"Attentive Versus Intrusive" Leadership

It is never a waste of time for the Division Officer to talk to his Sailors about their personal problems. Even though the problem may seem small to the Division Officer, it will normally be very important to the individual Sailor concerned, and therefore, must not be dismissed lightly. Regardless of what the problem is, it must be given the same consideration as you would to the Sailor's performance onboard the ship.

Even worse than ignoring a Sailor's personal problem would be for an officer to ridicule, treat with sarcasm, or try and 'brush off' any one who takes him into his confidence on matters of any sort. Sailors have committed suicide because at a point in time in their lives when they were benumbed with problems, no one took them seriously.

A Division Officer will grow in the esteem of his Sailors only if he treats the problems of their personal lives with respect. This does not mean that he should create an atmosphere that promotes bypassing the Chief Petty Officers in the chain of command. Rather, he should build up the prestige of his Division Chief to the extent that their subordinates will seek his counsel and guidance first, rather than bringing all their problems to the Division Officer himself.