Group Discipline and Delegation Jamie Douglas RCLS-OTS Fall 2011

Overview Group Discipline Delegation Definition Achieving Group Discipline Delegation Principles of Delegation Effective Delegation

Group Discipline Group Discipline: maintaining an orderly environment which furthers learning and education. Mostly used during classes, activities, and projects. In concrete terms it is: Order Quiet Control Attentiveness

Achieving Group Discipline Officers supervise, NCOs achieve Immediate obedience Consequences Classroom rules Teamwork mentality Element leaders will begin to implement Group Discipline.

Delegation Delegation: the art of giving others the authority to make decisions, take action, and give orders on your behalf. Why delegate?

Delegate with excellence “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” -President Theodore Roosevelt Example

Types of Delegation Off the Cuff Deliberate Delegation Need of the moment Temporary authority Deliberate Delegation Comes with position Does not expire until end of term

Principles of Delegation The less you do, the more you accomplish. The less you do, the more you enable others to accomplish.

Hindrances to Delegating Failure to distinguish between authority and competence Inability to distinguish between competencies and non-competencies Guilt Unwillingness to develop others Leadership is not about getting things done right; it is about getting things done through other people.

Effective Delegation Logical Assignment “Nothing breeds more confusion than misplacing and misemploying men in their undertakings…” -Capt. John Smith

How to Assign Tasks

-General George Smith Patton, Jr. Practicalities Define the task and identify the outcome, not the process. “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” -General George Smith Patton, Jr.

How and What do I Delegate? Job descriptions Clear, careful instructions Timing Resources Freedom and creativity Leave them alone Accountability

Summary Three factors: Aptitude Willingness Trust Delegate wisely Delegate clearly Delegate completely Hold your people accountable

Questions…for you! What is Group Discipline? How can you achieve it? What is delegation? What are some practicalities of delegation? How can you use this information in your squadron?