request for your opinion, tactfully offer your thoughtson the subject. To refrain from speaking up when youknow of something the inexperienced officer should beaware of can be disastrous. Regardless of your positionin the chain of command, always provide the bestexample of leadership and professional guidancepossible.Inexperienced officers look to their chiefs to seehow they grasp a situation and how they make decisions.That is part of the self-education process a leader cannotget from a classroom or from books. Sometimes youngofficers believe they know more than the chief; whenthey find out they do not, they have contributed to theirself-education.IN THE CPO MESSYou may recall seeing a poster displayed in manychiefs’ quarters, messes, and clubs that says: “WHATYOU DO, SEE, HEAR, AND SAY here, stays HERE.”The chiefs’ mess is a relaxed, amiable, and popularmeeting place. The degree to which the chiefs socializetogether often reflects their cohesiveness. The mutualbond and high morale of the chiefs’ quarters are in partthe result of a strong leader. The leader maybe a formalleader, like the command master chief, or an informalleader who leads through charisma or superiorknow-how. This person’s enthusiastic support andencouragement of others sets high standards forcommand personnel. Whether in formal or informalsituations, the chiefs respect this person. They know theperson is competent and trust him or her to stand up fortheir interests and those of the crew. The commandingofficer and executive officer often seek this leader’sadvice about the morale of the crew and other mattersconcerning enlisted personnel. The majority of themembers of the chiefs’ mess usually agree on who thisperson is.The chiefs’ mess as a group is a solid, disciplinedteam. The members talk to each other, coordinate well,and solicit input from each other. They treat each otherwith professional respect. A strong part of this bondresults from the collective confidence of being the bestand not settling for less.PLANNINGAs Rudyard Kipling pointed out when asked toexplain his journalistic success, effective plans revolvearound the answers to six basic questions:1. What must be done?2.3.4.5.6.When must it be done?Where will it be done?How will it be done?Why must it be done?Who will do it?Until these questions are answered, you will beunable to choose an effective course of action.TYPES OF PLANSPlanning and plans are typed or classified by theircharacteristics and purpose. The following is the generalcriteria for classifying plans:Functional area–The general field to which theplan applies, such as personnel, administration,operations, and safetyTime factor–Long, medium, or short-range plansCharacteristics-Cost, detail, and complexityLevel affected–Force, command, department,division, or work centerAction require-Most often performed actions,such as research and development, staffing, andmission operationsThese criteria are used to classify plans into threegeneral groups. These are one-time or single-usestrategic and standing plans.Single-Use PlansSingle-use plans are essentially one-time use planshaving a specific goal or objective. They may run for afew days or last several years. Projects, programs, andbudgets are commonly thought of as single-use plans.Strategic PlansStrategic plans are concerned with overall mission.They define unit objectives and goals. Strategic plansgive you “the big picture.”These plans are designed to provide long-rangeguidance. They provide a base line for other plans. Oncemission and objectives have been defined, strategies canbe developed to meet them. Strategic planning mustremain flexible enough to accommodate shifts in policyor action by our own government and other nations.They must include alternate or contingency plans inanticipation of foreseeable changes.4-6
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