SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 – Recently Navy Personnel Command’s Talent Management Task Force sent the MyNavy Coaching team to visit with Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps leaders and Recruit Training Command leadership at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois. They discussed implementing the MyNavy Coaching curriculum at these critical Sailor accession points. Overall the visit was highly engaging and our message was well-received.
MyNavy Coaching is collaborating with NROTC leadership to conduct a MyNavy Coaching pilot course for university sophomores during their Management and Leadership course starting in the next academic year. As these students become familiar with management and leadership methods, we are creating the perfect opportunity for them to understand and start practicing the skills of coaching to better communicate with those whom they will lead.
This communication linkage brings together three prime elements of talent management: performance management, leader selection, and Sailor development. Together, these elements, filtered through MNC, enable the fleet to get real and get better by rewarding and promoting Navy leaders for (1) the outcomes they achieve and (2) the culture and teams they build in achieving those outcomes.
During the RTC visit, the MyNavy Coaching team had the opportunity to observe two divisions during their MyNavy Coaching class. The recruit division commanders did a good job facilitating the content and the recruits were engaged in the process. They asked such questions as, “Is this a tool that will help us solve our own problems?” and, “How does a person communicate when they are perceived as being condescending?” These questions are representative of the need for coaching guidance. The new recruits get it.
This visit also allowed the team to observe what changes need to be made to better connect with today’s recruits. At the crux of our visit we asked ourselves, “Is the material at their level for this stage in their career?” As a result of our visit, we will be making some tweaks to the curriculum in order to better connect with today’s recruits to ensure they are getting the best leadership guidance.
While the team was at Great Lakes, we were also able to speak with “Warrior Toughness” staff. For those unfamiliar with term, Warrior Toughness is an enabler of the Culture of Excellence that the Navy seeks to instill in its Sailors in order to achieve peak performance necessary for mission accomplishment. So much of what Warrior Toughness represents and teaches aligns with MyNavy Coaching. The self-reflection, the powerful open-ended questions, and empowerment of Sailors to get to know who they are and what motivates them in life is a self-coaching session, which in turn builds Warrior Toughness.
It is an insightful moment that fulfills a Sailor’s “Why” and motivates them to solve problems as they arise in their personal and professional lives. All these opportunities support the CNO’s “Get Real, Get Better” initiative. We need to “Get Real” and understand our Sailors need a different leadership style. By uncovering where we have been dropping the ball and work on a plan to “Get Better”, we can change our current ways and continue to maximize our Sailors’ potential.
Overall, the Great Lakes visit was phenomenal. The support from both the NROTC and RTC leadership was more than the team could have asked for. Capt. Kertreck Brooks, RTC commanding officer, is looking forward to having us back to facilitate the four-hour workshop for the RTC staff, including civilians, and we will be making more visits to other locations training our future Navy leaders.
Coaching is an invaluable tool with a high success rate demonstrated by improved performance, better communication, and higher retention. The Sailors of today can’t be led with yesterday’s mindset. These new accessions represent a culture shift of the Navy by bringing better skills to become the warfighters needed for our Nation’s security and freedom’s future.
For more information on MyNavy Coaching please visit: https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career-Management/Talent-Management/Coaching
By Master Chief Aviation Maintenance Administrationman Courtney Barber
MyNavy Coaching