Keeping the future in !!

[Potential_Officer]

Time the MoD realises its not just those with rings round their wrists that can have good ideas.

Yes

Contrary to popular belief the good ideas club isn't restricted to the weirdroom.

Good ideas club... anywhere within the MoD?

(Although I do like the "Wierdroom", when I get in I'm stealing that!)

 

[Stillabunting]

Maybe I should clarify....I am not trying to say that we at the SR level (or the lower stratus of the officer corp) are ignored or dismissed but when we are asked for a solution or suggestions they are taken onboard until it reaches the bean counters.......if it then costs money (which inevitably it will) the idea will be canned. I understand the rationale behind that, we are afterall living/working in an organisation with budget restraints but, and it is a big but, can anyone think of an organisation outside of the MOD that would try and re-organise its whole personnel structure including large amounts of re-training (NBPCP) without a massive injection of cash to make it happen properly.

Again, poor implementation, rushed and inadequate training = poor morale and more notice giving. :shakefist:

MODS......sorry I think I have gone off thread a little bit here :thanks:

 

[Potential_Officer]

Are potential morale boosters and therefore retention improvements, the sort of thing that a the Armed Forces Federation would suggest to the MoD?

 

[Karma]

Time the MoD realises its not just those with rings round their wrists that can have good ideas.

Yes

Contrary to popular belief the good ideas club isn't restricted to the weirdroom.

Good ideas club... anywhere within the MoD?

(Although I do like the "Wierdroom", when I get in I'm stealing that!)

It's the fateful words that you hear just before any really triumphant cock-up - Wouldn't it be a good idea if.......

 

[JeffB]

Of course another issue but probably relevent with the squadding system is there is no longer any 'esprit de corp' in the RN. In the 'good old' (bad) days you had a cap tally and belonged to a ship, where you lived and worked, the ship in turn was part of a squadron etc, you tended to stick to and stick up for your ship mates and to a lesser degree your squadron mates. With the modern way of things youngsters are cap tallied to a ship but do not have a locker or bed onboard and quite often are away from the unit doing some crappy job or another for long periods of time...hence no sense of belonging.

This, combined with the politicians constant drive to destroy our fine service by incesent budget cuts, over politicisation, political correctness and a sometimes ridiculously tense operational tempo will inevitably lead to people leaving.

And things will probably get worse. I would not put money on individual ships' squads remaining in a years time. Now that the Fleet has suddenly lost the appetite to deploy ships with significant levels of gapping (as they have been doing for years now), the Squad system is taking a beating. Sailors are being shunted around the fleet to resolve the latest manning crisis resulting in maximum separated service and a further erosion of 'cap tally ethos'. Going back to the original point of this thread, yes it does mean that the younger guys are getting to deploy on operational business - we will soon only see the long term sickies around the dockyards :roll: - but back to back deployments and maximum separation will start to impact our draw though to senior rate - people are not going to put up with that for 22 years! The sad fact remains that we are trying to do too much with limited resources. The powers that be are desperate to deploy ships for the maximum time possible (all right and proper - we are after all taxpayers as well) but are not willing to pay the manpower bill that goes with it. There is much talk of innovative manning strategies and the like - the 18 month deployment is now a serious discussion point. What they fail to realise is that this is not a new problem, it is exactly what the merchant marine industry has wrestled with for many years now. The most financially cut-throat industry in the world cannot man up their ships without some form of 4 months on 2 months off manning policy. All this and we are supposed to be a peace time navy!

 

[stumpy]

"The most financially cut-throat industry in the world cannot man up their ships without some form of 4 months on 2 months off manning policy. All this and we are supposed to be a peace time navy!"

So why don't we try that? I think it would be a very attractive idea. When you work you work, but when you are off you are off!

 

[JeffB]

Exactly, and my point is that the MoD won't pay for it or provide sufficient manpower!

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

My slant on "retention" is that it's not as great a problem as it used to be. By that I do not think it is insignificant either or that there isn't room for improvement.

Truth is lots of people join only intending to do around 5 years, so you can hardly be surprised if they do as intended. You don't have to do the full term.

I recently had someone's Mother draining down all over me because her "little darling" was doing a "boring job". The same person said that they needed entertaining, excitement, thrills & stimulation.

Fair call, but I thought it was a job we did, not a substitute for a Gamecube. All those things happen, but not simultaneously & similarly someone has to clean the bog sooner or later, 'cos Mum isn't there to flush it for you.

Currently in my region about 15-20% of our annual input into the RN/RM comprises re-entries (former service personnel) at the moment. Granted, this fluctuates, but generally it rises when the civilian workplace has less to offer.

Of course there are may reasons for rejoining, not least because you can up to the age of 37, but the majority admit to making a mistake when they left first time.

Moral to the story: no matter how much you may dislike the job you are currently doing, don't burn your bridges when you leave.

 

[JeffB]

Couldn't agree more with you Ninja. I think the problem might be that our recruitment strategy dresses the job up to be more exciting than it is - it is a only a job at the end of the day. It always seems to be the domestics that cause the most disgruntlement, but as you say someone has to clean the heads each day. I still remain a little concerned though about where we are heading in the endless drive for economy. If we continue to drive up separated service, them something will break eventually. I suspect we will see more and more leave at the 5 year point which will create real problems growing future senior rates.

 

[Always_a_Civvy]

16 weeks away on Patrol...............I reckon you would lose most AB's plus a host of other ranks !!

Pointless post removed by MOD due to being completely irrelevant.

 

[Karma]

....which will create real problems growing future senior rates.

What do you mean will?

I'll admit it's a couple of years since I saw the figures, but....