1-9 the chain of command doesn’t care, and ignorance of standards  can  all  lead  to  poor  performance.  Before jumping on your personnel, observe their work habits, see if they have an obvious problem, and then try to work with them to solve the problem. Occasionally, counseling is required. A good rule of thumb for these situations is to “correct in private and praise in public.” Practicing that  rule  will  help  you  avoid  embarrassing  your subordinates in front of their peers. Follow five basic guidelines to provide performance feedback: 1. Always praise good performance or correct poor performance as soon as possible; delay doesn't make a hard job any easier. 2. Praise in public; correct in private. 3. Look for the reason behind the action; find out why someone is not performing up to par. 4. If a problem exists, work with subordinates to solve the problem. If the problem is your fault, acknowledge and resolve the problem. 5. Try to be aware of what is going on with your workers; many times you can avoid problems if you see them coming. Always   remember   that   your   workers   are people.  If  you  treat  them  as  adults  and  show respect for them, you will be amazed at what they can accomplish. That does not mean you should allow subordinates to run wild; you must insist on adherence  to  rules  and  regulations.  Last,  but definitely   not   least,   be   sure   to   praise   good performance. Positive recognition is one of the best motivators in a supervisor’s arsenal. EVALUATING PERFORMANCE One of the hardest tasks you will undertake as a new petty officer is the evaluation of people who just weeks ago were your peers. You somehow must put aside friendships   and   dislikes   and   present   an   honest, professional opinion of a person's ability to perform assigned tasks. When doing that, take  note  of  the successes, failures, and complexity of the tasks. Was Seaman Jones’ work exceptional because of a 100 percent success rate on easy jobs? While Seaman Smith was successful only 80 percent of the time, but was performing tasks normally done by a petty officer? When comparing a person's performance to that of others, you will have to consider those facts. Your supervisors will occasionally call upon you (or you may find it necessary) to discuss the performance of your subordinates with your supervisors. Generally, that will happen on two occasions. First, your supervisors may request input for a formal performance evaluation or to clarify a worker's ability. When that situation arises, be completely honest with yourself and those you are evaluating. Don't let personal feelings and attitudes blur your professional judgment. Differences of opinion do not necessarily mean poor performance. Avoid reporting minor  problems  you  can  correct  yourself  through counseling and leadership. Second, you will need to seek help from your supervisor on occasions when you are unable to correct a performance or behavioral problem. You also will need to provide a performance evaluation to  your  superiors  for  such  occasions.  When  those occasions arise, hold a counseling session and document the session. Formal performance counseling requires written statements of the problem or deficiency and the steps required to resolve the matter. Remember, the goal is to correct a problem; and the counseling session is to train,  direct,  and  help  the  subordinate  correct  the deficiency. You, as the supervisor or counselor, and the counselee sign the form acknowledging the steps to be taken to correct the deficiency. Then the form is placed in the individual's division or department file. CONFLICT RESOLUTION Sailors are capable of developing an almost infinite variety of problems, which may or may not be job related. Sometimes friction arises between workers, or a personal problem causes workers to stop pulling their weight. Since these problems ultimately affect the job performance of all your subordinates, they should be of concern to you. In some cases, members may come to