Can civilian Defense Department employees really be dedicated to their profession if they work just eight hours a day? Do they really respect the uniform? Can they be managed and motivated the same way a soldier can?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, yes, and … well, probably not, according to the Army instructors who developed a class for majors and and promotable captains attending the Command and General Staff College Officer Class at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are five tips for getting the best out of your civilian teammates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don’t assume<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Civilian workers told the professors that “the military did not understand who they were and what they’re all about,” said Barry Leslie, who co-founded the course with Eileen Godinez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The instructors try to get preconceived notions about civilian workers into the open early in the class, then root out the misconceptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not just ‘clock-watchers’<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One common problem: Officers believing civilians aren’t dedicated because of their 40-hour-a-week schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“As we go through the class, [officers] begin to understand that due to the laws and regulations they work under … if they work beyond [that], they have to be compensated,” Godinez said. “Sometimes you have to understand that system a little better before you can place judgment against it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Know what they know<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spitting out an acronym you’ve known since basic training and getting a blank stare? Frustrated when military decision-making processes aren’t followed or understood? Expecting civilians to be fully up to speed on Army nomenclature and operations can lead to big problems, the professors said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They teach officers basics of the Army civilian curriculum so they can better appreciate the knowledge base; it helps students understand that if an Army term or regulation isn’t part of a civilian worker’s day-to-day duties, it may not be on his or her radar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don’t bark orders<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Giving a direct order to a civilian worker may not have the same success rate as with a soldier bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Leslie said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But just because an officer doesn’t receive a salute doesn’t mean he’s not being respected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In panel discussions between civilians and officers arranged by the class, nonuniformed personnel told officers that “we look up to you as our leaders. You are our role models,” Leslie said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Majors were surprised to hear that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Life lessons<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The advice offered by the course (Leading Army Civilians \u2014 Truths and Myths)isn’t limited to the soldier-civilian relationship, Godinez said. Good leadership techniques work across service lines, and they’ll be useful in a private-sector management role: All companies have subcultures, and good leaders cross those divides.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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