CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Is it just me or does everyone seem extremely busy these days?
We're either busy preparing to deploy, working 12- to 15- hour shifts downrange or playing catch up once we have return home. As NCOs there's always enlisted performance reports, decorations and awards packages to write. We somehow manage to include three weekly physical training sessions, off-duty education and involvement in professional organizations into our hectic schedules while also remembering the importance of spending quality time with our families. We juggle these things because they're vital to the advancement of the Air Force mission, the development of our Airmen and the well-being of our families.
Recently, I spoke to a large group of senior airmen about their professional development and I was stunned to find the majority of them had never received a formal performance feedback. How is this possible? With few exceptions, every completed EPR lists a feedback completion date. Still these Airmen, each with at least three years of military service, told me feedbacks were not being performed. Trust me, they understood the significance of the negligence. It was difficult to temper their lack of faith in an administrative process their own supervisors failed to use. We as Air Force leaders must do better.
Developing Airmen is more than a catch-phrase; it is one of the top five Air Force priorities. People who say, "I don't need to complete feedback worksheets. I talk with my folks daily and they know what I expect." Then it's possible they may have painted themselves into a corner. Let's say there is an Airman who's not meeting duty performance standards. Supervisors who do not document their efforts to help them improve, can find it difficult to justify rating their Airman's overall performance as "needs improvement" or "average" even when this is the rating they truly deserve. I believe most Airmen honestly want to succeed, but may lack the basic know-how. Thus, developing Airmen begins where skill and knowledge ends.
For supervisors who believe our EPR rating system is inflated, I offer formal feedback sessions as a corrective tool. When done effectively, feedbacks address deficiencies while motivating Airmen to stretch themselves professionally toward greater leadership opportunities. Airmen should leave feedback sessions knowing exactly what's expected of them and should never be surprised by an EPR rating. If supervisors are really up for a leadership challenge, they should end their feedback session by asking how you're measuring up as a supervisor. Remember, successful communication flows both ways.
Being an effective supervisor is not just about taking care of the administrative minutia, it's about developing honest, professional relationships with Airmen who can trust leadership to always have their best interests in mind. If we don't make the time to teach, mentor and develop leaders, we risk creating a generation of Airmen who do not seek, trust or respect our leadership. The future of our Air Force depends on the quality of leaders we build today. Even poor supervisors can be great examples of what not to emulate. Supervisors should ask themselves, how will they be remembered?