8/26/12

MAN MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER - 4 MAN MANAGEMENT 1. The chapter is aimed at helping a young officer understand the nuances of being a good and effective Divisional Officer. The Divisional Officer has always been recognised as an essential and important link in the long chain of command hierarchy. He is the first and often the only available contact point. He must understand the mission of his ship or unit and at the same time ensure that his men also understand the mission of his ship or unit and at the same time ensure that his men also understand it. He must concentrate on a great many specific details regarding his division, starting from who the individual is to his wants and needs and finally to what makes him tick. While he is expected to be an epitome of professional competence he is also expected to be an icon of humility so that his men find him approachable and are not dissuaded by his competence. He must work hard at gaining the trust and confidence of his men and at the same time work at enhancing his trust and confidence in them. The Divisional Officer must complete large amounts of paperwork, yet must find time for daily supervision and maintaining personal contact with his men. It is supervision and guidance that is his most important duty. 2. One of the most important aspects that help a Divisional Officer in the completion of his myriad tasks is a thorough knowledge of his men, their families and their requirements, both on the personal and professional front. While a good start is akin to winning half the battle, continued effort at keeping oneself updated is most essential. The focus therefore is on a few handy tips and suggestions to first break ground and thereafter to optimise effectiveness. 3. Interview. The best method to ascertain, and to reconfirm the details listed in the service documents, is by interviewing your men. The first interview is best done in a formal manner. The opportunity is to be utilized to convey the aims and goals of the organisation, the primary duties being vested and the expectations of the Divisional Officer. Subsequent interviews should be done at the work place in an informal manner. This will afford the officer with a first hand appreciation of the professional competence of the individual and also ease the flow of information as the environment will be congenial to the interviewee and help him to be at ease. The work place interview is nothing but continuous interaction and is a major source of information. This could be supplemented by a quarterly formal interview where performance evaluation could be done. A sailors' desire to confide in the officer should be respected and the confidentiality should not be broken. In case solutions to personal problems are not readily apparent, then they could be taken up the chain of command after telling the sailor that it is being done and after assuring him of confidentiality. 4. Involvement. Involvement is the key to camaraderie. A Divisional Officer should involve himself in all the division. The presence and involvement of a leader in the day-to-day activities of the men is a great motivator. The Divisional Officer should aim to involve himself in not only the routine activities of the working hour but should endeavour to take an active part in the off working hour activities also, like sports and games and divisional get together and picnics. Caution however should be exercised to ensure that getting involved does not curb individual initiative and is not perceived as a mere and avoidable interference. Caution should also be exercised to ensure that familiarity is not taken advantage of and results in indiscipline. 5. Forming Own Opinion. Notwithstanding the old adage of 'the first impression being the best impression', curiosity always gets the better of us and everyone likes to gather as much information as possible about everyone else. The trend of judging an individual based entirely on his records and written inputs is fraught with danger. While it is good to be aware of the past records it should definitely not limit forming of an opinion in the present. On taking over, every Divisional Officer should devote time and effort to study the service documents of all the divisional sailors, but an independent opinion should be formed only after having observed every individual for at least one quarter.

www.irfc-nausena.nic.in/irfc/ezine/div officer/chapter4.htm

1/4

8/26/12

MAN MANAGEMENT

6. Empathy . Empathy is best defined as putting oneself in the other mans' shoes, but having your own head on the shoulders. What it implies is that while the Divisional Officer should be au fait with the perspective of his sailors he should exercise his discretion in concurring with it. The Divisional Officer should be strict when it comes to work and discipline but at the same time he should empathize and try to understand, and if possible, resolve the varied requirements of his men. Empathy endears an officer to his men and convinces them about his best intentions. 7. Troop Games. Troop Games are a major bonding factor that brings an officer closer to his men. The men do not expect any exceptional skill from the officer but are very happy to see him sweat it out along with them. One should endeavour to play with them on each and every available opportunity, as it is one of the major building blocks for camaraderie and espirit de-corps. 8. Be a Good Listener. The human mind trends to wander, but the objective listener keeps' his attention focused and maintains himself in a state of concentration. What is required to channelise attention? The answer lies in forming good listening habits. Listening effectively is not a gift; it is acquired through practice and hard work. To become a better listener, you have to observe the following few basic principles: (a) (b) (c) (d) Listen to understand, rather than to refute. Take responsibility for comprehending. Control your emotions. Be mentally aware.

9. Clarity in Orders. There is a need for perfect clarity in giving orders. While there is a definite need to be audibly clear there is a greater need to ensure that the order is understood. The Divisional Officer should watch the sailor's face for any indication that he has not been clearly understood. Both the intention and the purpose of the order should be clear to the men. Good Divisional Officers develop the habit of asking their men if the order just given to them is understood. The Divisional Officer should be personally convinced about the order being passed. Nothing is more demeaning than attributing an uncomfortable order or task to the XO or CO and not sharing the responsibility for the tasking. 10. Feedback. Communication takes place when the listener reacts to the message in the expected manner and changes his behaviour accordingly. Feedback, either in verbal form or from subsequent behaviour, helps the officer to determine if the sailor has accurately understood the message and its true intent. Always seek and give feedback. 11. Manner of Speaking. One often hears the complaint, it isn't so much what he said as the way he said it that made me angry. In other words, our manner of speaking influences to a great extent the way others receive and react to our words. Be polite and at the same time assert your authority. An overbearing or condescending attitude will immediately distance the officer from his men. 12. Setting a Personal Example. A Divisional Officer cannot positively influence his men their attitudes, behaviour and conduct unless he himself sets a good example. The Divisional Officer is emulated at all times. The Divisional Officer should therefore be impeccable in his conduct both in and out of uniform. Hard work, especially in a trying environment, will not seem like chore to the men if the Divisional Officer were to be present at the work place and share the burden. 13. Self Discipline. A quality that all sailors expect from the officers is the quality of self-discipline. An officer who lacks self-discipline will find it well nigh impossible to discipline his men. Punctuality, a military bearing and a trim turn out are the manifestations of self-discipline and are extremely important to project and adhere to. The moral courage to correct the subordinates stems from a high level of self-discipline. 14. Professionalism. An officer who is not professionally competent will find few followers in times of stress and strife. Men invariably have an uncanny knack to see through an officer and make an absolutely correct judgment of professional competence. Professionalism is the edifice on which good
www.irfc-nausena.nic.in/irfc/ezine/div officer/chapter4.htm 2/4

8/26/12

MAN MANAGEMENT

relationships are built. Command and control is ineffective without professional competence and in fact sounds hollow. Professional competence results in trust in the officer and confidence in his abilities. It also strengthens the resolve of the men to follow the leader through the best and worst of times. 15. Positive Outlook. A positive outlook is extremely motivating and spurs the men to greater effort. Enthusiasm is contagious and spreads like wild fire. If officers complain of hardship or seem to lack vigour and aggressive spirit, then their sailors will quickly exaggerate these weakness in their demeanour and resultantly lose their effectiveness. Inexperienced young officers often relieve their feelings by complaining in the presence of their sailors. A public nagging or a complaint about the directives of the superior or about the demanding schedule will result in the men echoing the same feeling. Nothing could be worse for discipline. 16. Upholding The Authority of Senior Sailors. The Divisional Officer must always uphold the prestige and authority of the senior sailors. The chain of command should be adhered to at all times. While it is only human for everyone to project his personal problem when the officer is seemingly in a benign mood, either on the gangway or on middle watch, care should be taken to ensure that decisions are arrived at only after consulting the Divisional Chief. The senior sailors should not be limited to being a mere messenger. They should be so tasked so that they have a share and say in the running of the ship. This can be done in many small ways without interfering and limiting the authority of a Divisional Officer. Battle Indoctrination 17. Battle Conditions. The mission of our Armed Forces is to defend this nation. Our Navy's part of this mission is to fight the sea battle. A Divisional Officers part of the mission is to lead sailors during that battle on the high seas. 'How to lead' doesn't change much from one kind of ship to another. Performance during battle is like the proverbial tip of an iceberg. It requires a whole lot of support, under the surface, behind the scenes and before the first missile is fired. The sea is a difficult environment with danger lurking everywhere. Don't forget, however, that war has been described as 99 percent boredom and one percent unmitigated fear. A measure of fear is there in every man. The stress on men and ships and equipment will be at its peak. Fear that makes man forget is dangerous. It is overcome only by sheer practise. Further, battle is a personal experience, which in a ship is a lot more personal than for the leaders who are making the big decisions. 18. Personal Standards. Under the demands and stress of battle conditions what is it that enables sailors and ships to fight and win? This intangible factor becomes the overall standard that you, as a Divisional Officer, must strive for. That overall standard can be expressed in one word-confidence. Confidence is what comes as a result of building skill, will and teamwork. You can't order a sailor to be confident. Confidence comes from inside the sailor and the ship. You can keep telling sailors, We're the best! but just words by themselves won't work. Sailors know by what they see and feel. The standard you should aim for is something that must exist within your sailors and your division. When all your sailors score high in each of the following 'confidence tests', then your leadership is up to battle standards: (a) (b) (c) (d) Confidence Confidence Confidence Confidence in in in in their own ability. the ability of other sailors in the crew, division, department and ship. weapons and equipment. your leadership.

Conclusion 19. Effective leadership is based on setting a personal example, evolving and adhering to good management practices and moral responsibility. Men will always reflect an officers' sincerity, enthusiasm, appearance, military behaviour, technical competence, composure and courage under duress. Being an effective Divisional Officer takes considerable effort. The divisional officers are the executive arm of an organisation. They interpret and help execute the policies of the Commanding
www.irfc-nausena.nic.in/irfc/ezine/div officer/chapter4.htm 3/4

8/26/12

MAN MANAGEMENT

Officer, the Executive Officer and the Departmental Heads. They epitomise the efficiency or otherwise of an organization, as they are in direct and daily contact with the strength of the organisation, its men.

www.irfc-nausena.nic.in/irfc/ezine/div officer/chapter4.htm

4/4