This guest post comes from one of our dedicated readers, Chase Spears, with a different take on a topic we’ve covered before. We created MaxDisclosure because we felt a professional responsibility toward starting conversations like these, and are pleased to share this reader’s (slightly) opposing view.
A colleague recently asked for advice on how to respond to his unit leadership after being given additional responsibilities beyond the traditional focus of a public affairs officer (PAO). It reminded me of the nearly identical experience I had as a new BCT PAO, going through a deployment validation at the Joint Readiness Training Center. I had a chance to grow my influence as a leader and stubbornly avoided taking the shot.
The job I was directed to do would “technically” be in conflict with the role I was sent to the unit to accomplish. Okay, I’ll admit it. The brigade executive officer (XO) wanted me to be the Information Operations officer. My thinking was too narrow. I thought of myself strictly as a public affairs technician, part of the commander’s personal staff. The only other members of that team, by doctrine, were the command sergeant major, the staff judge advocate and the chaplain. They were not being told to pick up extra jobs, so why should I? I had a myriad of excuses:
- I won’t be doing that job when we deploy, so why train on it now?
- I’m new to the unit, still trying to find my way among the staff
- There could be professional ethics issues
- For crying out loud, I am here with one brand-new public affairs NCO. He needs me to train him.
We found a reservist on short notice who was happy to get on orders for a few days to help. The young captain that I was thought it was a win. Looking back, I realize that I put myself on the bench and we found someone who would do what the commander needed to be done.
Fast forward two years; A new command team moved in. One of the top priorities was the family readiness (FRG) program. We had a team of full-time civilians who managed the program across the brigade. Then cuts came. The FRG positions were among the first to go. The new brigade commander, however, believed that the FRG was too important a capability to let go of. The XO handed it off to me.
Running an FRG program was not on my professional bucket list. My team was already pulling long days running one of the most active and successful tactical public affairs programs in our region. I wondered how other less-utilized staff directorates continued to have short days as my team was given an oversized load. However, the experience taught me that I could function beyond being a personal staff technician. I could be a leader who played a role in an organization’s culture.
Running the brigade FRG program put me on frequent speaking terms with the brigade’s top-three leaders, every battalion command team and their spouses. I learned new things about community engagement and took my presenting skills to new levels. As a pre-command captain, I was helping to inform decision-making for the commanders who ran the brigade. That influence came from performing an additional duty. Taking on those kind of challenges taught me things I could never have learned by staying in my comfort zone. Those skills have opened doors for me every since.
We can and should be more than “public affairs” officers. We bring communication skills that can directly translate into influence and leadership across the larger organizations we serve. Seek challenges outside of your comfort zone and beyond your knowledge base. Making the effort to help your boss solve problems makes you valuable. Be the PAO who is a valuable leader in any setting.
About the Author: Chase Spears is a leader, communicator and adventurer who likes to write about communication as a function of leadership. He has been a brigade PAO, deputy PAO for a two-star headquarters, company commander and Georgetown University public relations fellow. These days, he is a student at the Command and General Staff College. You can contact him on Twitter @ChaseMSpears or email at chase@chasespears.com.
(Photo by Sgt. Allison Lotz, DVIDS)
