Professionalism and Problem Solving

Professional and Unprofessional Relationships

• Respect for Authority and Mission Focus: Maintain proper respect for authority and focus on the mission.

Unprofessional Relationships

• Pursuit: Pursued on or off-duty.
• Detraction: Detract from the authority of superiors.
• Consequences: Result in (or appear to show) favoritism, misuse of office or position, or the abandonment of organizational goals for personal interests.

Policy on Professional Relationships

• Members of different grades are expected to maintain a professional relationship governed by mutual respect, dignity, and military courtesy.

Prohibitions Relating to Unprofessional Relationships for Officers

• Officers Will Not:
  • Gamble
  • Lend money to or borrow money
  • Share living accommodations
  • Engage in business enterprises with enlisted members, or solicit sales
  • Engage in sexual relations with or date

Fraternization

• Definition: A type of UPR between an officer and enlisted member which violates the customary bounds of acceptable behavior and prejudices good order and discipline, discredits the armed services, or operates to the personal disgrace or dishonor of the officer involved.

Officer/Enlisted Marriages

• An officer married to an enlisted member is not by itself fraternization.
• When evidence of fraternization does exist, subsequent marriage does not preclude prosecution.
• Regardless of how marriage came to be, members are expected to respect all customs and courtesies when on-duty or in uniform.

Effects of Unprofessional Relationships on Unit Cohesiveness

• Detract from authority of superiors
• Result in favoritism (or appearance of favoritism)
• Demonstrate a misuse of position
• Show an abandonment of organization goals in favor of personal interests

Problem Solving

Definition of Problem-Solving

• Purposeful act of observing a problem and then deciding to solve it, after considering solutions and deciding upon the best one.
• With every action taken there will be reactions: Commonly referred to as Second and Third Order Effects
• Problems will have more than one plausible solution

8-Step Practical Problem-Solving Method vs. OODA Loop Model

• 8-Step Practical Problem-Solving Method:

  • Step 1: Clarify the Problem
  • Step 2: Break Down Problem
  • Step 3: Set Improvement Target
  • Step 4: Determine Root Cause
  • Step 5: Develop Countermeasures
  • Step 6: See Countermeasures Thru
  • Step 7: Confirm Results & Process
  • Step 8: Standardize Successful Processes

• ID Performance Gaps

• OODA Loop Model: Four over-lapping and interacting processes (Best used in a time-constrained)

  1. Observe: Current situation/facts/known/unknown
  2. Orient
  3. Decide
  4. Act