Promotion Board snippet

[Burn it]

Beware of good intentions - they may hurt your freinds and colleagues.

Just been asked to write citation for top notch operator for a cracking project he completed recently.
On asking some of the older hairies for advice, the overwhelming reply was "Do you want to kill this chaps promotion chances?":=
Turns out a guy on unit got CinCs Commendation for running a bunch of projects (Associated duty stuff - SERE) only to get marked down for getting it on this years Prom board.
Apparently this shows he is too focused so not a rounded enough individual for the modern RAF. Shouldn't have put all that effort into one area, even if it was a great piece of work. Commendations are not good for promotion it seems but may be OK for those who need a boost coz they are unlikely to get picked up.

I will NOT be recommending any of my guys for a promotion anchor such as a Commendation this year... so message to all of you putting effort into some club/project... Keep a low profile on it especially at report time.
Source of info - Board member (WSOp board 06) told me this, so it is from the horses mouth.

[donardboy]

Burn It,

Don't dispute your souce's comments however, having set on numerous promotion boards my experience it quite the opposite. In the past we were advised to consider favourably those individuals who received either state awards or commendations. In a nutshell if you had to decide between 2 individuals who were difficult to separate a commendation or similiar should swing it in favour of the recipient of an award. That is not to say that a commendation or state award is a guarantee for selection for promotion.

I will like to hear what other promotion board members have to say on the subject.

[Vifferpilot]

That explains why I didn't get promoted further...:cool:

[South Bound]

Sounds like a pile of old tosh to me, bloke down the pub told me that people saying nice things about someone was good for them...

My experience shows that it is the best people that get awards and the same people that get promoted soon after. Can't speak for whatever trade was being promoted on that board, but is a pretty twisted bit of logic....

[tucumseh]

Precisely the same happens to civvy project managers in DPA.

The mantra is "faster, cheaper, better" but you must always remember that your seniors, probably without consulting you, have told DEC "We can deliver to this time, this cost and this performance". If you better it, by definition you're contradicting the people who write your report. They don't like it and will mark you down in reports, advise you to seek another post and brief against you.

I'd like to say you're correct South Bound, but can quote many instances of the above over a long time - and very senior staffs (2* and above) have happily confirmed it in writing. Still got the letters.

[South Bound]

:ugh: :ugh: :ugh:

[Burn it]

Thanks for comments...
Be assured that this one Sqn Ldr on the board is not the only one to warn of these cases where someone does crackin job,,,gets "rewarded" with recognition only to be noted as "Not rounded enough". Seems, as long as you get yourself a couple of community ticks you should be OK, even if they are insignificant and not PTA at your kids school(Self serving - so bad).

If it dont move Burn it.
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