RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF EACH JOB

Most contact points have many jobs to perform. Although team members must be able to perform all jobs at the contact point, they usually perform only one job at a time. Although some jobs may seem less important than others, EACH job is EQUALLY important. Whether the job is receiving leave requests or preparing leave authorizations, team members must recognize the value of each job at the contact point.

To recognize the value of your job, you need to know its purpose in the overall mission of the contact point. Ask questions. Find out how the responsibilities of your job fit into the overall responsibilities of the contact point. You will then begin to understand the value of your job and how your performance contributes to team effort.

INCREASING YOUR KNOWLEDGE

When considering the job of a contact point representative, we might agree with the old saying that a little knowledge is dangerous. Dangerous may be a bit strong, but personnel working at contact points do need to be experts in their own rating to contribute effectively to teamwork.

Your knowledge of other contact points can also be helpful to the customer, especially if customers must visit several contact points to meet their needs. For example, some activities may require a customer to report to different contact points to check in, checkout, reenlist, transfer, or effect separation. You need to know what services customers can receive at other contact points and know how to direct them to those points.

When the customer in case number 3 asked LPO Brush about shipping his personal effects, he was told to ask supply. LPO Brush should have told the customer, "The personal effects office on base makes all the arrangements for personnel moves. When we moor, you take copies of your orders and go talk to a contact point representative at that office. Most likely the representative will schedule you for an interview in which you will be asked specific questions about your personal effects. You may be asked about furniture weight, storage requirements, special handling requirements, and desired pack-out and delivery dates."

SETTING PRIORITIES

We rarely have enough time, energy, or resources to do everything that we need to do or that we would like to do. To achieve teamwork, you must evaluate demands to ensure the most important ones receive the most attention. That will keep you from bogging down in details and routines that leave little time for the important tasks.

COMPROMISING

It has been said that a wise man isn't as stubborn about anything as a fool is about everything. Not only are we unable to do everything we want to do, we often cannot do things our way. Contending with opposing points of view is just part of life-and of achieving teamwork.

Compromise may be seen as a dirty word because the idea of individualism gets mixed up with personal preference. Compromise is not defeat; it is recognizing that there might be a better way to do something and being mature enough to explore it.

ASKING FOR HELP

In chapter 3, we discussed the importance of knowing your limitations. One such time is when the problem exceeds your knowledge or ability to handle it. That frequently happens since most contact points have a wide range of responsibilities and few members know all the answers. One of the main advantages of teamwork is that help is normally available when you need it. Taking advantage of that help prevents risking an error that could result in unnecessary hardship or inconvenience for the customer.

Whether to ask for advice or assistance or to refer the customer to someone else depends largely on the nature of the problem and the complexity of its solution. If the situation permits, you can often ask questions that will help you decide whether you should handle the problem yourself.

If your questions fail to gain enough information to solve the problem, don't expect the customer to know automatically where to go for help. Instead, provide the customer with that information yourself. If you are unsure of the contact point to which you should refer the customer, take the needed steps to find out.

Be courteous to all customers when trying to solve their problems. But be especially courteous to those who are relatively inexperienced and new to the Navy. For example, suppose you need to refer a customer to a contact point in the immediate area of your building. You might escort the customer to that contact point, introduce the customer, and explain the problem. However, when you make the referral, your manner should assure the customer that you are NOT "passing the buck," but that the other contact point can best provide the service.

The following scenario is a good example of how asking for help can result in teamwork to solve a problem:

The ship's crew had just completed an UNREP and was settling back into the underway routine. Mail call, one of the more pleasant aspects of UNREP, had been passed and everyone was eagerly catching up on the news from home. The personnel office was no different-the members were engrossed in their letters and occasionally sharing stories about what their loved ones had said or done.

PNSN Frost looked up as ET2 Door rushed into the office, "May I help you?"

"I hope so! I've got a problem!"

"Lay it on me."

"I've got to get a new ID card for my wife."

"Did she lose her card?"

"No. Those people back at the base took it away from her-said it wasn't any good!"

"Do you know why?"

ET2 Door unfolded a letter and reread a portion of it. "She didn't say. She had gone to the commissary, and the man at the door took it-said it wasn't any good."

PNSN Frost thought for a moment, shook his head, and turned to PN3 Doe, "Doe, I need some help. Door just received a letter from his wife, and she said that her ID card was taken by the commissary. She was told it wasn't any good."

As PN3 Doe came to the counter, he asked PNSN Frost to get Door's record. "Your wife didn't say why the card wasn't good?"

"No, she didn't."

"Do you know if it had been damaged in such a way that it would appear to have been altered?"

"I don't think so. At least, she never said anything about it. I don' t think it's right for the card to be taken away from her. I'm a million miles from home; and she can't go to the commissary, the exchange, or the hospital. She's going to have a baby, and she has to go to the hospital for regular checkups. I think it's a raw deal."

"It does sound like it, but there has to be a reason.

Let's see if we can figure out what the problem is." After PNSN Frost got the record, PN3 Doe opened it and began to leaf through the pages. He located the DD Form 1172 (application form for dependent's ID card) and glanced over it. "She got the card just over a year ago. Is this information correct?" He turned the record so that Door could read the form.

"Yes; she never had any trouble with her card

before," ET2 Door replied.

Then an entry on the form caught PN3 Doe's eye-the expiration date! It was a month ago! Quickly, he turned to the enlistment contract. It had the same expiration date, but there was also an extension agreement. "Door, have you ever filled out a new application form?"

"No. Should I have?"

"I'm afraid so. Looks like we both goofed. Her card was issued with the expiration date of your enlistment.

That was a month ago. You're now on your extension. That explains why the card was picked up. It wasn't any good; it had expired. Well, we can correct this problem." PN3 Doe obtained the forms from the cabinet and returned to the counter. "It will just take a minute for me to type a new application. Then you can sign it, and we'll get it in the mail to your wife. She can take it to the personnel office on the base, and that office will issue her a new card."

ET2 Door was silent for awhile, then he said, "We won' t have any mail leaving this ship for over a week. Then it will take up to 2 weeks for the letter to reach her. She will be without a card for almost a month. Can't she get it any quicker than that?"

PN1 Seaman had followed part of the conversation while he was going through the incoming mail. Upon hearing ET2 Door's question, he came over to the counter. He greeted ET2 Door, turned to PN3 Doe, and asked, "Anything I can do?"

"Maybe." Briefly PN3 Doe related the problem. "Door just had a letter from his wife. The base

commissary picked up her ID card because it had expired. His extension went into effect last month and no one thought to get a new card for her. I'm filling out the application now, but as Door just said, getting her a new card is going to take some time. Is there a faster way for her to get her card?"

PN1 Seaman replied, "Yes, there is. We can send a message. You have handled this problem very well, Doe. Go ahead and finish the application, have it signed, and leave it and his record on my desk. I'll have to check a couple of References; then we'll draft a message that will authorize the issuance of a new ID card. The message will go out today, and Mrs. Door should get it tomorrow or the next day. She can take it to the base personnel office as soon as she receives it, and that office will issue her a new card. Oh, don't worry about her medical care. She can obtain that without her ID card. She just has to sign a form at the hospital."

In this instance, PNSN Frost sought help for a situation that he couldn't handle. PN3 Doe responded well to the customer, but he was providing a routine solution for a problem that was more than routine; however, he quickly accepted PN1 Seaman's offer to help. Although PN1 Seaman could have offered to help sooner, he was able to provide the proper solution. ET2 Door was fortunate to have had his problem resolved by teamwork at its best.

When you are faced with a problem that exceeds your ability to solve-use the team's ability.