A wise master chief once told me, “Junior officers don’t know what they don’t know.” This is especially true for newly-commissioned division officers, eager to begin surface warfare careers. This article is the third in a seven-part series aimed at sharing lessons I have learned from my experiences, mistakes, and mentors. These lessons, or “truths,”are shared so ensigns can avoid making the same missteps, implement positive ideas sooner, and boldly take their first steps on the path to “knowing.”
Truth #1: SWO Qualification Is a First-Tour Officer’s Top Priority
Truth #2: Attitude Is Everything for SWO Division Officers
New division officers quickly experience the adage, “the only thing constant in the Navy is change.” With ever-changing political dynamics and force employment, ship schedules are constantly changing, too. Division officers should not waste time and energy complaining about such changes, nor should they display overly emotional reactions to them. Instead, the fluid schedule should be viewed as a test of an individual’s ability to adapt and overcome.
The best way for division officers to face this reality is to see the future, meaning to anticipate what is coming in their division, their qualification process, and the command. This is the same skill that allows football defenders to intercept passes, basketball players to grab rebounds, and hockey players to score goals. It is the ability to see into the future, if only by seconds, to anticipate something before it even happens.
More practically for the work environment on board a ship, what does this mean? On the 1MC, the following announcement is heard: “Ensign Sailboat, please dial x4567” (the department head’s stateroom)—or perhaps a department head is even routinely heard calling out for a division officer from their stateroom. If this happens often, it might demonstrate the division officer’s inability to effectively anticipate routine items or respond quickly to changes.
In the life of running a shipboard division, there are many recurring administrative tasks to be tracked and accomplished—daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and even annually. But there is no reason why these tasks should be missed or completed late. Consistent and clear communication with the department head will ensure both parties are reading from the same sheet of music when it comes to atypical and nonrecurring tasking.
Stay Organized
Daily and weekly to-do lists, the ship’s plan-of-the-day (POD), and planning calendars are helpful tools. It is important that a new division officer quickly identifies which of these work best for their personal use, and then use them to track not only task accomplishment, but also meetings, training, appointments, personnel leave, sailors transfer dates, and nonroutine administrative items.
Every day a junior officer receives what can feel like an overwhelming number of emails. It is crucial, therefore, to keep the inbox well organized—building folders, setting rules, and minimizing the number of emails in the queue.
Division officers may think to themselves, “I did not become a SWO to be this organized or deal with this much paperwork, it has nothing to do with my division or career.” While understandable, this thinking is misinformed. The officer’s ability to stay organized and see the future directly impacts the division and department of which they are part.
For example, Ensign Mast, after some trial and error, develops a functional and efficient way to track what is happening today, and what should happen tomorrow and six months hence. During the ship’s basic training phase, with many inspections and certification events, this is especially important. He sees the division’s upcoming inspection on the calendar, discusses it at length with his chief, builds a plan for execution, and spends weeks preparing his division. The day of the inspection arrives and division personnel are well rested and confident in their ability to succeed. Ensign Mast’s team certifies their warfare area with flying colors! Team members go home that night proud of their accomplishment, knowing that hard work and preparation paid off.
Ensign Bridgewing, on the other hand, largely ignores the announcements from her department head and fails to become organized. She loses track of the dates for the inspection, does not discuss it with her chief, and does not prepare well enough. With just two weeks to go, Ensign Bridgewing’s team is forced to work late each day and over the weekend, with little sleep and less practice, and still feels unprepared to succeed on the day of the inspection. Sailors in this division are frustrated and bitter, and morale is negatively impacted as the team was not able to attend the command picnic. Division officers who refuse to see value in keeping organized to see the future will find themselves in these situations.
Like anything in the Navy, action can be for naught without effective communication. For Ensign Mast, this meant taking the initiative with his chief, working together on a plan, and presenting the plan with relevant instructions and criteria to the department head several weeks in advance. This level of foresight and maturity will also build the foundation for a powerful professional relationship, laying the groundwork for valuable mentorship and trust.
The same level of communication should also be used within the division. Ensign Mast knew the inspection was approaching, discussed it at quarters with his team, laid out the plan, and projected the team’s future success. This provides important context for daily operations and overall mission, as the team fully understands the goal they are working to achieve. Division officers should strive to establish and maintain this level of understanding in all matters.
Division Turnover Tips
Perhaps the first opportunity to see into the future as a division officer will come when taking over from the predecessor. In an ideal situation, an ensign reports to the ship, completes required training, and shortly thereafter is placed in charge of a division. During this process, the following tips will be useful:
Observe: In the time after arrival and before officially taking over the division, ensigns should simply observe while following the outgoing officer and taking notes. This is not the time to criticize the person being relieved or comment on how they would accomplish the same task differently.
Create structure: Division officers can use inspection and evaluation checklists to provide better structure to a turnover. These checklists should be guides, not to be routed or formally graded. In this way, the outgoing officer does not have to rely on their own memory, and the incoming has written guidance to refer to in the future.
Establish a firm timeline: It is extremely frustrating for all involved when roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined or communicated. In the case of division officer turnover, this means setting a turnover date. This avoids a situation in which sailors are left wondering, “Who is signing off maintenance boards this week?” or “Which officer should I include on my leave chit?”
Even after the best turnover, the only way an ensign becomes a competent division officer is by doing the job. Setting a date prevents an endless turnover. After a relatively brief turnover period, division officers will not feel confident in their grasp on what is happening, but they will have enough information to be thrust into the unknown, fight through their own confusion, and rely on their chief to function.
Stay On Your Toes
Athletes will be familiar with a coach screaming in their ear, “Stay on your toes!” Standing flat-footed and resting on the heels slows reaction time. Correct stance and posture makes the difference between stopping the offense at the goal line, scoring on a wide-open lay-up, or saving that goal.
Even with a well-organized plan and a good grasp of the future, there will be surprises—usually at the worst time and with no warning. This could be a family emergency for a sailor, an unforeseen medical situation for the chief, an equipment casualty two hours before a scheduled underway, a schedule change, a deadline getting moved up, or an orders change. Part of being prepared is being ready for the unexpected.
Debrief: One key to success as a division officer is refining the ability to see into the future and plan accordingly. Mastering this skill benefits the division and the ship at large. To achieve this, it is necessary to get and stay organized. Organization allows efficient adaptation to schedule changes and other unforeseen circumstances, ultimately contributing to team success.
