Minor strengths are just as important as the major strengths

Drill Sergeant Offringa, Blog day 4:

     This morning we learned about identifying the strengths that make us who we are, and how to use our very good strengths to help us build and bring out the strengths we’re not so strong in. We learned that the minor strengths are just as important as the major strengths because the minor strengths sometimes bring out our major strengths as well. They all counterbalance each other.

     Then we learned how using these strengths  can  aid us in bringing out strengths in our younger Soldiers by putting them in positions where they need to start leading (one of the key strengths). This will aid them in identifying their strengths, and maybe even weaknesses so they are able to start building on them to help develop while they’re still young in the Army.

We all have strengths and surprise, surprise we don’t all have the same ones.

CSM’s Blog Day 4:

WOW!!! I really don’t know how they do it but it just continues to work.  The whole Army Strong thing (you may have seen the commercials) comes to mind as we discussed strengths today.  We all have strengths and surprise, surprise we don’t all have the same ones.  How do you show your Soldiers and Family members how to use their strengths individually and team work to accomplish more?  There’s a trick to it and believe it or not, it’s teachable… I got the book, I bought into the program and I drank the Kool-Aid.  There are reasons for excitement; it comes from a deep seated sense of being a part of something greater than myself… I understand now it’s part of what makes me who I am.  The next time my Wife, that’s what I call her, says; “hey, why are you acting that way?” I can show her the VIA strengths chart and tell her, “see?” I’m sure she’ll understand me immediately and I can go back to watching the last three recorded Cowboys vs. Eagles games!

I’ve never sat down with my wife to explain the bills

Drill Sergeant Offringa, Blog day 3:

             First off, I want to tell you how yesterday’s class would help me with my marriage and my home life, and not just the military.  We focused on building on the positive things in our lives/marriages rather than the negative things. This works with our children as well, because we’re building on  the things that they excel in, and encouraging them in those areas rather than ridicule them in the areas that they don’t do so well in.  By doing this they build a higher self esteem level in the areas that they excel in. 

     We started the morning off with talking about Energy Management. This helps to regulate your emotions and energy levels to enable critical thinking and optimal performance. 

Step 1: What’s the problem?

   I used this method yesterday to help me deal with a problem that I struggle with in my personal life: Once a month I handle all the finances, because I feel that I’m the only one that knows how to do them and if I don’t do them they won’t get done.

The mark is on the wall and the course laid out before us

CSM’s Blog day 3:

Where do we start? Day 3 offered, much to no surprise, a myriad of issues and points to work through as we press on towards our objective of becoming more resilient.  The mark is on the wall and the course laid out before us. Just as those that have gone before, we give fully of ourselves to the thoughts that what we are doing here will make a difference in not only our personal lives but for those in our charge as well.  Problem solving, and sorting through biases, or preconceived ideas, about each problem is critical in the process of teaching us how to continue to cleanse the thought patterns of old. We commit to teach those in our charge as we vow to approach things from a different view while keeping our eyes on the objective and we move forward, always forward. We do so to assist us in knowing how to build confidence in our Soldiers and loved ones’ lives so that they too may hope to achieve more than they thought possible before setting out on the course. It is the course less traveled, and as we who have committed to the course understand, very few choose to take it.

I can see development and growth just after the second day

Drill Sergeant Offringa, Blog day 2:

        So we started this morning with an exercise called Hunt the Good which is done by reflecting on the positive things that we did the day before. It is a very good exercise because it puts you in a good mood the first thing in the morning which sets the mood for the day.  

        We met without outbreak groups today, and did a lot of exercises that involved the whole group. This course is highly beneficial to the Soldiers, and I can see development and growth just after the second day. Everybody seems to have very good ideas and a lot of input on the topics that we discuss. 

        When we’re in the conference room, we incorporate Fort Campbell in our lessons in every class that is taught.  I also feel that if we could get more bases to listen in to these lessons through live video conference we would be able to  make an impact on more than just 150 soldiers at a time.

“To whom much is given, much will be required…”

CSM’s Blog day 2,

 We are here in Philly, evokes a feeling of angst as I am a diehard Cowboys fan, with many issues to understand and the complexities of understanding not only our own feelings, wants and needs, but those things of our Soldiers and family members as well. How do we better prepare them to bounce back from adversity and increase resiliency?  When we break it all down, as a Cowboys linebacker may do to an Eagles quarterback, what we have to know is that the ultimate goal here is to equate feelings and emotions to some source of validity and apply reasoning skills to help us cope with the makeup of who we are and who we want to be.  Maslow’s hierarchy of needs apply here as we understand the lifecycle that each individual is in and how that contributes to expected behavior.

 I have many roles to play; Commandant, husband, father, son, coach, mentor and friend. This time that I’m given and the ability to balance each while not letting the others fall is important to each of those members dependent upon me to hold up my end of the load.  You see each role is important, and time, situation, and perspective dictate which role will take over as the highest priority in any given moment.  The understanding of value in each situation is brought about through maturity, as time is a finite entity and perspective is based on what role is being played. 

I wish everyone could take this course

Drill Sergeant Offringa Blog – Day 1:

 So I didn’t know what to expect for the first day. Laid back, and the staff is super friendly. I think this course is going to help me grow as an NCO in the Army.

 So far this course has helped us find ways to help ourselves and our Soldiers identify and overcome problems and weaknesses.  I wish everyone could take this course. I learned that it can also be very beneficial in strengthening marriages and home life  by applying the keys of CSF.

  The biggest key here is helping to solve and identify problem before the problem arises. Prevent PTSD and use the keys of CFS before mobs and deployments, and I think we will see fewer problems in the end.

There is nothing top secret about the program (sorry to burst you bubble.)

DAY 1

 CSM’s Blog

 It really is difficult to be here and not feel like something great is about to happen for the Army.  The emphasis and level at which the course is taught brings into perspective the importance of the individual Soldier and their family as our most valuable resource.  The interaction of each student in the course is guided by instructors with alphabet titles and more years combined experience teaching psychology then our country is old. (One of the students used the term brain washing as an example in the class to emphasis a point on negative behavior) and I thought the term didn’t seem so bad if we would use it meaning, cleansing the old thought patterns and instilling new ones that affect positively our ability to have greater outcomes for our Soldiers. 

There is nothing top secret about the program (sorry to burst you bubble.)  Master Resiliency Training teaches coping strategies and the ability to create an environment that fosters the development of Soldiers into viable, resilient, and healthier individuals capable of defeating any enemy on today’s modern battle field. (Slipped into Drill Sergeant Creed there…old habits die hard) but I think you get what I mean. You really can’t help but feel just a little excited to be a part of something that has the ability to have the kind of positive outcomes that this course is intended to have.

 Its day one and I have a homework assignment, nothing too difficult, just have to get in touch with my inner self and quite possibly slip into the brainwash mode….

 PS.

 I learned a technique on how to be a better father for my kids today… I can’t wait to see them so I can try it.  It seems like I should be paying the Army for the opportunity to attend this class…

Thoughts from the Commandant

CSM Williams writes:

The implementation of the Global Assessment Tool (GAT) across commands is paramount to enhancing the Soldier care issues that we as leaders focus on in order to walk the talk. These five areas give us a complete picture on
the health and viability of each Soldier in our command and allow us the opportunity to evaluate our own performance in meeting those needs.  The USAR DSS has 9 detachments with four of them at 100% completion of the GAT and we are working hard at getting the remaining 5 detachments to 100%.

I am really excited about attending – I realized the value and importance and I think this is a leader’s opportunity to look at their Soldiers holistically. If you look at the five dimensions of strength, there are simple fixes, areas of opportunity that leasers can take advantage of to better take care of their Soldiers.