Navy nuke transfer to aviation rate??

[The Chief]

... relationship between a Chief and a Divo/DH, etc. ....

The list is long. My pet peeves.

Good order and discipline. Never ever tolerate from the Chief the denigration of anyone in the CoC. The same for sailors that work for him. Keep the realtionship professional. He(she) is not your friend, rather mutual respect is the relationship.

You are always the boss. The new ensign is still in charge of the salty E-9. The Chief is the technial expert, should know a lot about leadership and such as well. I would never (seldom) second guess a Chief on a technical matter in his domain, but all else is yours. Disagreements always in private but do not tolerate "power plays" in front of the sailors.

Do not let the Chief hide out in the CPO mess. He should be with the sailors as much as possible.

Suggest an invite for yourself to the CPO mess for a cup of coffee, he might decline, I never did (refuse). Never invite the Chief to the WardRoom.

This is a little tricky. Always have your ears up and alert to the grapevine. Talk to the sailors directly, individually or in groups, about most any subject. Let them know you are interested in them but never ever try to be their friend. Ever. At all times let them know you have complete confidence in the Chiefs, even if you do not. Know the star performers as well as the slackers that try to game the system.

The CPO is not above the rules, he obeys them like everyone else. Insist on it (in private)

Do not let issues simmer. Take care of them immediately.

Just my .02c. Others may diagree.

 

[The Chief]

I forgot one:

Listen to the Chief. That does not men do what the Chief sez. You must make the decision based partly on his input.

 

[BusyBee604]

Thoughts...

[Threadjack]

Speaking of this, here in soon-to-be officer land, we consistently hear stories about the important relationship between a Chief and a Divo/DH, etc. It basically boils down to a strong relationship between the two makes a great Division/Department. Are there any tips/hints to being the type of Divo a Chief does/does not want to see? I would especially like to hear any advice regarding being a good Divo and ways to support your Chief when dealing with the upper chain of comma nd.

"The Chief" has covered theChief/Divo relationship nicely. My experience as a Divo in 5 Squadrons & ShipsCo DH has convinced me that the most important thing to remember & always follow is:
ALWAYS take care of your Sailors in every way. Then they will know that you really care and will trust you (& take care of you too).
Spend time with your Sailors...get to know them, what they do & how they do it. Not to become an expert, but to get a feel for what they are up against & the long hours they face (especially underway).
For you, being a "prior" should be a plus, as it was for me (ex-ET-2(SS)). I could always tell the Divos who really cared about us, from those who faked it or were indifferent (fairly rare).
An example: You are assigned as Advance Liaison Officer for a Squadron deploying to Falllon for a 3-week Weapons Deployment. The FIRST thing you do upon arrival is ensure all your Sailors are properly housed, completely arranged for messing, transportation, liberty and any other needs they have. Only then do you make those arrangements for yourself!
Of course there is lots more, perhaps some others would like to chime in?
BzB

 

[Bevo16]

The list is long. My pet peeves.

Good order and discipline. Never ever tolerate from the Chief the denigration of anyone in the CoC. The same for sailors that work for him. Keep the realtionship professional. He(she) is not your friend, rather mutual respect is the relationship.


....and a bunch of other spot on points

+1 million.

IMHO, "The Cheif" hit the top priority right off the bat. If a Cheif is talking shit to you (the Div-O) about the department head, then he is doing it in front of the troops as well. You have to squash that shit, and do it with the CMC present.

FWIW, I think that these "command climate" surveys are contributing to the problem. VERY junior sailors feel like their opinion on the chain of command is just as imporatant as doing their job. Their focus needs to be on learning their rate and getting qualified, not talking about how they feel about coming to work everyday. The cheif needs to make sure that the really junior guys know that their opinion on the leadership gets checked once a year, and that's it. The other 364 days are for working.

^^^^This isn't to say that if problems don't get handled, but people have to know their role.

 

[The Chief]

.... perhaps some others would like to chime in. ....

]

Agree but it is the Chiefs job to see that sailors are taken care. The Div O's job is to make sure the Chief does his job, each and every time and to be public about it so the "troops" know where you stand vs.a.vs their care and support, from the Chief and the DIV O. Pays back dividend as the sailors will return in kind.

 

[wlawr005]

Thank you all for you're input. I think this is a valuable thread and would like to hear more info on the matter (maybe even a sticky?). Anyway, as a prior-e, I have seen the good and the bad. I think BusyBee hit it on the head when speaking of the care and comfort of the troops first. As a helo det guy, there were numerous times when the OIC had his own van and Day-X/Night-X had to make arrangements with just one. It seems to be that sort of thing that really strikes the junior enlisted guys as important. I remember the maintainers being the most satisfied with their long hours when they knew the O's really appreciated their hard work. I've also seen a Det Wardroom spend all their off time playing Tiger Woods, and never making face time with the "guys". I understand that their are restrictions about being "friends" with the E's, but I think it's important to have DET functions, including bbq's, softball tourney's, and an open door policy with the DIVO.

That being said, I have always had the fortune of working with really shit hot Chiefs, and never really had to work with the guys you seem to know so well. My main question asks what kind of DIVO THOSE Chiefs would like to see, and how I would be able to excel while working with them.

 

[The Chief]

.... main question asks what kind of DIVO THOSE Chiefs would like to see, and how I would be able to excel while working with them.

Easy. NO FEAR. I want a Div O that is afraid of nothing.

I will test thay new Ensiign to see if he is afraid of me. If he is afraid of taking issues to the DH or XO, then I know I must fill in and do the Div O's job.

As BzB said so well; show interest in me and the sailors. I do not want a friend, I want someone that will do their job. I want the Div O to find out what I know and what I do not know. To help me fill in my weak spots and let me excell in my strenghts.

 

[Spekkio]

That being said, I have always had the fortune of working with really shit hot Chiefs, and never really had to work with the guys you seem to know so well. My main question asks what kind of DIVO THOSE Chiefs would like to see, and how I would be able to excel while working with them

That's an easy one...the bad chiefs really don't want to see anything from a DIVO. They want the DIVO to stay out of their way or not bother them with silly things like doing their job. After all, it's usually not them standing in front of the DH or XO explaining why XYZ, which you may or may not know even exists, is so fucked up.

Excel? That's difficult. You can't really teach a chief to be a chief as a JO. Your only recourse is to tactfully consult the CMC for advice and/or hope there's a good LPO who's willing to step up.

 

[bubblehead]

...from what i hear

There is your first problem... I know it's hard to imagine, but some people like being a nuke. Don't listen to the whiners. Get to the fleet (I would recommend submarines because of obvious reasons), kick a**, and form your own opinion. If you don't like it after giving it your best, honest effort, put in for a commissioning program.

 

[The Chief]

Guess I am old school, but thinking back to my time in the arena. Think had I received a young lad that had, on purpose, flunked out of Nuke School, I would have been reluctant to give him any assignment that involved any responsibility. Example: Might that same lack of moral character resurface when he now decided he no longer wants to work on the flight deck, tired of pulling fuel hoses so he purposelty contaminates a fuel load as a way off the flight deck.. His rationale? Sure, the Navy might lose an F/A-18, maybe a pilot, but he would at least get what he wanted, off the dirty, noisy, long hard hours on the flight deck into a cushy office job somehwere, that what is important to him.

Bit far out, but you get the idea. However, if the leadership of the new Navy decides, kinda gets just deserves.