Now to get things better.
To prevent the situation arrising, interview potential volunteers properly to start with.
Sack from what exactly? It’s officially a hobby not a job.
You could get kicked out which might appear somewhere, but that would have to be for something really tasty.
Plus kicking someone out achieves nothing apart from a gap someone has to fill. Given we don’t have hordes queuing up to join, not an easy job.
Managing in our context means leading and directing. Setting objectives that actually add value to young people and then ecouraging / developing staff to help achieve them.
What’s being said then is that there is no time or resource limit on this activity, and we have to keep on slogging along with what we have. I can agree that the role of the Officer Corps is to do that very thing.
However, I need some advice on what to do when unformed NCO’s or CI’s cannot deliver despite years of ecouragement. The NCOs are not in the RAF, so no real authoratitive power over them actually exists. Coupled with the fact that VRT is NOT seen as a “real” rank, despite the certificates we have on the wall etc. This is a fundamental truth, and no, I don’t like it either.
So, we must fall back on charisma and integrity, coupled with good communication skills and lead by example.
There are however very few examples of that in the World, let alone the ACO, so back to my question.
With no REAL sanctions, can you guide me on what to do with errant staff in a timely manner?
[quote=“blueforyou” post=10392] So, we must fall back on charisma and integrity, coupled with good communication skills and lead by example.quote]
I think you have answered your own question really. If they are not doing anything contrary to their position then there is no sanction possible, so it is either try to shift them into roles that cause least distress for all, encourage them to seek alternative units/hobbies or put up with it. (This all presupposes that all the normal forms of encouragement and motivating techniques have been tried)