Need help from military types (Professional org)

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Yogimus
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Need help from military types (Professional org)

Post by Yogimus »

So I may have volunteered to be the president of a professional organization on base, and am absolutely clueless on what I am doing, besides violating regulations harder than a passed out promdate.

The organization's stated goal is to increase the sense of community among 300+ folks working 9 different shifts. Trying to bring the sense of an overseas base to a stateside installation. I am so far over my head that I don't even know what kind of help to ask for, so..

HELP
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308Mike
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Re: Need help from military types (Professional org)

Post by 308Mike »

I hope your an insomniac, 'cause that's what you will likely become *IF* you put your heart and soul into it, instead of considering it as a baby-sitting job for a bunch of barely adults who really have no clue what life is about (and you like to bitch and cuss about other people's upbringing, but THIS will bring it to a forefront!!). If you've never done this kind of thing before and don't ALREADY have an organizational structure set up (and YOU are the Guinea Pig for this evolution), then it appears you're gonna play SUPER PARENT for a while until you can get things outlined and structured, along with resources lined up and contacted so they know who you/your organization is/are.

There are a couple of different ways to look at this, and it all depends on your outlook and motivation. This can either be a ROYAL PITA and seriously depressing deal/job, or (which I'm SLIGHTLY leaning towards since it appears your heart is in the right place, and therefore subject to personal pain [VULNERABLE] for who you're supporting), a HUGE opportunity to demonstrate your ability to form a NEW organization which CAN ASSIST AND/OR CATER TO WELL OVER 10,000 personnel - and YOU were the one responsible and was able to SUCCESSFULLY accomplish your goal.

Now WHAT ORGANIZATION would NOT want to hire you when you get out???? This could be a HUGE opportunity for you to EXCEL WAYYYYYY ABOVE what might be expected from someone with your rank and experience. You have a HUGE pool of resources they might not even be away of to tap into in order to help you succeed!!!

PERSONALLY, I'm saying: GO FOR IT!!!!

It's a relatively low-profile operation with a potential for high-output success AND recognition. And if you're not up to the job, you'll find out early (hopefully), and they'll find someone else for it with little-to-no back-blast on you (they'd look at your age and just figure you weren't ready yet or didn't have enough experience - NONE of which will be held against you later) - HOWEVER, I have FAITH that you can pull this off (after all, you're pretty smart and CERTAINLY not as stupid as the person currently in the White House)!! AND there's a LOT of folks here who would be more than happy to see you succeed and make a name for yourself by helping you to think problems through.

I'd say (other than POSSIBLE violation of regulations), I think you CAN DO THIS, AND DO A DAMNED GOOD JOB OF IT - *IF* you decide you want to commit to the project and the work involved. You can make a hell-of-a-name for yourself WHEN (NOT *IF*) you pull this off!!!

I'm betting you can do this, AND do a good job of it!! Other than some sleep (and a little bit of heart-ache here and there), WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE???? There's a HUGE/GIGANTIC PLUS side for getting this off the ground (and yes, a portion of your soul will also go into the project 'cause if ANYONE messes it up, you'll want to kill them even if you'd no longer be associated with the project), and there's really little downside (unless you can get thrown into the Brig).

DO IT!!! Years from now, when you might be looking back on this opportunity, how would you like to view it and perhaps explain to your children and/or grandchildren about what you did with this project (Or would you NEVER say anything about it ever again)???

I'll support any decision you make, 'cause it's YOUR LIFE and ONLY YOU can live it. Try and picture yourself 30 years from now and evaluate what and WHY you made the decisions you did, to get to the places you wanted to go - WHEN YOU WERE MUCH YOUNGER and HAD the opportunity to create something awesome.

I support you either way. It's YOUR path to walk, and YOUR'S ALONE. NO ONE can do it for you. It's up to YOU to live YOUR LIFE.

SEMPER FI!!
POLITICIANS & DIAPERS NEED TO BE CHANGED OFTEN AND FOR THE SAME REASON

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Bullspit
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Re: Need help from military types (Professional org)

Post by Bullspit »

Teach them all how to write movie reviews.
"Stand it like a man, and give some back." Al Swearengen
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Vonz90
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Re: Need help from military types (Professional org)

Post by Vonz90 »

Do it the SWO way. Just secure all liberty off base until morale and unit cohesion improve.
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Aglifter
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Re: Need help from military types (Professional org)

Post by Aglifter »

Ice cream days from a 1949 hotrod.

Given the usual government pricing schemes, for only $25MM, I will happily deliver 100 servings, sometime in the next 1-7 years - it may be melted, and quite possibly look more like bottles of hot sauce.

I will require 800 men to be specially trained to support the one truck - and reserve the right to show up with a boat which will require transport across land, using parts yet to be invented/not in inventory since 1947.

:D

Good Luck!
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our Fortunes, & our sacred Honor

A gentleman unarmed is undressed.

Collects of 1903/08 Colt Pocket Auto
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First Shirt
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Re: Need help from military types (Professional org)

Post by First Shirt »

If you try to do it all yourself, you'll kill yourself. Learn to delegate, delegate, delegate. If the minions that you delegate to can't do what you want, find other minions.

If you realize, at some point, that what you're trying to do isn't working, stop. The first step to getting out of a hole is to quit digging.

And something that I learned as an aspiring bull-rider; If you can't make a ride out of it, get off in good shape. The ones who get mangled are the ones who aren't smart enough bail out in good shape, and try to salvage an unsalvageable ride.

Good luck, and if we can help, let us know.
But there ain't many troubles that a man caint fix, with seven hundred dollars and a thirty ought six."
Lindy Cooper Wisdom
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JAG2955
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Re: Need help from military types (Professional org)

Post by JAG2955 »

More info on the goal would help.

I had a boss who once said something to the tune of "social events are your appointed place of duty" when he wanted to have one. It did force some people to go who didn't want to, but it did improve officer cohesion. Eventually, people went without bitching because they wanted to. Beer flowed pretty freely and we played a lot of dice. The officers were tight. We hung out together during off hours and on the weekends. One team, one fight, and all that jazz. Nobody was a backstabber or out for themselves. The support from each other was outstanding.

Now I'm in a unit where it's like pulling teeth to get guys to show up, even when I buy a case of beer. I can count on a small handful, but some guys wouldn't show up if there was free beer, food, and hookers. It's a crying shame, because I can get more useful work done in a relaxed atmosphere with a beer in my hand than I can in a meeting with a power point presentation.

The hardest part is making people want to go. The easiest way is to make it mandatory and during working hours. Sucks to be on the late/mid shift though. Bring in outside food/a caterer at no cost to the attendees. Use and abuse the Family Readiness Officer/whatever the zoomie equivalent of Marine Corps Community Services is/O-club or E-club like a rented mule. Make them do most of the work, then you can take the credit. Whatever you can tie the organization to, use that group's money. (The safety office always has a ton of dough and it's easy for them to justify.) Sweet talk the base theater into doing a special showing of a movie that's only slightly related to your group's message. Speaker comes up, blabs for ten minutes, then you get to watch a movie on base for a buck.

Oh, here's another secret: Come to this meeting, get the rest of this day off. First boss loved that trick. Hey, let's have a squadron Halloween run. Prizes for the best costumes. At the end of it, he gave everyone in costume the rest of the day off, or if they were indispensable, a different day off. It'll probably be hard for you to get that one approved, depending what level this is at. But if it does get approved, watch how your attendance skyrockets for the next meeting, where a day off won't be handed out. In fact, one probably won't be handed out again until attendance drops. But they don't know that.

Do it off base if you can, civilian clothes if possible.

I swear to God, if anyone even suggests a Jane Wayne Day, punch them in the crotch.
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Jericho941
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Re: Need help from military types (Professional org)

Post by Jericho941 »

JAG2955 wrote:I swear to God, if anyone even suggests a Jane Wayne Day, punch them in the crotch.
What the hell is tha-

*googles*

Dear God, why!?
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Kommander
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Re: Need help from military types (Professional org)

Post by Kommander »

Stage Angry Badger vs Airman fights.
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Netpackrat
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Re: Need help from military types (Professional org)

Post by Netpackrat »

Kommander wrote:Stage Angry Badger vs Airman fights.
Image
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