Hey hey hey!
It’s 9-1 Fridays.
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I wish.
I was on an R0 shout yesterday… Nice relaxing day I had planned… Missus and kid were going out.
Just me to play Red Dead all day.
But no. Herding idiots to generate two cabs. Perfect.
Commandant RAFAC is President of RAF WARMA and was invited. He chose JLs.
If he had chosen differently;
He would have seen cadets from at least 15 wings. probably 400 staff and cadets
Two RAF teams lead by Ex Cadets
And seen what RM is all about
Maybe field some questions regarding climatic injuries?
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GMG. Trying to explain to our “Principal Performance, Research and Consultation Manager” (who is paid A LOT more than I am) how percentages and quintiles work. Specifically how can our performance this year be WORSE than last year, yet we’re still at the top of the top quintile for our performance.
Apparently “Everybody’s performance is worse than it was 12 months ago!” isn’t good enough as an answer - she wants to see the individual break down for all 152 Local Authorities so she can check the data herself.
This has taken 4 hours of my time so far. And I’ve now got a “review meeting” booked tomorrow for another hour. Plus whatever time she is investing in “reviewing” the data.
The real kicker? Nobody actually cares!!! I’m burning through time I don’t have for the sake of a footnote in a report.
I find it’s often best to describe just how much it has cost (in £££) to do this nugatory work…
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On the note of WARMA, why do they insist on making it almost impossible to get a team to Dodentocht?
IIRC, the rules are that the adult team leader for a RAFAC Dodentocht team must have completed 3 Nijmegen/Dodentocht marches, and at least one of these must have been as a Nijmegen team leader.
So, if your Wing RMO isn’t interested in going to Dodentocht, your whole Wing misses out on it, as there are so few others who have previously been an RMO and therefore meet the criteria laid down.
Additionally, mandating that participating cadets must have completed Nijmegen before and be 18+ (IIRC) (separate note; Dodentocht’s rules say 16+) is entirely unnecessary. Dodentocht is a very different challenge to Nijmegen and being good at one does not necessarily equate to being good at the other.
All we’re currently doing is hindering cadets in achieving their goals. And that really grinds my gears.
it is pause by other means - just make the activity too hard to achieve
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I understand it’s been this way for a while, but can’t get to the bottom of why. I completed Dodentocht last year and saw no reason why cadets shouldn’t be able to take part, so long as they were made aware not to take the free beer at the halfway checkpoint.
GMG. Language matters.
Below is an extract of an email sent across a Region from a member of RHQ staff to all volunteers within the Region.
Some Sqn OCs are claiming not to have received this when sent out nearly a month ago
My issue is the word “claim”. It is entirely emotive - casting doubt upon a volunteer saying “I have not received that”.
Its language like this that undermines professional credibility both sides of the fence and reinforces the “them and us” attitudes between volunteers and paid staff.
But, in addition, rather using a limited distribution list of OCs only, they sent it to the whole region undermining the credibility of OCs and/or the CoC inferring people are withholding or not cascading information in a timely or efficient manner.
A far better approach - one without apportioning blame and making “claims” would have been…
Please find attachment doc X/Y/Z. Apologies if you have already received this through other channels.
A different approach. But one far more attuned to working with and managing volunteers.
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Send this post as a reply to all 
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I assume (although they haven’t posted for a while) you expect that they might read this at some point?
This was the first I had seen of it… wonder if it was sent via CoC rather than direct last time around.
Trickle Down Comms strike again!
Def came from WHQ last time for us.
However, I’ve gotten into debates with a few people about emails not coming through that I was “definitely sent and was replied to by others” and definitely did not receive. But that was always a CFAV or role sender, not CS.
The problem I fear with using OCs only is that there are a large number of OCs who have made it very clear that they dont have time to trawl through their emails to action any items coming via the CoC. I wonder if the individual mentioned has faced this mamy times and decided that the easiest option is to ‘send to all’.
Personally, I would prefer that comms went via the OC. I have often been asked questions by my staff about something that I hadn’t yet seen. Send it to OC’s, let them digest it and then distribute as required. If I dont bother then consequences should be forthcoming.
I do agree with your statement though, wording is crucial especially during a time when it appears that morale amongst the volunteers is so low.
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I disagree and what you describe is trickle down comms.
if the Staff are asking valid questions it should prompt you to find a valid answer - they need to understand however that you need chance to react to it.
imo if everyone needs to know about it - send to all.
there is no point relying on the CoC to cascade it all down as there will be one CO who is super quick at sharing it and their staff will know - this could be shared/questioned on a Forum (ACC) or in a whatsapp group and any “OC filter” has been bypassed.
I often find out about things on here or via one or other of two Whatsapp groups I am in (one of which has national representation) before the CoC cascade has reached me…that and I check both more than I do my name100 email inbox!
but it should be the case that if i need to know it, i can go to the inbox and find out. ACC is really good at linking to sharepoint so we can all see it and read it ourselves…
nothing will be quicker than SM, but it shouldn’t mean the information being discussed is being filtered by the CoC - if some know about it when it is intended for all then all should have “eyes on”
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I’m an OC not a secretary.
There’s no reason why
- Squadron matters (general or specific) can’t go to Adj
- Training matters and events can’t go to Adj and Trg
- General personnel matters can’t go to all
- Flying allocations can’t go directly to a nominated individual
- Other scenario as relevant
…in addition to OC.
And then…
So when the conversation happens whichever direction it’s instigated, we’re all already up to speed making for a more efficient discussion and expediting action.
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And this is the issue. How many “BCC’d to all 100 accounts” emails have you received?
I receive a tonne of them, usually for things that are of no relevance to me whatsoever, or just simply a Wing Staff Officer attempting to shame someone into doing something about something. The worst offenders send to all 100 and all role accounts too, so everything is received in duplicate - I’ve taken to ignoring those ones, because I think it wrong to reward that behaviour.
There’s too many in this org who need to have the “Send to all” function removed from them.
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Almost 0. Basically the only email i get to my 100 account is from where i have notifications set up on sharepoint.
You seem to have the opposite issue a lot of us have where you’re seeing too much! What’s the secret? 
If I said here, I strongly suspect I’d be “encouraged” to return my MOD90…
The route was shortened due to 63km so I’m classing it as a half completion 
At least for last year, I think any decently trained Cadet for Nijmegen could’ve easily done the 63km route we walked.