Working Relationships - The Senior Levels

That Burning Question

I always hear the same concern from my cadets, that one burning question about their future in their program, especially among the intermediate to senior levels.

Where am I going to end up at the end of my career?

Many cadets have a very focused, singular goal in mind. That is that they want to be the RSM (or equivalent if in another element) of the Unit by the time they age out. And by no means is that a bad goal, it is an excellent goal in fact. I encourage all my students/trainees/cadets to shoot high. However, in this quest to become the best, we often lose sight of the value that we can contribute when we end up in a position other than what we had orginally aimed for.

The reality is that there can be only one RSM/Cox'n/SWO, and when this reality dawns on the cadet, competition becomes fierce. If I could, all my seniors would be the senior cadet of the unit. I truly believe that I work with some of the smartest, most talented, and most purpose-driven young adults in the country. However, being the senior cadet of the unit requires a very special skill set which I will explain later in more detail.

One thing that we must all remember though, is that just because when an individual is selected for the position, it does not mean that you are "worse" than they are, nor does it mean that they are any "better" . It all comes down to fit and how well the individual fits the requirements of the role.

I can not stress enough. Do not devalue yourself. In the following model I propose, I try to define the relationships between the senior positions in the unit.

The Relationships Model

The following model is, in my ideal world, how the senior positions in a medium to large cadet unit should be defined.

Each of the above positions has a defined role, and by extension, that is the critical value that they add to the organization. Note that it is the NCO positions that are in the middle, and for a reason. NCOs are the movers and shakers of the organization, they need to be empowered to make independent decisions on their own, while being given feedback, support, and guidance from officer staff.

The RSM provides the strategic road map for the unit in conjunction with the CO. They should always be answering the questions: Where do we want to be

• In 1 year, 2 years, 3 years?
• Beyond my term as a cadet?
• What do I want the future of this unit to look like?

They are focused on Transformational Leadership, how will they make this unit better and stronger? How can I lead and support my people to achieve the goals that I have set? That is the purpose of this role, and it takes a very unique perspective and personality to be able to do the job well

The CSM should be handling the day-to-day activities of the unit to ensure that they are completed; are the cadets being informed on training? Are section commanders and warrant officers giving adequate guidance and feedback? Are people actually improving? These are topics and concerns that need to not only be answered on a day to day basis, but also asked. Asked to their subordinates, and asked to oneself in a reflective manner.

But what about this TSM character? I will explain the nature of this role in further detail

The TSM - Misused, Misunderstood, Misrepresented

The TSM goes by many names; Training Sergeant Major, Standards Sergeant Major, HQ Sergeant Major, Regulator, etc. But no matter the name, this position is nearly always viewed as a dead-end by cadets and officers alike. Cadets placed in this position typically feel that they are at the end of their rope as far as their career goes, and really this view of what I believe to be the most dynamic position in the cadet unit is justified when officers turn it into a "Make Work" position that adds little value.

As shown in my model above, the TSM is the NCO which is in charge of "Enablement". But what do I mean by this term, which seems quite out of place in a military environment? Enablement is the crafting and provision of the tools which will take you from Point A to Point B; which will achieve the vision of the RSM and Commanding Officer.
It is taking a step back from day to day activities and seeing where the gaps are. Taking this information, feeding it back to the CSM and RSM, and coming up with solutions to implement is where this position adds value

Therefore, it is important to note that treating the TSM position as a place to "dump" a senior NCO is not only a waste of that NCO's talent, but also a waste of the value the position can provide when filled with the right person

The TSM must be considered a Specialist in their field. They must be highly analytical, to be able to see gaps in performance or productivity where others don't. They must be highly creative, to come up with plans, strategies, training material, analytical materials, to solve the problems they find. And thirdly, they need to be excellent business communicators that can not only express the needs of the organization, but can also gain support from their peers and superiors to fulfill these needs.

"The TSM must be a considered a Specialist...They must be highly analytical, creative, and excellent business communicators"

One thing that needs to be stressed too, is that the position of TSM is, and should never be, a "dead-end" position. There should be no automatic pathway to move into the position of RSM from the CSM's position alone. Instead, the RSM's position should be filled by somebody that fits the requirements of the role, no matter their previous position. Experience must also be taken into account, among many other factors, but that is a discussion that needs to be left for another post.

What Now?

We need to shift the way we think about how these top positions interact, and the different types of value that they bring to the table. These jobs are not the same with just varying levels of supervision. They are highly specialized, as they are intended to be, and each drive a very specific value for the unit.

It is only when we realize the true strength that comes from having a defined purpose and scope of duties, that we can really create a successful and strong unit that stands out from the crowd and creates the type of cadets that we truly want.

Cheers,
J. Ng

What It Means to Be Competitive

What It Means to Be Competitive

Hello everyone, for my first blog post, I’d like to discuss my views on competition and what I find “being competitive” really entails.

Competition is a huge aspect of my life, and one that I feel everyone should be exposed to at an early age. Many do not really enjoy competition though, particularly Type B personalities. However, I still insist on exposure to competition and a competitive atmosphere because of one simple fact; competition will not go away but only increase as one gets older, especially in our society. You will always have to compete to get into the best schools, to apply for jobs, to advance in your career, in nearly every aspect of life.

I do not see competition as a means to “beat” other people though. To me, having an attitude like that is self-limiting, what is the point of competing when you’re at the top? I’ve summarized what it means to be competitive and the purposes of competition in a few simple points:

1. Being Competitive Means Having a Vision

As an individual, you want to make yourself stand out from the crowd, you want to be the best that you can possibly be. Once you are in a leadership role, you want to make your organizational unit the best out of all others. The most important way to achieve either of these goals is to set a vision.

When a vision is not set by the corps, by the team, by you yourself, there is no progress; you are treading water, desperately trying to keep your head up above the surface when you should be swimming to the next island.

Having a competitive mindset means to always set achievable goals, and striving to make those goals a reality.

2. Competition Means Knowing Where the Bar is Set

Exposure to competition means exposure to experience. When you exclude yourself from competition, you are limiting your perspective to your own little bubble. It doesn’t necessarily mean that one should be a copycat and do whatever the flavor of the month is, but it means that thoughtful observation and reflection should be made.

"When you exclude yourself from competition, you are limiting your perspective..."

“What is it that makes that team/individual win all the time?”, “Can I adapt that to my own style?”, “Have I been doing things wrong?”, these (and more) are questions you should be asking yourself. Being competitive and seeing what you’re up against lets you know where the bar has been set; what the standard of excellence really is. Performance that you may have deemed good for yourself may just be average (or even below!) in the grand scheme of things.

There are countless, I reemphasize, countless cadet units that have never fielded a team to drill competitions. You can instantly tell by the standard of performance that they have set for themselves. You do not lose face when you come back from competition empty-handed, especially if it’s your team’s first time ever. In reality, you’re the biggest winner because you’ve gained the most exposure and experience out of every team there.

At last year’s Provincial Drill Championships, there was only a single team that represented the Northern BC region. They competed in the small team division but their performance fell quite far behind all others. But in the end it didn’t matter. Competing for the first time means swallowing your ego, putting your best effort in, and making learning your primary objective.

3. Competition Means Ownership

Ownership is expressed two ways when competing, both of which are important. When you compete you should own the competition itself (I call this external ownership) and own your performance (I call this internal ownership).

External ownership is a state of mind to deliver your best performance, regardless of all external factors. It is a very hard concept to put into words. It is a mixture of confidence and charisma, being able to fill the area with your presence. When a team owns the drill floor, the range, the court, the ski hill, they don’t care how strong the other team is. They don’t care what mistakes they’ve made in the past. What they care about is making the competition theirs, they own the area, they own the podium.

Internal responsibility is a reflective experience and comes after the active portion of the competition. It is once again, ownership regardless of all external factors. Owning your performance is looking at where you have made mistakes and where you could have improved. It is assuming responsibility, which is vital to developing strong leadership skills. Say for example, you are a section commander at the local unit, you need to own the performance of both yourself and your section. It is being responsible for every small detail that can be improved upon, and taking action to improve them.

4. Competition Means Constant Improvement

No matter what one competes in, whether it is a formal competition or an ongoing process, competition means constant improvement and constant evolution. The question is then, how? One needs two things, a willingness to find new strategies and approaches to find that extra 1% of improvement, as well and a coach with an eye for detail and alternative ways of implementing these strategies.

For those that are unfamiliar with it, I’d like to introduce the concept of kaizen. This is a Japanese philosophy of constant, perpetual improvement, no matter how small. When on the range, it can mean shooting 1 point higher on average every practice. If you are a runner, even one tenth of a second faster on each practice soon adds up.

I’d like to take this concept further, and the end goal of performance to be perfection, yet knowing that perfection is impossible to attain. It may be hard to understand and apply for some younger readers on here, but it is putting the value in the journey itself that makes the improvement worthwhile. The goal of shining your boots every day isn’t just to have extremely shiny boots, it is to make you a more disciplined and hard-working person. It isn’t the end result that matters as much as how much you improve each time.

The last point that I’d like to make is on the idea of constantly evolving. That means constantly accepting and adapting to change as it occurs, not just in the rules of the game (as in formal competition), but in what life throws at you. The greatest resistors to change in any organization are always the first ones to be left behind. Instead, lead the curve, and be ahead of the game.

Ultimately, competition has little to do with your competitors and almost everything to do with yourself. It is game in which there are only winners, yet has no real ending. The intent of competing should always be to better yourself, no matter your level, and to raise your standard of excellence on a continuous basis. Never settle for good enough, because there will always be “better”. Own your performance so that you can own the podium.

Responsibility and adaptation go a long way and separates the elite from B-Grade competitors. Always remember, sometimes you medal, sometimes you don’t, but regardless you should always be learning, because that’s what matters the most.

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OCdt Jeff Ng is coach, martial artist, and CIC Officer working with 2947 RCACC in Richmond, BC. He was a former cadet with 2947, having completed the program as a Cadet Chief Warrant Officer and RSM of 2947. He was also the Sergeant Major of “A” Training Group at Vernon Cadet Summer Training Centre in the summer of 2010.

At the Corps, OCdt Ng is the Platoon Commander of 2 Platoon and the coach for the drill team. He also helps coordinate the social media activities of the corps by overseeing the operation of the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

As an athlete, OCdt Ng has been ranked Bronze in the Karate BC Men’s -75kg Kumite (fighting) division for two years in a row. He was also the Zone Champion for Richmond/Burnaby/Delta in Kata (forms) as well as Silver and Bronze medalist at the USA West Coast Open Championships.

He currently trains out of Steveston, BC and coaches at the Thompson Community Centre branch of his club.

In his civilian career, OCdt Ng works in Human Resources and Talent Management. His technical specialties are in coaching, organizational effectiveness, recruitment and staffing management, total rewards and motivation, and training and development.

2947 Army Cadets launches their web site www.2947armycadets.ca in January 2014.