result in personal growth through trial and error.
Whenever constructive criticism is necessary, it
should be offered in private. Conversely, a good
time to give praise would be at morning quarters
or at an awards ceremony.
PERSONNEL DUTIES. All RPs are ex-
pected to perform the duties of their rating at their
present paygrade and are responsible for the re-
quirements of all lower paygrades. This is a good
and necessary condition of naval organization, but
it should be remembered that everyone has special
talents and preferences. A good supervisor always
learns what each person likes to do well enough
to put extra effort into the task. Of course, not
all assignments can be made on this basis.
However, if individuals are able to work at the
things they do well and enjoy doing, the quality
and quantity of their work will improve, and the
office morale will improve as well.
Religious Program Specialists will most likely
be required to stand watches outside the office
of the chaplain. This may be particularly true
aboard ship. Fire watches, security patrols,
quarterdeck watches, shore patrol duties, damage
control or fire-fighting teams, and other duties
will be required of RPs from time to time. Also,
RPs (especially those in paygrades E-3 and below)
will be required to perform messman duties, serve
as compartment cleaner, or serve on working
parties outside the department as division officers
may direct.
PERSONNEL TRAINING. As office
manager, the leading RP should determine what
training and experience assigned personnel have
had as soon as possible.
One of the requirements of the office staff,
and particularly the leading RP, is to establish a
training program. A much more effective train-
ing program can usually be developed if each staff
member is given the opportunity to offer
suggestions as to the training needed. In this way,
it will be a group effort, and each person will have
made a contribution to the total training program.
It will also be necessary to maintain training
records. Chapter 10 of OPNAVINST 3120.32,
Standard Organization and Regulations of the
U.S. Navy (SORM), should be checked to deter-
mine the proper procedures for maintaining train-
ing records.
Since transfers, leave, or hospitalization would
necessitate changes of personnel within an office,
a good manager will occasionally rotate assigned
personnel in the various jobs. This is a vital step
in preventing office routine from breaking down
when a key person is absent. This practice will
also give individuals an insight into the way each
task contributes to the overall operation of the
office. The leading RP should be prepared for the
unexpected by cross-training personnel so
that they are able to replace each other and,
should it become necessary, be able to assume
temporarily the responsibilities of the leading RP.
Office Organization and
Office Facilities
Personnel should have a clear understanding
of their job assignments and the authority
commensurate with each job. Co-workers may be
required to help each other from time to time, and
personnel may need to be reassigned if the work
load changes substantially.
If a new office is being set up, immediate
decisions will have to be made regarding
assignments. In an office already in operation,
very few changes may need to be made in duties
until the leading RP has been in charge for some
time and has become thoroughly familiar with the
operation of the office.
One method that has proven to be quite
effective in ensuring that each individual clearly
understands the job description is to put it in
writing. A written job description for each
person in the office will ensure that all personnel
are fully cognizant of their responsibilities.
Written job assignments will also contribute to
a smooth and orderly transition when an
individual is relieved or rotated to another assign-
ment. In addition, it will assure that those tasks
that must be performed on a regular basis are not
overlooked. In most instances, a formal memo-
randum is not necessary to establish the re-
quirements of a particular job; a list of those tasks
that are required by that job is usually sufficient.
The list should be placed on the desk leaf of the
desk where the work must be done. The leading
RP should also keep a copy of the list so that it
can be referred to, if necessary.
When duties are being assigned, it is best to
give similar or related tasks to the same person.
The proper combination of duties speeds up
operations by eliminating wasted motion, and it
can also improve accuracy. The work load should
be divided as fairly as possible. Past experience
and various studies indicate that an uneven work
load lowers morale and thereby decreases office
productivity. There may be times when a person
seems to be overloaded, but closer observation
3-2