What's trending, developing tomorrow's leaders Published Aug. 2, 2012 By Chief Master Sgt. Michael McGillivary 349th Mission Support Group commander TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- During my tenure as the 349th MSG superintendent, I have had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time with our organizations and, with very few exceptions, I have noticed a trend developing. As support operations shrink and operations tempo grows, some things have begun to slip. I am aware of the demands placed upon our leaders to get the mission accomplished, and the challenges with prioritizing those demands. But one thing that we should never overlook is the well being and development of our Airmen. As leaders, it is now more important than ever, to ensure we get out of the office and be active, visible leaders. Engage in face-to-face, direct human contact with our Airmen. There are already a couple of opportunities to get that face-to-face time that exist, and are in fact, required. One is the required feedbacks; it is troubling to see how often this requirement is either hastily accomplished, or worse yet, not done at all. I spend a lot of time with Airmen who are questioning their performance reports because they don't agree with the ratings. If we are doing our jobs and providing timely and detailed feedback sessions, they should never be surprised with a rating they receive. The intent of a performance feedback is to tell our ratees what is expected of them, then provide a progress check, telling them how well they are meeting those expectations. Unfortunately, more often than not, I find that adequate feedback has not been provided to members to allow for "course correction." Never assume that a ratee is aware of how they are performing. If a performance standard or expected behavior is not being met, sit your Airman down and talk to them. Let them know, go over expectations and give them an opportunity to correct/improve. Depending on the issue, this may require multiple "progress checks". If done correctly, not only will that person be aware of their performance, it provides the supervisor an opportunity to sit down with their Airmen and discuss how they are doing and find out what is needed. The second opportunity, which goes hand-in-hand with performance feedback, is the mentoring program. The intent of this program is to systematically develop the skills and leadership abilities of the less experienced Airmen in our organizations. As leaders, we are responsible for our Airmen's personal and professional development. As a mentor, you must share your experience, values, and outlook for the future. Create an environment where subordinates willingly and voluntarily seek advice and counsel. These mentoring sessions give you a chance to get to know your Airmen, review their goals, or assist them with establishing goals. Additionally, you have the opening to assist with any concerns/challenges they may be facing as they develop into leaders. If we do it right, these mentor/protégée relationships can last a lifetime. The demands on our first line supervisors have grown significantly from those we faced in our early days. We continue to invest a great deal of time and money to train our Airmen to be leaders and supervisors. It is our dutyto support and guide them as they apply the tools and skills they have gained. Remember, these are tomorrow's leaders; their success depends on our shared experience and guidance as they grow into Air Force leaders.