How to Address
Your Concerns
Using the Chain of Leadership
Whether you've
been in the Auxiliary for years or are new to the organization
eventually you will have a question, concern, or idea you would like
addressed. Hopefully, when you first entered the Auxiliary you
received training on the proper way to obtain appropriate answers.
As a new Auxiliarist myself, I recently received this training and I
wanted to share with you some helpful information that may assist
you in getting your questions answered expeditiously.
Most of the questions you might have are simple and can be answered
by flotilla members. Sometimes, a question comes up that isn't
easily answered and requires additional effort to find the answer.
Who is the correct person to answer your question? What do you do if
your question goes unanswered, or the question is not answered
completely? If it is a contentious or sensitive issue, how can you
get it addressed with the least amount of provocation ?
The first thing I recommend you do is try to find the answer
yourself. Numerous sources of information are available that can
assist you in educating yourself. Regional and locally produced
publications or nationally distributed publications such as the
Navigator can help keep you informed. Two excellent sources of
Auxiliary information are the Office of the Chief Director's
site,
They contain a
variety of information including publications, links, and search
tools. If you don't have a computer at home, most public libraries
have computers with internet access and a librarian can quickly show
you how to access information. A helpful feature both sites contain
is a contact section that allows you to submit a question via
e-mail. I recently asked my staff to pose a question to each site to
see how long it would take to get an answer. The question posed to
the Auxiliary site was answered in an amazing 21 minutes. Both sites
strive to make a response within 24 hours. Most Directors of
Auxiliary (DIRAUX) maintain sites with features similar to the
Chief Director and Auxiliary sites.
If you can't find the answer to your question on your own, I urge
you to use your Chain of Leadership (COL). It is worth
emphasizing the guidance in chapter 1, section C of the Auxiliary
Manual, COMDTINST M16790.1F. The Auxiliary Manual can be
easily found on the Chief Director's site in the Manuals
section and this very important section states the following:
In the Auxiliary, the phrase "chain of leadership and management"
describes a system of communication and responsibility providing for
an effective and efficient path for relaying information through all
organizational levels. The process is best described as a chain of
leadership and management rather than a chain of command, as no
military command authority exists.
Auxiliary elected leaders must convey policy accurately and
consistently to Auxiliary unit members via the chain of leadership
and management. Likewise, all Auxiliarists are expected to use the
chain of leadership and management for giving and getting
information and voicing appropriate concerns. All members should
recognize that the elected leader's experience offers a great
potential to solve problems.
When correspondence is submitted via another Auxiliary elected or
appointed leader in the chain of leadership and management, that
Auxiliarist is obligated to rapidly endorse and forward
correspondence as required. Good leadership and management demand
the existence of proper channels for Auxiliarists to follow and
respect, except as otherwise provided or directed. This process
assures that every activity is well monitored and carried out by the
ablest members, prevents confusion and delay of actions, and allows
for orderly and courteous flow of information.
Auxiliarists should keep in mind that the Director is a vital source
of Coast Guard information who provides the latest guidance on
special projects and routine Auxiliary administration. Auxiliarists
must utilize the chain of leadership and management in communicating
ideas, information, and requests. This process is important for the
orderly conduct of organizational activities and is proven to
actually speed work results, since many solutions are found directly
at the flotilla or division leadership level (emphasis added).
What does this reference from the Auxiliary manual boil down to?
Auxiliarists, upon entry and when appointed to higher offices,
"pledge to abide by the governing policies established by the
Commandant." Thus, Auxiliarists have pledged to make use of the
chain of leadership to have questions, concerns, and ideas
addressed. The chain of leadership is required to rapidly act on
issues presented to them. What should an Auxiliarist do if they
believe the COL is unresponsive, or is the source of the problem?
The process to get a response is actually quite simple even if the
COL is perceived as a problem. The following paragraphs explain how
to best handle those situations.
The next step is to document your request in writing. Depending on
the matter, an e-mail may suffice. If you choose to send an e-mail,
I strongly recommend you send it to one individual only. Only
include others on the e-mail if necessary and definitely do not send
it to a distribution list. If you send a letter it should be clear,
concise and include all information necessary to clearly explain the
issue. Both e-mails and letters should be sent up the COL starting
at the lowest level possible, and the COL is responsible for rapidly
moving your correspondence up the chain as required. If you perceive
a problem with the chain, I do not recommend automatically skipping
a link in the chain or going outside of the chain.
Always allow sufficient time for action to be taken and try sending
follow-up correspondence at least once more if required. If you do
not get a response to your inquiry after writing twice don't give
up, just move on to the next step. Send correspondence to the next
level of the COL. When moving to this step, be sure to explain what
actions have already been taken to get your issue resolved. Also,
when moving up the COL, include the leader you are going above on
the copy line. This informs them you are continuing your request for
assistance - and you are not going outside the chain. You could
continue this process up the chain to the National Commodore or
beyond to the Commandant's Chief Director of Auxiliary, but going
that far usually isn't necessary. If the links of the COL from the
member to the Commandant are unfamiliar to you, I recommend you
review figure 1-1 of the Auxiliary manual.
One point to remember is that sometimes the official response the
COL provides to a question, concern, or idea isn't the one you may
have hoped for. Thoughtful consideration must be given before
requesting that the COL reconsider the issue. Unless there is
additional information that substantially amplifies the issue, I
don't recommend requesting a second look. When an official reply is
made to an issue, it is normally upheld and supported if an appeal
is made to a higher authority.
Here, in the Office of the Chief Director (G-PCX), we receive
correspondence on a regular basis that Auxiliarists send to various
government officials including the President, Congressmen, Senators,
Cabinet Secretaries, Governors, and the Commandant. The questions
range from very simple, such as uniform item questions, to complex
funding and personnel issues. In most cases, the information that
the individual sought could have been answered easily without
seeking the aid of senior governmental officials. Additionally, by
the time a letter is routed through official channels and is
received in G-PCX it has been in the system for some time,
and we are tasked with a quick, "drop all we are doing to support
others," reply in order to route it back through the system. There
is a very formal process that must be followed when these letters
are answered, and valuable staff time is taken away from other
Auxiliary projects to answer what often are routine questions more
appropriately directed to the COL. A letter routed "up" the
Auxiliary COL allows more flexibility and research time than one
being routed "down" from a Senator for immediate action. If a letter
routed up the chain is received and requires research that will take
more than a few days, I will send correspondence to the originator
acknowledging receipt of the letter and inform them I will provide a
thorough answer as soon as possible.
A common factor shared by the vast majority of the letters written
to government officials answered by G-PCX is that they
contain incomplete information, or inaccurate information. In some
cases the issue is distorted enough that if the governmental
official receiving the letter took the individual at their word,
they might not get the "big picture" or might think the Coast Guard
unworthy of their support. Unfortunately, the individual writing the
letter seldom has all of the facts. Even well intentioned letters to
government officials can have adverse effects. For instance,
requests for funding for a specific Auxiliary initiative can cause
funds to be cut from another Auxiliary or Coast Guard project. That
is one reason the COL is so important, so we can coordinate efforts
to ensure funding for the projects most beneficial to the Auxiliary.
There are times when seeking the aid of a senior government official
to resolve an issue is the right course of action - especially if
the COL is not responsive. This article is not an attempt to
discourage the choice to take that action, but it should be regarded
as a remedy of last resort. I encourage you to send the National
Commodore or myself a note outlining your concern, and allow us an
opportunity to respond to it before going to your Congressman or the
President. My personal experience as an active duty Coast Guardsman
and as an Auxiliarist supports my belief that the Chain of
Command and Chain of Leadership when given the opportunity will
take appropriate action to meet the needs of its members and support
the best interests of the organization. I encourage you to follow
the procedures I have outlined to have your questions, concerns, or
ideas addressed. Semper Paratus - and have a great Coast Guard day.
June,
2006
