DIRECTIONS: 1. Reply to FOUR peer discussion papers (attached) with a minimum of 4-5 sentences. 2. Utilize active voice and consider your purpose and audience. 3. The assignment evaluation criteria: VIEW RUBRIC (attached) and read below. RUBRIC • Understanding of Readings and Outside Relevance: Discussion postings display an excellent understanding of the required readings and underlying concepts including correct use of terminology. Postings integrate an outside resource, or relevant research, or specific real-life application (work experience, prior coursework, etc.) to support important points. Well-edited quotes are cited appropriately. No more than 10% of the posting is a direct quotation. • Participation in the Learning Community: Discussion postings are at midpoint or later in the term or contributions are only posted on the last day of the term and -respond to most postings of peers several days after the initial discussion - discussion postings respond to most postings of peers outside a 48 hour period -discussion postings are distributed throughout the term (not posted all on one day or only at the beginning or only on the last day of the term) - three replies generated with essay submitted. • Etiquette in Dialogue with Peers: Written interactions on the discussion board show respect and sensitivity to peers' gender, cultural and linguistic background, political and religious beliefs, and sexual orientation. Adherence to custom, courtesies’, and basic email etiquette when address peers. • Quality of Writing and Proofreading: Written responses are free of grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. The style of writing facilitates communication. • References: References contains more than required scholarly academic reference and text reference. Three or more provided. #2 of #4 Criteria 20 Points Discussion postings display an excellent understanding of the required readings and underlying concepts including correct use of terminology. Postings integrate an outside resource, or relevant research, or specific real-life application (work experience, prior coursework, etc.) to support important points. Well-edited quotes are cited appropriately. No more than 10% of the posting is a directquotation. 20 Points Discussion postings are at midpoint or later in the term or contributions are only posted on the last day of the term and:-respond to most postings of peers several days after the initial discussion- discussion postings respond to most postings of peers outside a 48 hour period-discussion postings are distributed throughout the term (not posted all on one day or only at the beginning or only on the last day of the term)- three replies generated with essay submitted 20 Points Written interactions on the discussion board show respect and sensitivity to peers' gender, cultural and linguistic background, political and religious beliefs, and sexual orientation. Adherence to custom, courtesies’, and basic email etiquette when address peers. 20 Points Written responses are free of grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. The style of writing facilitates communication. 20 Points References contains more than required scholarly academic reference and text reference. Three or more provided. References DISCUSSION ASSESSMENT RUBRIC Levels of Achievement Total 100 Points Understanding of Readings and Outside Relevance Participation in the Learning Community Etiquette in Dialogue with Peers Quality of Writing and Proofreading Army Leadership: Cultural Changes and Team Building Army Leadership: Cultural Changes and Team Building Army Leadership: Cultural Changes and Team Building Abstract An Army leader, by virtue of assumed role or assigned responsibility, inspires and influences people to accomplish organizational goals. Teamwork increases when teams operate in a positive, engaging, and emotionally safe environment. It is up to the leader to set the tone of the unit when confronting the challenges of adapting to a changing culture. Leading by example with tolerance, understanding, and sensitivity is crucial to maintaining a positive working environment. Army Leadership: Cultural Changes and Team Building With the growing changes in our society and culture it is very important to be open-minded and receptive to the differences that individual have in our society. There was once a time where topics such as homosexuality, gender transformation, and females in combat arms were considered taboo. In the present days the military has become more acceptant of these subjects and it is the responsibility of all leaders to gain an understanding and sensitivity towards any circumstance that could be considered out of the ordinary. In order to continue to uphold an effective level of professionalism and cohesion at the workplace, a leader must show tolerance for and acceptance of all cultural changes. As an NCO, I have made a concerted effort to gain as much knowledge as I can about the subject of gender transformation. Throughout my life I have never had to face this issue and as a result I had very little knowledge about it. All I had was my naturally formulated thoughts on the subject which were most likely developed by my surrounding environment and societal norms. After speaking with individuals that were familiar with the topic and members of the LGBTQ community I was able to gain a better understanding of gender transformation. I could not understand how a man would want to become a woman or vice versa. It has always been viewed as a negative thing in my life experience, so naturally it Army Leadership: Cultural Changes and Team Building was hard for me to adapt to dealing with the possibility of a Soldier being transgender. I came in the Army at a time when the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy was still intact, and without much background knowledge on that subject, it was assumed that homosexuals were considered a detriment to the military formation for a number of reasons. Transgender Soldiers face the same obstacles that homosexual Soldiers faced during that time. It is my belief that if you have any confusion or negative feelings toward Soldiers that have undergone a gender transformation (or are thinking about doing so), you should take the time and ask questions and build a knowledge base that can help gain understanding and empathy. It is not a noncommissioned offers job to judge whether an individual’s lifestyle is right or wrong. We are responsible for leading Soldiers and enforcing standards. Every formation has a standard of discipline and professionalism, so all noncommissioned officers are obligated to adapt to this cultural change and promote acceptance among their subordinates. The integration of females in combat arms is also a change of the military culture that the noncommissioned officer must adapt to. I think that the change is challenging due to the male dominated MOS’s of the combat arms and their “unorthodox” culture. It will be up to the female Soldier to adapt to that environment more so than the culture adapting to the integration of the female Soldier, in my opinion. The way combat MOS’s train, build comradery, and execute their combat missions is vital to the success of our military and any change that takes away from this effectiveness can prove to be costly. I personally have adapted to this change by giving all female Soldiers that want to give combat arms a try the benefit of the doubt and allow them to prove themselves. If they are able to overcome all of the obstacles that have been used in the past as justification to exclude them from combat arms, then they deserve to fulfill their dreams and serve the military as they are able. I don’t believe they should be treated with any favoritism or Army Leadership: Cultural Changes and Team Building special privilege because they are female, nor do I believe they should be mistreated and discriminated against for that reason. Noncommissioned officers need to promote the mentality that all Soldiers are to be viewed as equals. Some may have stronger attributes than others which will give the impression that everyone is not necessarily “equal”, but with the proper training and team building everyone should hold the same set of values and the same level of discipline and professionalism. Soldiers should not be viewed as “female” or “transgender” or any other prefix that can possibly bring a negative connotation. Soldiers should be viewed simply as Soldiers and expected to form their duties to standard. They should be evaluated based on a universal scale that applies to everyone and there should not be any alterations made based on cultural differences. The success of my adaptation to these changes relies strictly on my ability to remain professional and keep the intent of the command as a priority. I’m sure the intentions of the cultural changes are to assist all military personnel to adapt to the tolerance of all people and lifestyles and incorporate it into an effectively functioning military. As a leader. Team building is very important to the accomplishment of the mission. I believe that the most important quality to have as a leader is integrity. A leader with integrity is able to earn the respect and trust of the team. In the military, respect may be given strictly based on the rank structure and the adherence to customs and courtesies. This respect is not the type that I look to obtain as a leader because it is not reliable in the long run. I much rather would like to have the team respect me as a person based on the leadership qualities and personality qualities I possess. Once a leader has earned the respect and trust of the team, it is much easier to instill the culture that is conducive to a strong unit. The trust and respect that I earn from the team should translate to trust and respect for one another. Each individual should respect the position and duty that the other is responsible for and Army Leadership: Cultural Changes and Team Building trust them to take care of their responsibilities. If a team member is having difficulties, the other members should come together to help the Soldier get up to speed which will strengthen the team as a whole. Far too often I have witnessed Soldiers ridicule and isolate individuals if they are not considered to be “high speed”. I promote professionalism and unity because it will keep Soldiers from feeling like they are not part of the team. It is very important for a leader to be humble, as it shows that they do not feel like they are better than anyone. Once Soldiers get the impression that there’s a contest to prove who is better than who, then the concept of teamwork is put in jeopardy. I believe in healthy competition so long as the foundation of a solid team has been set. I try my best to identify Soldiers that fail to listen to relevant input of a team member; speak despairingly about other members; fail to enforce or encourage discipline in the team; compete, rather than cooperate, with other team members; argue with other team members in front of counterparts or other individuals; fail to act or make decisions on issues that have implications for the team; focus more on self-interest than the well-being of the team; give less than full effort because of low morale or lack of confidence in other team members. All of these attributes are signs of ineffective teams and must be corrected with urgency. Correcting the behavior associated with ineffective teams (FM 6-22) consist of establishing strong standards of discipline and disciplining Soldiers that don’t comply appropriately. It is also necessary to set the example personally as the leader and not promote the toxic mentality and philosophy that many leaders have of “do as I say, not as I do”. Leadership in today’s armed forces is as vital as it has ever been. Strong and effective leadership in combat arms and ultimately prove to be the difference between destroying our enemies in combat and having a tragic moment in history where Soldiers suffer greatly during combat. With the cultural changes and the new emphasis on the more gentle treatment of newly Army Leadership: Cultural Changes and Team Building enlisted Soldiers, the ability to get Soldiers to follow your lead is going to prove to be one of the most important tools for the future. Promoting an environment of teamwork, respect, and professionalism and effectively leading in that direction will inevitably produce positive results, but if a leader chooses to use effective leadership qualities to promote the ways of the “old army” and perpetuate the status quo, then the results will be the exact opposite. Army Leadership: Cultural Changes and Team Building References FM 6-22: Army Leadership. (1999). Washington, D.C.: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army.