Effective Communications with Military Service Members Webcast Series
Scene: Supervisor’s office. Service member’s first day back on the job. Supervisor holds “day one” meeting but is distracted a few times by text “pings” on his phone.
[The word Reintegration zooms in from the center of the video screen.]
Narrator: The reintegration phase of the deployment lifecycle begins when a service member completes active duty. [An image of a service member in plain clothes at work is displayed.] The phase ends when a service member has achieved a sense of professional stabilization. [An image of the service member sitting with a supervisor who is starting at his smartphone is displayed.] When a service member returns to civilian employment, it’s important that you, as a supervisor, sit down and talk with the service member about how best [An image of the service member and supervisor talking at a table is displayed.] to help him or her transition back into the work environment at VA. Let’s take a look at a short video in which a supervisor is meeting one on one with a service member on her first day back at VA. [An image of the supervisor talking to the service member is displayed.] Pay special attention to the way the supervisor communicates with the service member.
[The screen fades to black.]
Supervisor: Jennifer, well… [He pats and rubs Jennifer’s shoulder.] you’re finally back. Let’s get down to business and see what I need you to do to become “gainfully” employed after your extended break. And we are way behind!
Service member [with enthusiasm]: Yea, I’m ready to hit the ground running, Ken.
Supervisor: That’s the attitude! [He pauses to check email on his phone. The service member looks confused with why he’s focused on his email instead.]
Service member: So….what should I do first?
Supervisor: Well… start with all those back-logged reports and check them for accuracy. That should keep you pretty busy. Then you can check back with me, and I’ll have a whole new pile of stuff for you to do. [He goes back to checking email on his phone.]
Service member: Sure, right after I meet with HR. They said I have to come by and get some paperwork signed and submitted.
Supervisor [with some attitude]: For what? It’s not like you are a “new” employee just starting the job.
Service member: Well…they said I have to submit some forms just to restart my benefits, insurance…you know, things like that.
Supervisor: Well…..if you HAVE to…..then knock that stuff out during your lunch, okay? Plus, I may need to ask you to work a few extra hours, some weekends to catch up on the work you missed while you were on your trip.
Service member [hesitating]: Yea….ah….OK, but I was really hoping to get into things a little bit more gradually. Maybe just start with 40 hours a week. Just for the first few weeks. Ya know – to get acclimated.
Supervisor: You know, your replacement we had here while you were gone was a workhorse and never flinched when we had to put in extra effort to get caught up. You’re a team player right, Jennifer?
Service member [looking stressed and frustrated]: Of course I am, Ken, but…
Supervisor [cutting off the service member]: Well great! Then get busy so we can make some headway…. go get ‘em! [He returns to reading his email on his phone while the service member still sits at the table.]
[She stands to leave, looking dejected. The screen fades to black.]
Narrator: [An image from the enacted screen is displayed. The image is of the service member in mid-sentence while her supervisor looks at his phone.] As you saw, that interaction didn’t go very well. The supervisor appeared to be more focused on getting work done right away [An image of the service member looking rejected is displayed.], thrusting the service member back into the scheme of things without even reviewing the transition plan. The supervisor failed to acknowledge his staff member’s service to our country [An image of the supervisor looking confused is displayed.] and didn’t have an appreciation for time she needed to take care of HR matters. [An image of the service member trying to talk to the supervisor who is staring at his phone is displayed.] Because the supervisor didn’t listen actively, he didn’t appear to be available for the service member. [An image of the supervisor frowning is displayed.] The supervisor did make his expectations very clear—getting work caught up – but left the service member feeling stressed and frustrated. [An image of the service member talking is displayed.] The supervisor didn’t give the service member the time and attention she deserved. This lack of effective communication when a service member returns to civilian employment can lead to problems down the road. [An image of the supervisor looking down is displayed.] Without support from a supervisor, a service member may have difficulty transitioning back to the civilian workplace. [An image of the service member and supervisor looking down and disinterested in talking is displayed.] In turn, that service member isn’t as productive as he or she might be. [An image of the supervisor talking is displayed.] A supervisor who doesn’t help a member of his staff reintegrate may find that he has to spend a great deal of time overseeing the work of the service member.
[An image of the service member and supervisor talking to each other is displayed.] Let’s take another look at this encounter and see what’s different. As you watch the video, try to pick out the ways in which the supervisor demonstrates that he is an effective communicator.
[The screen fades to black.]
Supervisor: Jennifer, it’s really great to have you back. I want to take this morning just to discuss how we’ll bring you up to speed.
Service member [smiling and enthusiastic]: I’m ready to hit the ground running, Ken.
Supervisor: Let’s take a few minutes and talk about that. I’m gonna turn my off phone so we’re not interrupted. [He takes his smartphone and turns it off.]
Service member: I appreciate it, Ken. So what did you want to talk about?
Supervisor [expressing sincerely]: Hey, you were deployed for an entire year, handling a tough mission. So, first and foremost, I want to thank you for your service to our country. I appreciate it, and everyone here appreciates it.
Service member [smiling and nodding head]: Thanks. That really means a lot to me.
Supervisor [looking concerned]: The tempo must be pretty different from what you were used to over the past year. How are you feeling about being back home and back at work?
Service member: Yea, the tempo is definitely different at home, but having the last 30 days at home with my family and friends that really helped a lot.
Supervisor: That’s great, Jen. I just wanted you to know that if you ever want to talk about anything—at any time —my door is always open.
Service member: Thanks, Ken. I’m really grateful for that. Um, I do have some things that I need to take care of with HR.
Supervisor: Absolutely. It’s important that you take care of your benefits. [He makes eye contact with the service member.] Let’s make sure that you take some time over the next couple of days and go down there and turn in everything that you’re supposed to.
Service member: OK, I can take care of that. Now, what about work? [She picks up her note pad, ready to write.]
Supervisor [smiling]: Remember that transition plan we created when you first joined my staff? Knowing you were returning to your job, we updated the transition plan so it’s current. [He pulls out the transition plan to review] Let’s go through that together so that you know what’s happening around here. You said you want to hit the ground running [He hands the document to the service member.] and, with our current workload, I’m glad I can count on you. [They begin to review the document.]
Service member: This will be really helpful…thanks.
[The screen fades to black.]
Narrator: [An up close image of the supervisor speaking is displayed.] In the second video, the supervisor knows his audience; his focus is clearly on the service member. [An image of the supervisor speaking with the service member is displayed.] At the beginning of the meeting, the supervisor thanks the service member for her service. [An image of the service member smiling is displayed.] He also clearly articulates the purpose of the meeting—[An image of the service member and supervisor looking over the transition plan is displayed.] to go over the transition plan that has been recently updated in preparation for the service member’s return to civilian employment. [An image of the service member and supervisor smiling and talking is displayed.] The supervisor’s commitment to helping the service member make a smooth transition back into the workplace [An image of the service member talking is displayed.] is an indication that the supervisor knows that it can be a difficult transition for some service members.
[An image of the supervisor speaking earnestly is displayed.] This supervisor balances the needs of the service member with his own need to tackle workload. His strategy is to provide the service member with information and support [An image of the service member reviewing her note pad with the supervisor is displayed.], in anticipation that the service member will quickly become a productive member of his staff again.
[A close-up image of the supervisor listening is displayed.] Because the supervisor listened carefully, he knows the service member can’t fully focus on the job until she takes care of things with HR. [An image of the service member and supervisor in conversation is displayed.] Collaboratively, they agree that taking two days to get HR things straightened out is the best way to go.
[An image of the service member and supervisor separately reviewing their notes is displayed.] Did you notice that the supervisor followed through on an earlier commitment to keep the transition plan up-to-date? He followed through to ease the service member’s return to civilian employment. [An image of the service member smiling is displayed.] The service member in the scenario senses that her supervisor is glad to have her back and that she is a valuable member of the staff. [An image of the supervisor actively listening is displayed.] The supervisor, in turn, has a level of confidence that the service member will be able to become productive in a short time—a win-win for both the supervisor and the service member!
[The screen fades to black.]