Interesting read about promotion and retention

[TarHeel98]

I think the whole issue with Tim Kane's article was how so much of the military means of doing business, especially its personnel system, discourages those that the system should RETAIN from doing exactly that. If good officers are getting discouraged and ultimately decide to take their skills elsewhere, perhaps changing the system would be a more effective and enduring way of changing the decisionmaking matrix of those officers rather than trying to encourage the good officers to focus on mission and Sailors. Eventually those officers will hit a breaking point. I believe that Tim Kane's assertion is that the breaking point of far too many outstanding officers is to the great detriment of the mission and the organization and the individual Servicemember. Hence, improving the system may require changing it.

[1610MATROS]

Which brings us back to the topic at hand.

Bust your ass = make LT.
Mediocre performer = make LT.
Barely stay out of trouble = make LT.

Doesn't make any sense to me...

The same is true for LCDR, for the most part. I found the thing that made the most difference, for my own job satisfaction, was my service reputation. Everyone of us knows who is carrying the load and who isn't. We just press on.

So, I just suggest that you - PRESS ON.

[Sum1]

Question is, with the shrinking promotion zones will that hold true now at the LCDR and beyond levels?

Pressing on seems like good advice, but wouldn't better advice be to push suggestions/recommendations up the chain of command on how we can fix the things wrong rather than just endure them?

[1610MATROS]

Pressing on seems like good advice, but wouldn't better advice be to push suggestions/recommendations up the chain of command on how we can fix the things wrong rather than just endure them?

I ABSOLUTELY ENDORSE THIS APPROACH. Few people have the courage to do it. I regularly send letters recommending improvements to our IW leadership. I recommend others do the same.

[das]

A little different perspective and thoughts in today's installment:

Navy Officer Exodus: Is There an Exodus of our Best and Brightest? Should we be Concerned?

[TarHeel98]

But he doesn't address the ultimate questions-is the military retaining the RIGHT people? Mr. Kane takes as an assumption that the military is recruiting individuals with drive and an innovative spirit. In turn, Mr. Kane is then asking, 1) are they being retained and 2) if not, is the military suffering for it.

[TarHeel98]

The same is true for LCDR, for the most part. I found the thing that made the most difference, for my own job satisfaction, was my service reputation. Everyone of us knows who is carrying the load and who isn't. We just press on.

So, I just suggest that you - PRESS ON.

I assert it is not that simple. The question I can imagine brewing in a young JO's mind is, "why should I?". Honestly, that JO has a point. The cost-benefit analysis for a young JO who is not vested to an organization is very different. What would a JO lose by leaving and going to where he or she feels that his or her talents are better recognized, appreciated, and compensated?

It is easy to say that we will nonetheless retain good officers. But isn't this mentality that Mr. Kane is questioning as being a potentially dangerous stifle on innovation and growth?