I’m a Cadet FS, and I’ve recently come into some problems: I love my staff, and they get on well with me, but sometimes I feel like I don’t have anything to offer them as an SNCO besides doing my basic role.
We have people on the squadron who, although more junior, seem to have stuff going for them. A sergeant tends to teach drill, we have corporals who are enthusiastic about fieldcraft and take most of those responsibilities, among other things.
I tend to teach classroom items quite a bit and, although I am aware that I need to improve in things like leading drill, it just seems like I’m not trusted enough to do anything. In balance, it seems like I’m trusted enough to be involved in discipline and uniform (especially in a more senior role while our CWO is away for college exams), but I tend to read that as more the basic role of a Flight Sergeant.
Am I reading too much into these responsibilities, or is it worth discussing this with staff or doing something else? I don’t know if I’m just being too self-conscious or if I really am falling behind the rest of my NCO team.
As I say, I still get on with my staff, so part of the dilemma is offending them by speaking to them about it (making it seem that, in assuming they don’t trust me, I don’t really trust them).
I’m sorry to hear that you feel that way.
Some general advice would be that if there’s something you want to do more of or be more involved in, then speak to your staff about it. Depending on what it is, part of that could be asking what you need to work on to get to a point where you can run it.
Your personal development needs to be driven by you. Your staff might think you’re perfectly happy as you are so they don’t feel the need to give you anything else, especially if it’s something that’s already covered.
I’d hope that as a FS you could have an honest conversation with your staff about your role, but I recognise that isn’t always the case.
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I would expect my FS to have a slightly less hands on role and only get involved where necessary. Teaching in the classroom is a reasonable addition due to knowledge and experience you should have.
You’ve got cpls and sgts doing jobs and your primary focus is to manage them, be the escalation point for DDU, and act as a conduit for information and briefings.
One thing you haven’t said, is what do you WANT to do extra to that?
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Quite possibly.
Of course I don’t know you or your squadron set up.
But what you describe seems about right for an FS, in a unit with a CWO. It reads as if you are deputising for the CWO when they are not there and taking the lead on DDU etc.
I’d take the fact that you have other NCOs doing specific tasks as evidence that delegation is working. The snr cadet NCO doesn’t need a task, their job is to make sure others do their tasks!
And teaching is good - we are a training organisation after all.
That said if you don’t feel you’re getting enough out of it, speak to your SWO or OC, there might be things that need doing or qualifications you can gain. They might not have wanted to ask you, as they could well thing you are busy enough already.
Sorry for long answer, hope of some use.
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Thanks, to all three of you, for your advice, I really do appreciate it.
It’s been quite heartening to hear that this isn’t an irregular situation, even if there are things I can still improve on (as there most certainly are).
I’m in the process of re-making my PDP at the moment, so I’ll have a word with my staff about how they think I’m doing and discuss where I think I am at the moment.
Thanks again
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