work centers aware of it so they can ensure that it does
not happen again.
RESPONSIBILITIES TO
UPPER MANAGEMENT
As a combat systems/weapons supervisor, you will
find yourself in a middle-management position. You
will have more responsibilities and direct input to the
upper echelon than you did as a petty officer second
class.
One of the supervisor’s responsibilities is to support
the goals and requirements of upper management (the
division officer and the department head). This support
may take many forms, such as providing unscheduled
corrective maintenance, technical reports, additional
manpower for important command functions, opera-
tional training in specialized areas, or any one of a
dozen other tasks that may be required of your person-
nel.
On occasion, you may be called upon to solve a
difficult problem. If after much brainstorming, you are
unable to solve the problem, you should seek assistance
from the next senior person in the chain of command.
Keeping a problem to yourself when you have run out
of ideas will not solve it. Inform your division leading
chief petty officer (LCPO) or your division officer of
your problem; one of them should be able to assist you.
TRAITS OF A GOOD SUPERVISOR
Good supervisors usually have certain desirable
traits. These traits are loyalty, positive thinking, genuine
interest in people, initiative, decisiveness, tact and cour-
tesy, fairness, sincerity and integrity, teaching ability,
and self-confidence.
Loyalty
One trait that should stand out in every supervisor
is loyalty. You must show loyalty to your country, the
Navy, your unit, your superiors, and the personnel who
work for you. To receive and keep the respect and
loyalty of your personnel, you must be loyal yourself.
Positive Thinking
Good leaders will always be positive thinkers. They
think in terms of how things can be done, not why they
can not be done. They maintain an open mind to
changes, new ideas, and training opportunities, Positive
thinkers look to the future with confidence, and their
confidence is contagious. They are enthusiastic about
their jobs and the part they play in the Navy. If you
want to lead others, start practicing the art of positive
thinking today.
Genuine Interest in People
Did you ever meet a really great leader? If so, you
probably found that instead of being cold and aloof,
the person was a warm, friendly human being who
seemed to make you feel important by paying close
attention to what you had to say.
One of the first steps you, as a supervisor, should
take is to get to know your technicians personally. This
not only creates a feeling that you are genuinely in-
terested in them, but it also helps you place the right
person in the right job at the right time.
You will appreciate the importance of knowing your
technicians personally when the need arises for them
to convert from technicians to professional defensive
tacticians and fighters. Here, the wrong person in the
wrong place could prove disastrous.
However, you must avoid falling into the familiarity
trap. Many experienced supervisors will tell you of
cases where they were overly friendly with certain per-
sonnel. Then, when the time came for discipline or
other adverse action, it was very difficult to deal with
those personnel.
Initiative
Personnel with initiative are always needed in the
naval service. Initiative is evidence of an open and alert
mind. Personnel with initiative continually look for bet-
ter ways to do things; they don’t wait for someone else
to take action.
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