Most new Second Lieutenants are recent college graduates with practically zero experience with military counseling. When these Officers become Platoon Leaders, they are teamed up with an experienced NCO. This NCO is the Platoon Sergeant. He or she normally has 10-15 years of military experience.
As a Platoon Leader you are the ultimately responsible for everything that happens in your platoon. That makes you the boss. Even though you and your Platoon Sergeant will work together, you are the supervisor. Therefore, you evaluate your Platoon Sergeant’s performance.
Before you get too excited about being the boss, please realize that you and your Platoon Sergeant are really a team. Your job is to work together to accomplish the platoon’s mission. The Platoon Sergeant really runs the show, but you are overall responsible for the platoon.
As a supervisor you have a responsibility to conduct an initial counseling with your Platoon Sergeant within your first 30 days on the job. In fact, the Platoon Sergeant initial counseling will have a huge impact on your working relationship with your Platoon Sergeant.
When you first assume the responsibilities as a Platoon Leader, you must make it a top priority to schedule time to sit down and conduct your Platoon Sergeant initial counseling. The purpose of the Platoon Sergeant initial counseling is to tell your Platoon Sergeant what you expect of him or her.
This includes performance expectations, professional expectations and personal expectations for both on and off duty. The reason you must conduct the Platoon Sergeant initial counseling is to set your Platoon Sergeant, yourself and your platoon up for success. Furthermore, everyone deserves to know what their supervisor expects of them. Your Platoon Sergeant is no different.
During the Platoon Sergeant initial counseling session, you can discuss your leadership style, performance expectations, the unit mission and anything else you deem important. The secret to success is preparation. You should spend 4-6 hours preparing for the Platoon Sergeant initial counseling. This includes: completing your OER Support Form, updating your military biography, establishing platoon goals, preparing a first draft NCOER and preparing a NCOER Support Form.
In addition, make sure to put everything in writing. That way, your Platoon Sergeant knows you are serious. Moreover, you will create a paper trail to support your NCOER bullets. And remember, your Platoon Sergeant will do what you do. If you do the initial counseling the right way, your Platoon Sergeant will probably do the same thing with his subordinate leaders.
Prior to the initial counseling session, you should find a room where you can have privacy and no distractions. At the set time, have your Platoon Sergeant report to the room. Follow these simple steps:
· Platoon Sergeant reports to designated room or training area
· Inform Platoon Sergeant of purpose of meeting
· Small talk for 10-20 minutes
· Have Platoon Sergeant talk about himself, his family, experiences, goals, etc.
· Inform Platoon Sergeant about yourself, your family, experiences, goals, etc.
· Outline performance expectations for them
· Review the platoon goals, mission and task organization
· Review your OER Support Form
· Review platoon goals and brainstorm new goals
· Ask the Platoon Sergeant if they have questions and dismiss him
Remember to keep the meeting to one hour or less. Once you complete the Platoon Sergeant initial counseling, continue to provide constant feedback to your Platoon Sergeant. Make sure you conduct follow-up counseling every 90-days. That way, your Platoon Sergeant always knows where he stands with you.
You owe it to your Platoon Sergeant to tell them him what you expect of him. You are responsible for his development. If you don't take time to conduct your Platoon Sergeant initial counseling, you're not doing your job. Therefore, make the time to do it. You have no excuses.
Even if your Platoon Sergeant initial counseling doesn’t go perfectly, that’s okay. Good is good enough. As long as you take the time to prepare and follow the advice listed above, you will be well above your peers. And, you will be well on your way to developing a lasting relationship with your Platoon Sergeant.
Here’s one final thought. Don’t be intimidated that your Platoon Sergeant is much older and more experienced than you are. He or she understands the rank structure. They know you are the boss. And, they will respect you because of your rank as an Officer. It’s the individual respect you have to earn. You will start to earn their respect immediately, if you take the time to conduct an initial counseling with them.
Learn more about the Platoon Sergeant Initial Counseling in my Platoon Leader eBook.
