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Supervisors must be able to provide individualized
training as well as group training. To do that, they must
be accessible to the member and be willing to take the
time to help the member when needed. They will quickly
realize the compensation for this greater emphasis on
training in the reduction of time they spend supervising.
They need no outstanding ability or special training for
this phase of supervision, but they must develop the
following skills:
Listening patiently. Quite often supervisors may
feel that the person is taking too much time explaining,
so they stop listening. Thus, they may miss the main
reason for the member’s communication with them.
Refraining from hasty condemnation or
conclusion. Supervisors must get the whole story before
making decisions.
Refraining from arguing. Arguing with a
subordinate does not solve problems, and it may well
lead to additional ones. One of the responsibilities of
supervisors is the exercise of authority. After observing
the two points above, a supervisor who reaches a
decision and feels there is no justifiable alternative
should stick with that decision. Argument will only
intensify the member’s reluctance to accept that
decision.
Paying attention not only to the content of the
remarks but to the overtones and body language. What
the member feels but does not say may be more
important than what is actually being said.
Listening for what the person may be reluctant to
say or cannot say without assistance.
Learning is best accomplished when the instruction
sets a pattern of primacy. That is, it moves from known
to unknown, simple to complex, and complex to simple;
or it is organized by performance steps. In other words,
the trainee should learn how to follow a recipe and
operate an oven before attempting to bake a cake. If
instruction is arranged properly, the trainee can refer
back to what was previously learned to better understand
what is being presently taught. When this method is
applied, the member learns more, learns it faster, and
remembers it longer.
The use of training sessions can achieve the
following results:
Stimulate trainees to perform self-evaluation.
Develop trainees’ awareness of their knowledge
level.
Provide trainees with needed instruction.
Encourage trainees to exchange ideas
knowledge.
As the leader of an informal training session,
must keep the group headed in the right direction.
and
you
You
should direct discussion sessions toward a stated or an
agreed-upon goal. Training sessions provide excellent
opportunities for frank, open discussions of mechanical
problems as well as problems with work flow, time
allocation, future work loads, and special jobs. The
leader of informal training must be vigilant in
preventing the session from losing focus. No one wants
to listen to someone’s gripes during a training session.
Role playing can be an effective means of
developing face-to-face skills and of stimulating
discussions about problems faced by certain ratings.
When properly introduced to the participants, it has
several possible uses in the training program. Since
participants may be self-conscious at first, your first
efforts in using role playing may not get off the ground.
However, when participants realize they are not playing
games, they will gradually assume their roles. Then role
playing will achieve the desired results of training.
With an experienced member playing the role of the
customer and the inexperienced members serving as the
contact point representatives, you can provide real life
experiences for members to solve. Select training
problems that are not intended to overwhelm the trainees
but to acquaint them with typical problems. Make sure
each situation has a specific training objective.
DEVELOPING THE “WE” CONCEPT
People who are “loners” are determined to get to a
destination without owing anyone for anything. They
refuse to help others, belittle everyone else’s
accomplishments, and avidly point out others’ mistakes.
These people have great difficulty working as a member
of a team.
Teamwork improves only when all members
overcome this problem by learning to view themselves
as part of the team. To help them do that, encourage them
to begin thinking in terms of we:
We members of the contact point. . .
We members of the ship or station. . .
We members of the Navy . . .
Help them to see that being a member of a team
doesn’t take away from their importance. Help them to
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