Introduction and Key Firstclass Learning Objectives for the Military Pillar Officer Academy 1

Introduction The purpose of the Corporal, Sergeant, and Officer Academies is to facilitate the transition from one level of cadet leadership to the next, with an emphasis on the military pillar. The Academies consist of five sessions conducted as LTPs between the return from spring furlough and the end of academic classes, and three practical application exercises conducted during Graduation Week. – All three Academies have the same basic curricula, although due to resource constraints, the classes are conducted in different orders. 2

Introduction Officer Academy schedule – Day 1: Introduction and LDP Key Learning Outcomes Orientation – Day 2: Commandant’s Address – Day 3: Officer Business – Day 4: Officer Duty Position Roles and Responsibilities – Day 5: Officer Panel – Three PEs during Graduation Week 3

Training Objective Task: Understand the LDP military pillar learning outcomes firstclass cadets will have to accomplish in the upcoming year and the supporting skills needed to be developed in order to achieve those learning outcomes Condition: Given A Guide for the Leader Development Program and a block of instruction in a classroom environment Standard: As part of a group, correctly identify the learning outcomes and supporting skills 4

1C Military Pillar Key Learning Outcomes Create command climate for standards and regulations compliance Establish and assess a training environment that develops people Lead people to achieve standards, develop a team, and exhibit resiliency of self and the team Create and assess a state of personal and collective resiliency in the unit 5

1C Military Pillar Key Learning Outcomes Organizational climate involves how members feel about the organization It comes from shared perceptions and attitudes about the organization’s daily functioning Generally is a short-term experience, depending on a network of personalities in an organization Changes as people come and go Create command climate for standards and regulations compliance – How do you communicate the organizational climate you want? – How do you assess the organizational climate you have? – How do you impact organizational climate as a leader? As a member? – How do you communicate what standards are expected? – How do you check on whether or not they are being met? 6

1C Military Pillar Key Learning Outcomes Developing people involves first assessing their developmental status and needs, and then training them based on their developmental strengths and weaknesses. Training involves perfecting performance through repetition of the task. It is standards-based and performance-oriented. Establish and assess a training environment that develops people – How do you determine people’s developmental status and needs? – As a cadet officer, what developmental areas most concern you? For individuals? For teams? – Based on the discussion of “organizational climate,” what does a positive training environment look like? 7

1C Military Pillar Key Learning Outcomes Teams are interdependent organisms that combine the talents and abilities of their members in order to create something greater together Teams develop trust through cooperation, identification with other team members, and contribution to the team effort Teams develop in stages such as “forming, storming, norming, and performing” or “formation, enrichment, and sustainment” Lead people to achieve standards, develop a team, and exhibit resiliency of self and the team – How do you get people familiar with each other and the team purpose in the forming stage? – How do you mitigate the conflict and competition of the storming stage? – What norms do you hope to achieve in the norming stage? – Once the team is performing, how do you keep it growing? 8

1C Military Pillar Key Learning Outcomes Resiliency is the elasticity, durability, and adaptability that make it possible to recover quickly from change, hardship, or misfortune. It is more than just “toughing it out.” Resilient people show an openness to learning that allows them to grow from disappointment as well as success Create and assess a state of personal and collective resiliency in the unit – What resiliency issues most concern officers? In themselves? In the unit? – How do you strengthen resiliency in yourself? – How do you strengthen resiliency in the unit? 9

Open Discussion What were some good examples you saw this year of an officer demonstrating one of these key military pillar learning outcomes? What were some bad examples? Which of the firstclass military pillar key learning outcomes do you think will be the most challenging? Why, and how can you begin preparing for it now? Create command climate for standards and regulations compliance Establish and assess a training environment that develops people Lead people to achieve standards, develop a team, and exhibit resiliency of self and the team Create and assess a state of personal and collective resiliency in the unit 10

Next Lesson Commandant’s Address – McAllister Fieldhouse 11