Should you write an SJAR if you don't know the subject?

[Martin Blank]

An emotive subject at my Section
We have a fair number of Sgt's and SAC's and the SJAR writing is dished out on a fair share basis.
The biggest gripe being certain Sgt's work away from the shop floor and have fleeting or no contact with subjects, to the extent that they have to have the subject pointed out to them come SJAR time.
They are provided with a folder full or not of work evidence for the year and are expected to write a fair SJAR on the subject.
What are your thoughts on SJAR reporting in this manner and should it be done

 

[Weebl]

An emotive subject at my Section
We have a fair number of Sgt's and SAC's and the SJAR writing is dished out on a fair share basis.
The biggest gripe being certain Sgt's work away from the shop floor and have fleeting or no contact with subjects, to the extent that they have to have the subject pointed out to them come SJAR time.
They are provided with a folder full or not of work evidence for the year and are expected to write a fair SJAR on the subject.
What are your thoughts on SJAR reporting in this manner and should it be done

No.

If one SNCO works with the lads regularly, and loads of others don't even know them, then the one guy who does gets the lovely job of writing all the SJARs.

 

[FOMz]

No he shouldn't.

In my last job, I had 18 SAC's working for me. I knew each of them, but when it came to SJARs, I made sure that the JNCO's who worked directly with them had direct input. I think there is a difference between working directly with them and working with them, but in an office.

 

[Chickaroo]

Its not fair on the supervisor or the subject if neither know each other, and what happens with MPARs?

 

[rugby then work]

Even with a mass of information it's very hard to write a fair SJAR if you've never met the subject. If there's SNCOs that have worked with the individuals concerned then they have to write the SJAR, unfortunate if you end up with 15 or more SJARs but it's peoples careers that you're playing with so the best man has to get on with it and do the job.

 

[TG3 TILL I DIE!!!!]

"it's peoples careers that you're playing with."

Cor! can I come and work for you?

 

[techie_tubby]

Couldn't that leave you open to re-dress? Writing about an SAC you don't know.

 

[Drill Bit]

I would say that for the 1RO it is absolutley necessary for him/her to have regular contact with the subject. Postings and OOA are no excuse for a 1RO not to write and SJAR. The very least amount of time that a 1RO should know the subject is going to be 6 months.Where SJARs are due within 6 months of when a 1RO is posted then SJARs should be raised early by the 1RO, that will then give the next RO 12-18 months to get to know his subject. Should the 1 RO be leaving within 6 months of delivering the subject their last SJAR then the incoming 1 RO will have 6-11 months to get to know their subject.

 

[BJW]

Couldn't that leave you open to re-dress? Writing about an SAC you don't know.

I guess you could use the drop-down box that says 'I have contact with the individual Daily/Weekly/Monthly etc.. to cover it?It sucks though, as do the management who are doling peoples careers out on a whim.

 

[rest have risen above me]

If on Sgt has all the SACs then it's up to him to ensure that they are written correctly and put his name on them. A senior JNCO needs the practise at writing SJARS, so make use of them. If you are presented with a written SJAR the work required if it is not upto standard, is a lot less than starting from scratch.
You may also get lucky as well, a couple of postings ago I had a Cpl who was the Shakespeare of SJARs. I think the most 1st ROs I had to do was 13 in one go, shared amongst the four senior Cpls made quite easy work although when you do have to rewrite or amend one (usually most of them) then it is your duty to tell the JNCO why, as part of the Cpls career development and training.

 

[iainrm]

in the outside world

in the outside world

I was part of a process where all the supervisors sit round a table and rank the workers from 1-to xxx. This was in a factory of 500+ workers. You can argue for and against anyone not just those that work directly for you.
It takes some time but would make it as fair as possible within a section.

You still have to assign numbers and the reports but if you take notes you have a basis for the report you may even learn something about your guys.

I should add we spent the next few months firing the bottom 5%.

 

[Drill Bit]

I was part of a process where all the supervisors sit round a table and rank the workers from 1-to xxx. This was in a factory of 500+ workers. You can argue for and against anyone not just those that work directly for you.It takes some time but would make it as fair as possible within a section.You still have to assign numbers and the reports but if you take notes you have a basis for the report you may even learn something about your guys.I should add we spent the next few months firing the bottom 5%.

Any chance of explaining how this addresses the issue of whether or not an SJAR should be written by someone who knows the subject. Your suggestion sounds just like a crude grading board and I'm not seeing the link with who should write SJARs.

 

[Little Tronk]

At the end of the day it should fall to the most appropriate 1RO. Unfortunately despite best intentions, that means that he/she may not know the subject that well.

As has been mentioned above this is where JNCOs come in, get them to at least draft the SJAR; this gives them valuable practice if critiqued correctly and the 1st RO the insight he needs.

 

[rugby then work]

Cor! can I come and work for you?

Quite possibly, depends if you're any good DT_Xtremez_31:

 

[feckinG RANT]

A senior JNCO needs the practise at writing SJARS, so make use of them. If you are presented with a written SJAR the work required if it is not upto standard, is a lot less than starting from scratch.
You may also get lucky as well, a couple of postings ago I had a Cpl who was the Shakespeare of SJARs. I think the most 1st ROs I had to do was 13 in one go, shared amongst the four senior Cpls made quite easy work although when you do have to rewrite or amend one (usually most of them) then it is your duty to tell the JNCO why, as part of the Cpls career development and training.

I used two of the senior cpl's that work with me to do an SJAR each, they both did very well. I pointed out to them that it would be of value to them as one day they are likely to be doing them themselves, better to have a 'dry run' now so to speak. Another bonus is that I can use this as an example in their potential box on their SJAR's, i.e they are demonstrating potential as a SNCO by taking an active role in the development and SJAR's of their subordinates. Win-win!

 

[Great Uncle Bulgaria]

In my last two years, I had to write the assessments for the SAC's as I was the most senior JNCO and my SNCO (who was a great bloke, don't get me wrong) spent so much time climbing mountains and going on expeds that he didn't know a whole lot of what went on on the floor. It didn't bother me too much, and he was cr4p at spelling and grammar so he didn't tend to correct too much of my scribbling anyway.
It did leave me in a position where I had been totally honest about the way one young lad was going. When he came storming out of the SNCO's office saying that "he don't fnckin' know me, how can he fnckin' write that fnckin' sh!t?" I decided to tell him who had written it, and why I'd done it. He then decided to not talk to me for the next 3 months until he was posted. His work efforts increased and his texting decreased though, so I got the desired result!!

I do agree that you need to know who you are writing about though, and have at least some understanding on how they work (at the very least).

 

[BillyBunter]

Just to add to this if you are still acting sgt and not completed imlc , does that matter for assessments.

 

[muttywhitedog]

If you are acting paid, you can write assessments. Its only the locally acting snecs that cant.

 

[timaloy]

My last few years on the rafs premier armourers dancing school was marred by the fact that the unqualified Sgt didn't know what I did for a living, and although I was doing a Sgts job I got nothing off her as she didn't understand what I was doing and because I didn't have overalls and a spanner I wasn't doing what I was paid for. So no if you don't know them don't write it because its someone's career your pi55ing about with

 

[Realist78]

My last few years on the rafs premier armourers dancing school was marred by the fact that the unqualified Sgt didn't know what I did for a living, and although I was doing a Sgts job I got nothing off her as she didn't understand what I was doing and because I didn't have overalls and a spanner I wasn't doing what I was paid for. So no if you don't know them don't write it because its someone's career your pi55ing about with

You'd only be p1ssing about with their career if you wrote them an assessment that didn't do them justice.