How to Build Skills in Connecting With OTS
- 1). Reinforce uniformity and equal treatment for all OTS candidates. This means requiring the same standards (within reason) of all airmen and giving preferential treatment to none. Thus, members of the same team will begin to connect with shared experiences, good and bad. Also, even something as surface-level as requiring the same uniform for all can help OTS candidates feel like part of a larger whole.
- 2). Perform basic drills daily. This includes marches and cadences, which require a group to move as an interconnected whole. Also, require or encourage all OTS candidates to take part in Air Force ceremonies and traditions. This will further build shared experiences and give candidates more ways to connect with others in the force.
- 3). Teach candidates the importance of leadership in the classroom. Officer Training School and its programs often include class sessions on human psychology, connecting with subordinates, and getting people to cooperate and work together for the success of missions. Allowing each OTS candidate to learn this information on the page might reinforce later decisions on the field that allow him to lead successfully.
- 4). Have OTS candidates practice leadership skills outside of the classroom. This will help solidify the classroom lessons on connecting with and encouraging airmen to act. Holding friendly physical competitions between classes or even instructors and candidates can help encourage potential officers by adding a competitive edge to these exercises.
- 5). Simulate real-world situations to put OTS candidates' abilities to lead and connect to the ultimate test. Constructing intricate puzzles in high-stress situations that mimic combat is one of the best ways to ensure that potential officers can instill cooperation when it counts.
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