Greetings,
I am looking for some feed back perhaps some advice from experienced leaders. I am an E-5 that has 8 yrs in, I am in a mid level leadership position, I have three E-4s working under me in super sick bay setting. Heres the thing....I am working on E-6 right now, and have been in the service quite a bit longer then the folks on my "team".
I try to balance the fine line of them respecting me but not "forced respect" if you know what I mean....but I have two males that play the whole "buddy buddy male system" and one female whom is the "outsider".
They shut her out say crappy things about her, and those above all of us think the two guys are shining stars and can do no wrong. But lately I have noticed they arent so perfect.
When you work in a "team enviroment" how do you balance working relationships with these guys without having to "rule with an iron fist"??

I know Marines have outstanding leadership values, and make it work like a well oiled machine. So any Gunny's out there pls feel free to unload on me here.

I am growing frustrated with my "team", as I feel they cant get a long, and the males feel they are superior to the female junior Petty Officer as I want things to be fair for her.

I also feel like these boys forget I am an E-5 at times and slip up quite a bit. I also am aware that when I put on E-6 things have to change drastically in that sense, but in the mean time how do you "constructively" remind them??

In order for a 'team' to function as one, they must first completely understand in thier own terms the concept of a 'team'. Then you need to set the stage as to what the leaders expectations are for the team as a complete unit.

As a leader, thoughout my career, I have had numerous encounters with this subject. As with many of us, we have all worked on teams that accomplished nothing but thier own destruction. Yet on others, they had a great degree of success without appearing to have to really work at it. How and why does that occur?

Lets get back to the basics first.

There are five known items that will defeat any team. Any one of the below will totally wreck any chance of success.

1) Absence of TRUST
2) Fear of CONFLICT
3) Lack of COMMITTMENT
4) Avoidence of ACCOUNTABILITY
5) Inattention to RESULTS

As a leader, you will have to combat all five of these daily.

How to do that?
A) A leader must 'establish trust' between each team member. The absence of trust leads to a feeling of invunerability in individuals. They not only have to trust you as a leader, but each other.
OK fine, but exactly how do I do this? I'd start with getting everyone in a meeting and set the tempo by asking each to share something personal that the rest know nothing about. You should start first by sharing somthing of yourself that they have never heard about you. What are your pet peeves, something that happened before your military service, a goal or plan of what you want to do in life. Nothing really major, but something of an icebreaker. Go around the room and ask each to share something along those lines. Have each provide a brief history of themselves such as where born, how many brothers, sisters, to better give an idea about thmeselves.

B) The leader must overcome this 'fear of conflict' that is inherent within all interpersonal relationships. A visible fear of conflict displayed by a leader and even indiviudual team members creates or fosters a sense of artificial harmony. You and I both know that if its artifical, then it ain't real. What ain't real cannot be effective.

You can see where all this is going? Rather than write a book on this subject in here, I'll direct you to someone who already has. The title of the book: The FIVE DYSFUNCTIONS of a TEAM, by Patrick Lencioni.
This book is a New York Times Bestseller and has less than 250 pages. (light reading) My company gave me a copy once I was promoted to a leader position. I have found it to be very insightful and extremely valuable in my day to day operations. I have personally applied these principles and techniques with great success.


OK, your gonna say.....but I'm talking about a military team, and not a business type of team. They are both one and the same in principle. I know it looks like I'm pitching this book, but only because it fits the situation you are in.


I'm very pleased to see a young military leader reaching out in this manner! I am at work now, so I gotta go an crack the whip on my own team, so if you want more I'll be happy to answer up to specifics as this thread progresses.

The Gunny speaks well on this issue and you asking for advice is the beginning of leadership training and greater responsibility. Just remember to be flexible without bending too far. I might read the book myself to see what I have done right and wrong (according to this method) for all of these years.

I've been in almost your exact situation before (except raise it exactly one rank) and in my current position I face (what I feel) is an even more intimidating "leadership challenge". As a civilian (retired E-7) I instruct as a chief instructor (instructors are a mix of civilians and military) small groups ranging from 0-5 to E-2 and civilians. "Keeping the balance" and striving to maintain control while mentoring them is tightrope.

Through these experiences there's a couple of tenets I strive to maintain--

Leadership by Example (I know, cliche, but sometimes cliches work). I always let the team know I won't ask them to do anything I wouldn't do myself (notice I say "ask"). If my team (including my fellow instructors) don't seem to engage right away in the task, sometimes I'll just start by myself. Usually they become embarrassed by the fact that I'm the only one working and start in with me. I come in as early as the first member of the team, and leave when the last member leaves. I let them know I am always available.

All-For-One, One-For-All. It's not "PO Jones" fault that the work didn't get done satisfactorily (or not at all), it's the team's fault. I try to foster a teamwork environment where everyone pulls their weight and the task gets accomplished successfully. If we fail, it's not one individual that failed his part, but the whole team. Setting team goals (vice individual) can sometimes help. I empower individuals with responsibilities towards each other. I.E. -- PO Jones has more experience and training in XYZ, I tell Jones that he's responsible for spinning up PO Smith in areas XYZ. Each team member has their own expertise that they can "peer educate" another member of the team (though, sometimes identifying that expertise is difficult with your more...."professionally challenged" individuals, you can eventually stumble on something they're good at. And, sometimes that "ten percent" acknowledges they're at "the bottom of the food chain" and accept that they need the assistance more often than other team members).
Using the team fostering technique, I've seen whiners silenced and stronger team members take charge and provide assistance to weaker team members without me ever saying a word.

Avoid individual counseling/ass chewing (use as a last result). Discuss individual shortcomings as "team shortcomings" (without identifying the individual). Not everyone in the team will be aware of "who" you're talking about (though stronger/confident members will), and the person who failed/screwed up will definitely know you are talking to them. The rest will take note (and maybe think twice before making the same error "the team" made). Many of my staff/students perceive this as a way of sharing someone's mistake for everyone's benefit without "chewing ass" and appreciate it. Plus, when I do resort to counseling or "chewing ass" it's a rare thing-- people know they have definitely "stepped in it deep" when I've called them in individually.

Humor and Self-deprecation. I always try to maintain a sense of humor in the work environment and fully admit to my mistakes when I make them. I don't try to "bullshit" my way out of it. Subordinates see right through this crap many times. I keep the environment light, with jokes and camaraderie, without degrading professionalism (no first name basis, off-color jokes, etc). My favorite self-deprecating "correction" is to say (since I know I have the most experience in the room) "well, you know, I would do it this way, but then again, I've only been at this for 17 years, what the hell would I know....". Always seems to have much more of an effect than raising my voice.

I want to thank you guys for your responses, I think of myself as a sponge and I take it all in to add to my "tool box". It motivates me more then you know!

I have the upmost respect for you, and thank you for sharing some of that wisdom with me.

I noticed some of the best leaders I ever witnessed was when I worked with the Marines, their team trusted their Seargents with their LIVES, as well as eachother, and they get it done. I went to Rear Area Security School, 240 Golf School, and FMF School in Camp Pendleton at my last unit(Naval Coastal Warefar Unit), and came away with so much more then just a couple months of learning how to dig a fox hole, shoot a gun, and patch someone up out in the field, ect. I learned how to survive, and the reality's of war. Why did I learn more then met the eye? because these guys led me properly. I was one squared away, motivated Coastie when I left that place, ready to go overseas and know what my purpose was. It was eye opening for me.

I will let you guys know how it go's as I roll things out.

Again, thank you.

HS2

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