A culture of non-communication

[JBC]

          I think wider spread access to Internet assets would help the problem. I realise this would a nightmare for IT folks, and fiscal nightmare for...some general....trying to pay for the hook up the DIN at 60,000 more locations. Besides that who really wants to bring the office home. However I suspect there are multitudes troops who would like to take an electronic role in informing themselves and commanders who would like to be able to contact their troops with the click of a button. The fact is word of mouth just isn't reliable enough sometimes. Type it once...send it out, just CANFORGENS, but at unit level, even rig it with a reply to confirm receipt. I'd even be willing to pay for the installation out of my own pocket if it meant I could be in touch with my OC, 2IC, and section commanders in a snap, not to mention all the goodies on the DIN.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

Hmmm- non-hierarchical communications - one of my hobby horses.  DIN at home is very difficult due to the relatively secure nature of the system, albeit there is a secure login that one can use on a laptop from home (as long as said laptop doesn't have a separate internet access) but those accounts are allocated on a need basis.  Would a DIN-Internet Cafe accessible by all ranks meet the need?

 

[CH1]

This question might be foolish, but here goes.

What happened to DRO's, RO's, SSO's etc, being posted where they can be read by every one?  These used to mandatory reading whether you were a Grunt or other.

Even today when I RV on Base, I read the BSO's etc, when I hit the orderly room.

Cheers

 

[392]

This question might be foolish, but here goes.

What happened to DRO's, RO's, SSO's etc, being posted where they can be read by every one?   These used to mandatory reading whether you were a Grunt or other.

I think since the DIN went full swing, there has been a tendency to move away from paper copies of anything to electronic ones. For instance, I get the Regimental RO's bi-weekly (or monthly....depending) via my work email account, but I believe the last hard copy ones posted in our Sqn lines was from like last December or something foolish like that.

I believe moving into the electronic age was a good step on behalf of the CF, but it seems to me that it's become an excuse for those whose responsibility it is to post or distribute the hard copies to let it slide with the phrase "check your email."

 

[JBC]

it seems to me that it's become an excuse for those whose responsibility it is to post or distribute the hard copies to let it slide with the phrase "check your email."

Couldn't agree more...it is far too easy for one to become complacent in just clicking the button without bothering to A) follow up with pers concern face to face or B) request a reply to confirm that the message was received. On the flip side, one doesn't want to continually repeat a message by voice, particularly if a more detailed and accurate version has been sent hard copy and can be studied...I'm even a culprit of the â Å“check you email lineâ ?...but this was after having given 10 sec summary


Finding the right hybrid between electronic communications and word of mouth will be individual to the commander. However in my mind the best solution for making RO's, SO, Safety/Environment/Security Orders available to all (while saving a lot of paper) would be a dedicated PC or two that is placed in the troop break room or high traffic area for the sole purpose of making said documents available for viewing. Maybe even a printer so that a solider can highlight and print anything which is REALLY important for him (or he could just pull out his note pad, but I'm thinking time saving)

A few details:

1) The computer should be stand alone, not connected to the Internet/DIN, so it cannot be abused for email etc, and does not need to be secured at the end of the day

2) The only way to get things on and off it are but disk/cd. Access to the computer would be by a simple Windows password and user name

Would a DIN-Internet Cafe accessible by all ranks meet the need?

Sir, absolutely I think it would, at least along those lines. What form it could exist in is open to discussion, but maybe a joint effort with CANEX locations could be something to consider.  As I'm sure you can appreciate, access was the very â Å“governor on the vehicleâ ? if you will, that was hindering troops at all levels in my unit from doing that little bit extra...if they were only able to base their actions, personal planning, self study etc...on what they were told and ONLY what they were told, then that level of initiative simply couldn't exist.

 

[honestyrules]

Lots of good comments all around.

To me, there is a bit of laziness concealed behind some sort of excuses....  I just call the guys that work for me and I'm ready to take the heat if I failed to inform them personally.

As mentioned, the email thing is another catch. You would have to (as a supervisor) ,to be sitting by your computer all day in order to get every " CRITICAL" emails coming in. The email thing is a "garrison soldiers" thing, and IMHO, as mentioned, it doesn't work in the field.

My two cents as a non-expert...

 

[FormerHorseGuard]

in the reserves it is a lack of enforcement.  you cannot force someone to pay  attention, come into work on training nights, or force them to read memos.

when i was on a class b callout, ( spent over 5 years on one callout ) i found that  reserve officers were a big offender of not showing up on training nights.  especially on admin nights, they would miss important meetings, or training sessions and then when the traing weekend would coem they  would be playing catch up. Troops would know what was the plan mostly from the mess chat afterwards or they  would be sitting around waiting for the officer to be briefed so he could then release the information down to the troops.

Troops on the lower level were always the last to know about changes, and the changes would always come on the fly.
other problems in the res. is the fact that people do not show up on training weekends when expected and the lack of manpower results in a breakdown, cannot do the planned training because not enough soldiers to man the equipment,  so some soldiers get little training as they  become extras along for the ride so to speak.

i have only  been on 2 exercises where the planning was not enough for the number of troops who showed up,  we  did not have enough food ordered, or transport , double the number of troops showed up for that  weekend. throw everything off budgets, ammo, food , and transport  but it turned out to be the best exercises ever. been on one exercise , range weekend in Petawawa,  expected 100 soldiers of all ranks to show up for the shoot, last shoot of the FN C1s , we were going to switch over to C7 next fall. food ordered, ammo ordered, range shacks and range order. every thing was set. Show of hands on the parade square Thursdaynight showed over half the unit would be there plus the full time staff, plus the usual extras.  Friday night in the range shack, 3 privates,2 corporals, 1Mcpl, 1 office cadet, 1 Res Captian,  ammo for 100 plus soldiers with extra rounds. RSS staff and CO came out the next morning and had a fit,  we could not eat the food for breaskfast , lots of it was wasted.  We loaded the trucks, ammo went back, we went back to the armouries, fired c1 inserts in the fn and that was range weekend, 500 rounds of 22 cal was used.  that  is lack of communication in reverse.