Reports- do we need them?
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Reports- do we need them?
I was in the bar (strangely) and my esteemed Admin colleague was complaining about doing another stint of several days writing Mid Point Appraisal Reports. I was thinking to myself , "Do we need them"? Do we?? Are mid year reports of any use as most people are out of the country for a large percentage of each year. Can they be replaced by detachment reports? Are they mandatory, or can they be gotten rid of?
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In these days of people exercising their 'human rights' the mid-term is an ass covering exercise. It means that when you write their annual assessment, they cannot turn round and say that "If I was doing something wrong all year, why didn't you tell me??". Simple as that......
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or in days gone by when yu would try and get rid of someone on an admin discharge only to have the AOC give them one last chance - as if that hadn't already been done at unit level. Some things develop too far and too quickly for even mid-year appraisals - light fingered supplier was one case in point, once the trust was gone little point in them remaining.
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STM,
In a word NO.
If I had my way we would only write an 'annual' report:
In the first year after taking up an appointment.
If the invididual was exceptional - good or bad.
If the individual requested a report to help their career.
For the majority, happy in their rank, going no place, no aspirations, and doing a good job a report serves nothing. Why raise reports for theses people in their last years of service?
I would also open jobs up to advertising and competition and not simply boarding. Instead of boarding use the civie method of head hunting instead.
If you think that you could do the SO2 Jx job at HQ xxx even though you are only a junior officer then you should be able to apply. If the job was unpopular and difficult to fill, at a stroke you would have at least one volunteer to consider as well as pressed men.
If you were a highly qualified Cpl where Sgt slots were like hens teeth but there was a forthcoming slot at ISL or ISK why not be able to apply for it?
In a word NO.
If I had my way we would only write an 'annual' report:
In the first year after taking up an appointment.
If the invididual was exceptional - good or bad.
If the individual requested a report to help their career.
For the majority, happy in their rank, going no place, no aspirations, and doing a good job a report serves nothing. Why raise reports for theses people in their last years of service?
I would also open jobs up to advertising and competition and not simply boarding. Instead of boarding use the civie method of head hunting instead.
If you think that you could do the SO2 Jx job at HQ xxx even though you are only a junior officer then you should be able to apply. If the job was unpopular and difficult to fill, at a stroke you would have at least one volunteer to consider as well as pressed men.
If you were a highly qualified Cpl where Sgt slots were like hens teeth but there was a forthcoming slot at ISL or ISK why not be able to apply for it?
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I care as much about detachment reports as the person who writes them - they all tend to read the same. As long as you've got one and it doesn't say you are declared NAFOD, then that's all that matters. My short-medium term memory unfortunately requires me to use mid-terms otherwise I would have nothing to write! Curse my misspent youth... 
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
I care as much about detachment reports as the person who writes them - they all tend to read the same. As long as you've got one and it doesn't say you are declared NAFOD, then that's all that matters. My short-medium term memory unfortunately requires me to use mid-terms otherwise I would have nothing to write! Curse my misspent youth...
Before you flame me, it is no different from getting a student to do a self-critical debrief. Many a slip has gone unnoticed but makes it to the final report, plus of course bonus points for honesty and critical self-analysis of course.
If they subject is mostly accurate and self-critical it gives you an option of deleting some 'traits' and improving others. If, OTOH, your subject is a Walt then it also gives you a clue that some severe mentoring is in order, with or without coffee.
