1. NJROTC NS-4 Leadership and Ethics

2. Lesson 05.01 Criticism and the Naval Officer

3. Lesson Goal
This lesson will present the leadership skills that enable an officer to cope with and offer constructive criticism.

4. Learning Objectives
Explain the types of criticism, the importance of delivering criticism smoothly, and the receiving of criticism with equanimity.
Define the following key terms: constructive criticism, equanimity, performance review, and pernicious habit.
State the responsibility of leaders to pass criticism down the chain of command.
State the responsibility of officers to pay attention to criticism and to seek in-depth reviews of performance.
Lesson 05.01

5. Learning Objectives
Identify the techniques and factors to consider when offering constructive criticism to subordinates.
Identify the techniques for leaders to encourage constructive criticism up the chain of command.
Identify the techniques for officers to offer constructive criticism up the chain of command.
Explain the characteristics of destructive criticism and the leader’s role in averting it.
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6. Warm-up Question
CPS Question 1
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7. Accepting Constructive Criticism
Perfect leaders and perfect followers do not exist.
Constructive criticism is a vital element of a leader’s work.
Constructive criticism is a judgment or evaluation delivered to an individual with the purpose of improving that individual or his or her performance.
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8. Accepting Constructive Criticism
The ability to deliver criticism smoothly, receive with equanimity, and elicit criticism is an essential skill.
Equanimity is the quality or characteristic of being even-tempered or well composed.
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9. Major General Wesley H. Rice, USMC
Some young officers put off making decisions.
It is far better that they do something, even if it is wrong.
If they use all available information, and use judgement and knowledge, seniors will almost always back them.
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10. Making Decisions Do not make a decision just to do something.
Address the facts before making a decision.
Seniors will back them up, allowing them to gain experience.
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11. Learning Check
CPS Question 2
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12. Select Video to Start or Pause
CDR Paul Lyons Video
Select Video to Start or Pause
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13. Seniors Selected to the rank they hold
Judgment and experience to provide advice
Listen to subordinates who have common sense and good judgment
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14. Passing Criticism Everyone in military service has a boss.
Critical comments are the mechanism to exercise responsibility and help subordinates.
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15. Course Corrections Officers must pay attention to their boss.
Pleasant civility in delivery can still be course correction.
Screamers, nitpickers and micro-managers must also be listened to; know your boss.
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16. Fitness Reports Officer should not rely solely on fitness reports.
The debrief is far more important than the fitness report.
During the debrief, ask what areas need work, and then work on those areas.
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17. Constructive Criticism to Subordinates
Naval leaders set the standard.
Readiness, appearance, training, and safety standards
Leaders must hold to these standards and pass critical corrections.
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18. Implement Standards
Some subordinates have neither the ability or dedication to perform.
Poor listeners are usually good bluffers.
Outcome must be to achieve the goal, not just exercise authority.
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19. Learning Check
CPS Question 3
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20. Criticizing Enlisted Personnel
Navy Chiefs and staff NCOs
Criticizing the Chief or NCO
Courage, confidence, a strong sense of responsibility and sensitivity to all
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21. Reviewing Performance
Regularly review performance of individuals.
Good leaders try to improve individual contributions.
Sub-par promoted without proper counseling nor regular performance reviews.
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22. Performance Reviews Thorough reviews can be challenging for a leader.
Many “unfixables” respond to early, fair and firm counseling.
Leaders regularly review individuals performance.
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23. Criticism up the Chain of Command
Admiral Kazuomi Uchida, former Japanese CNO:
An officer should welcome any suggestion.
There are occasions the leader cannot adopt the suggestion(s).
Others come to believe the leader is a superb decision maker.
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24. Accepting Subordinate Criticism
Leaders solicit from subordinates:
Whose opinion they value.
A sample of the organization.
Openness to criticism from below can be very helpful.
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25. Offering up the Chain of Command
Junior officer should speak forthrightly and confidently.
“May I make a suggestion?”
Put suggestion(s) in writing.
General Robert H. Barrow, USMC
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26. Communication Tools Leaders must do two things:
Realize comments may have a low validity factor
Maintain an even composure
Telling the boss they are mistaken takes courage.
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27. ADM McDonald
Advice to seniors
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28. Learning Check
CPS Question 4
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29. Select Video to Start or Pause
MCPON Scott Video
Select Video to Start or Pause
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30. Critical Comments to Superiors
Young officers:
Must make appropriate critical comments.
Owe the senior their best advice.
“Good followers give their best judgment and good leaders listen.”
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31. Making Decisions Gen Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.:
During WWII, they discovered they landed on wrong beach.
“We’ll start fighting the war right here.”
Their success contributed greatly to the Allied cause.
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32. Destructive Criticism
Junior officers occupy powerful positions.
Irresponsible criticism destroys unit integrity and effectiveness.
Dampens negative wardroom criticism
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33. Corrective Improvement
Criticism must be pointed towards corrective improvement.
Constant, idle complaint is a pernicious habit.
Pernicious habit is a repeated behavior causing moral injury or harm.
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34. Application of the Classic Rule
Safety and operational urgency require immediate corrective action.
All others, apply the classic rule “Praise in public, censure (punish) in private.”
Regard this rule as sacred.
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35. Learning Check
CPS Question 5
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36. Success through Cooperation
ADM Arleigh Burke, CNO
Spent only 2 years at high school and needed academic help at USNA
“No man can do very much by himself… 90 percent of what he’s credited for is done by someone else.”
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37. Success through Cooperation
Any job is done by a group.
Happen to have a good chief boatswain’s mate, a good first class, and a well trained crew
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38. Understand People Moving a plant in England example
British people do not move.
That factor was not considered.
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39. Understand People Superior plan by a brilliant man
He doesn’t know people
Not dealing with Americans about moving
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40. Education verses Experience
Officer showing resentment
Senior enlisted speak from experience.
Listen to them and recognize comments were given in good faith.
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41. Lesson Summary In this lesson you have learned:
The various types of criticism, the importance of delivering criticism smoothly, and the receiving of criticism with equanimity.
The following key terms: constructive criticism, equanimity, performance review, and pernicious habit.
The responsibility of leaders to pass criticism down the chain of command.
Lesson 05.01

42. Lesson Summary In this lesson you have learned:
The responsibility of officers to pay attention to criticism and to seek in-depth reviews of performance.
How to identify the techniques and factors to consider when offering constructive criticism to subordinates.
How to identify the techniques for leaders to encourage constructive criticism up the chain of command.
Lesson 05.01

43. Lesson Summary In this lesson you have learned:
How to identify the techniques for officers to offer constructive criticism up the chain of command.
The characteristics of destructive criticism and the leader’s role in averting it.
Lesson 05.01