Leaders assigned to 274th Movement Control Team, Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Division Sustainment Brigade, conducted a listening session event Nov. 25 on Fort Stewart, Georgia, to talk about topics pertaining to organizational cultural climate.
“We’re conducting a listening session because in order for you to lead Soldiers, you have to know what they value on a personal level,” said Staff Sgt. Namon Bledsoe, a transportation management coordinator and listening session coordinator assigned to 274th MCT. “During the listening session we will engage our Soldiers on their personal values so we can grow as a team.”
Following the Provider Leadership Training held Nov. 13, Bledsoe and the senior leaders with 274th MCT used the knowledge gained from the training and applied it to the listening session with a goal of fostering an open environment for the Soldiers within their unit to discuss cultural issues.
Beldsoe mentioned the training was a good way for Soldiers within the organization to get back to the foundations that bind them together and to reinforce the standards of conduct.
Soldiers agreed that by having an open discussion about personal thoughts and feelings could enhance the workplace atmosphere.
“A lot of people feel too timid to talk about these type of subjects because they feel like they either don’t have a right to voice their opinion or they’re so afraid of the conflict that might arise because of the differences of opinions,” said Sgt. Sidney Mclane, a movement transportation supervisor assigned to 274th MCT.
During the listening session, the Soldiers were told to dress in business casual clothing, meet at the United Service Organizations for a change of scenery, and allowed an open floor for them to speak plainly about sensitive topics.
“The unique part of this event is that they get to be themselves,” said Bledsoe. “When we are in our uniform, we are our rank and our last names, but when we’re in civilian clothing we get to comfortably speak our opinions without being judged.”
The leaders hoped that if they made the Soldiers feel comfortable, they would open up and participate in the sensitive discussions.
“I hope the Soldiers open up and talk about the different situations that are going on in the world,” said Bledsoe. “I hope they see that the leadership cares. We are human too and we empathize with every situation that is going on.”
The senior leaders also hoped that the Soldiers gained additional skills on how to speak about sensitive topics.
“From this training, I want Soldiers to gain the knowledge that there are ways to talk about certain things, especially since they are going to be sensitive subjects,” said Staff Sgt. Allen Cantu, a transportation management coordinator assigned to 274th MCT. “I want them to know they can express their feelings in a professional manner.”
The Soldiers felt as though they learned how to address the differences in opinion to build better unit cohesion.
“I heard other people’s opinions,” said Mclane. “I learned that my unit has different conversations about how they feel about certain subjects and I really seen the diversity within my unit.”
-30-