behind any changes that affect them. If security pre-
vents you from giving reasons, let them know that secu-
rity is the reason. They will understand.
Communications is a two-way street. You, as the
supervisor, need feedback from your crew on every-
thing that is happening so you can make decisions and
formulate plans. Be open and free in communicating
with your people and encourage them to discuss their
feelings and opinions.
Good internal communications also means each
person is talking to every other person. Work centers
and work groups should communicate freely with each
other to develop harmonious relations. Investigate any
breakdown in communications and try to correct the
problem immediately.
External Communications
Without proper external communications, you will
not be able to coordinate complex jobs involving a
number of work centers and/or divisions. You must
develop good lines and methods of communications
external to your work center. Running systems tests
may involve several work centers aboard ship and, in
some cases, other ships or activities. Unless you can
effectively communicate your requirements to each
work center, you will be unable to successfully com-
plete the systems tests.
Much of your external communications will be in
correspondence. The correspondence will be of little
value unless you have an effective method of keeping
track of the information and ensuring that it gets to the
ultimate users. You should develop controls to ensure
that information gets to the people who will benefit the
most from it. If you do this, you, the supervisor, will
be the winner.
ASSETS
Effective supervisors make the best use of their
assets, both personnel and material. To do this, you
must thoroughly understand the limitations and capa-
bilities of your personnel and know if there are any
major deficiencies in your material assets.
Personnel Assets
Personnel assets are the most complex to manage,
as well as the most flexible to use. Combat systems/
weapons personnel are responsible for maintaining a
variety of electronic and digital equipments and sys-
tems. Because the equipments and systems maintained
by electronics personnel are very complex, long periods
of training are required to qualify personnel for the
maintenance role.
Personnel graduating from formal schools are
assigned Navy enlisted classification codes (NECs).
There are many different NECs assigned to the FC
rating; your division will normally have several of these
NEC requirements. At the present time, almost all FCs
are assigned by the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BU-
PERS) according to the requirements of the NECs.
Division personnel are the keys to your success as
the division supervisor. Without their continuing loyalty
to you and their willingness to follow in the direction
that you lead, you will be unable to effectively achieve
the required results. You may be a good technician, but
you cannot do everything yourself.
Material Assets
Material assets are all parts, tools, test equipment,
and workspaces that you need to perform the division’s
maintenance role. A deficiency in any one area makes
it difficult to perform your job in the most efficient
manner. By carefully surveying your division and
identifing its shortcomings, you can take corrective
action and improve the conditions under which your
personnel will be working.
MATERIAL AVAILABILITY.— Material avail-
ability determines how long it takes to complete a
maintenance action. A spare part for a particular piece
of equipment could require from 6 months to over a
year to acquire from a vendor who has to produce it on
a special order. There is little the supervisor can do
about this situation. There are many other situations,
however, in which the supervisor can play a controlling
role.
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