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all team members) affect each team member
performer assumes that the supervisor considers the job
individually?
to be of little value.
As the supervisor or other senior member of a team,
you exert the greatest amount of influence on that team.
As the leader, not only are you the one who sets the
example for the rest of the team, you are the one who
creates either a positive or a negative atmosphere. Refer
to Case No. 3. LPO Brush provided a negative atmos-
phere through two poor work habits. First, he used
profanity and allowed other members to use it.
Second, he measured office effectiveness by empty
baskets rather than by the quality of response to
customer needs.
A contact point representative may read chapter 3
of this book carefully and fully intend to implement its
“do this” and “don’t do that” advice. However, the
extent to which the representative may apply that advice
depends largely on the contact point atmosphere. You
must take the lead in developing and reinforcing an
atmosphere that improves teamwork.
Each team develops its own standards for
performance and behavior. These standards are a
composite of the standards of all of its members, which
must be acceptable by the contact point supervisor. The
team then exerts its influence on each member to
conform to those standards. New members being
indoctrinated in their duties are aware of the attitude of
the team toward those standards. As they develop their
job skills, they will likely develop and accept a similar
attitude.
Setting a good example is the best possible method
of creating a positive atmosphere. When team members
see that you have a positive attitude toward work, they
will follow your example. As new members develop
their work habits, they will look not only at the example
you set, but at the example set by other team members.
ENCOURAGING THE ACCEPTANCE
OF RESPONSIBILITY
Chapter 1 stated that there are no unimportant jobs
when you are performing a personal service or
supplying a personal need. You can carry this statement
a step further— there are no unimportant jobs. The
output from a particular job may have doubtful value,
but the performance of that job is important to the
performer. The performer must be able to see some
worth in the job to maintain a sense of personal worth.
If convinced that the job has no purpose or value, the
At times, a person’s ability far exceeds the ability
required to perform an assigned job. When you make
such assignments, explain the reason for the assignment
and the value of the job. That will help confirm the
person’s sense of personal worth and, thus, improve
teamwork. The following are examples of explanations
you might use:
This job isn’t as challenging as other jobs that you
have had in the past but, it is certainly as
important. To make this point, it is part of our
training rotation. I know that you will do well.
This work must be kept on schedule; I trust you
will do that in my absence.
You’ll be starting your new assignment next
week. In the meantime. . .
You may stimulate the initiative of a new member
by using the job assignment itself. Let the member know
that this is the first in a series of assignments that will
increase in responsibility with each job change.
You may stimulate the initiative of a new member
by using job assignments as the first in a series of
increases in responsibility. The Navy’s most valuable
asset—people—is wasted when they are told to “look”
busy. Supervisors who instruct their people to look busy
demonstrate their own lack of initiative (poor planning)
and destroy initiative in team members.
Supervision can stimulate a team to better
performance, or it can smother any initiative. Suppose
a supervisor asks, “Can’t you people do anything on
your own?” Then the supervisor constantly looks over
the workers’ shoulders and criticizes their work. The
supervisor’s action has answered the question: No, the
members can’t do anything on their own; the supervisor
won’t let them.
You must keep the lines of communication open.
Though you must encourage members to work on their
own, you must assure them that they can come to you
for answers when the need arises. Your response may
vary, depending upon the need and the person, but it
should not lead the member to an endless, aimless
search.
You can take three steps to encourage team
members to assume responsibility:
1. Recognize their ability.
2. Set goals for them.
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