S upervisors are critical in attracting and retaining

our most important asset - people - in this very

competitive business world. To illustrate this point, I’ll

share a personal, first-hand account.

As an enlisted member, I was nearing the end of my

second enlistment and was faced with a very difficult

decision. I could reenlist and continue my enlisted

career; I could apply for Officer Training School

(OTS); or I could separate from the Air Force and start

a civilian career. After significant personal reflection, I

decided to separate from the Air Force. I was serious

enough that I flew from Germany to interview for a job.

For many, that would be the end of the story.

However, I was blessed with a number of great supervi-

sors who took an interest in my Air Force career. In-

stead of allowing me to quietly leave the service, a

young 2nd Lieutenant sat me down and discussed my

goals, took a look at my current situation and spent the

next two days discussing viable options. In the end, we

agreed to push for my degree and apply for OTS. If I

wasn’t selected, I’d still separate from the Air Force,

but I’d have my degree and be better off for it.

Again, for many this could be the end. Enter supervi-

sor number two. I was going to school 5 days a week

and things became challenging at different points over

the next three years. Instead of allowing me to lan-

guish, he would sit me down, pump me up, and send

me back out the door. He wasn’t simply focused on my

personal development though. He also never allowed

me to forget about the mission, which could have been

easy to do given the course load. He pushed me to

focus on my daily duties, study for, and make the next

enlisted rank, finish my 7 level Career Development

Course, and complete my 7 level school. All of these

could have been lost with a lesser supervisor. Ulti-

mately, I was selected for OTS and the rest is history.

The moral of this story is to get involved in your em-

ployee’s career progression, while keeping them fo-

cused on the mission. Inform them of the plethora of

development opportunities available to them. If they

appear to be struggling, discuss it with them and deter-

mine an appropriate way forward. Feedback is golden.

Beyond that, continue with your personal education as

a supervisor. There are many tools available to you as

a supervisor to enable you to grow. A great place to

begin your search is the Supervisor Resource Center at

https://afkm.wpafb.af.mil/src.

You never know when you may be given the opportu-

nity to shape someone’s career and influence their deci-

sion to remain with the Air Force.

S u p e r v i s o r s a r e K e y t o A i r F o r c e R e t e n t i o n S I T E S O F

I N T E R E S T :

Supervisor Resource

Center

Professional Development

Guide

ACQ NOW

Air Force Personnel

Services

My Development Plan

APDP Information Trifold

T h r e e S t e p s t o P l a n n i n g Y o u r D e v e l o p m e n t

A I R F O R C E M A T E R I E L C O M M A N D

July 2011 Volume 1, Issue 6

O N T H E W E B

supervisor. Review those personal

capabilities and job requirements and

discuss the right mix of institutional

competencies. Identify and discuss

short- and long-term professional

goals.

Step Three: How do you get there? Create an Individual Development

Plan using the Civilian Leadership

Development Continuum (shown on

page 2). Review the development

opportunities to achieve professional

goals and close the gap between per-

sonal capabilities and job require-

ments. Then determine, along with

your supervisor, the training, educa-

tion and assignment experiences

needed to reach your professional

goals. Be sure to track your progress

as you strive to reach your potential.

Send story ideas or suggestions to timothy.frey@wpafb.af.mil.

The force development newsletter for all Air Force employees...

Force Development Highlights

P rofessional development should

be an ongoing process to ensure

employees are staying current - if not

one step ahead. Planning for continu-

ous development must be anchored to

the organization’s mission, goals,

objectives, and needs, as well as be

tied to the member’s career goals.

Step One: Where are you? Identify

your personal capabilities and your

job requirements. Determine your

leadership development level and

identify and reflect on personal capa-

bilities and job requirements. This is

where you take a close, hard look at

where you believe you are in your

development.

Step Two: Where do you want to

be? Discuss your thoughts with your

AFMC Force Development 4375 Chidlaw Road, Rm N208

WPAFB, OH 45433

T here are so many different plans available to civilians, it

can be confusing. There are Individual Development

Plans, My Development Plans, and Airman Development Plans

to name a few. Last month’s issue focused on ADPs and how

they’re used. This month, we’ll focus on Formal Training

Plans (FTPs).

FTPs are required when an employee is selected to a position

with potential for non-competitive promotion to a higher grade.

The hiring supervisor is required to develop the FTP and ensure

it’s added to the position fill action. The FTP will include the

Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities (KSA) required for the higher

grade, the expected level of proficiency in each KSA, and how

that level will be measured. It will also include functional and

institutional competencies to be developed during the period of

the plan. It will include the number of hours and expected

completion date for each developmental activity leading to a

KSA or competency. The plan will be signed by the supervisor

and the employee. The employee, the supervisor, and the

servicing Force Development Specialist should each have a

copy of the plan.

F o r m a l T r a i n i n g P l a n s

T he Civilian Leadership Development Continuum (shown above)

and the initiatives it describes is intended to drive a change in

culture and empower civilians and their supervisors to participate pro-

actively in their professional development.

The continuum is rooted in doctrine and mapped to institutional compe-

tencies, providing a roadmap of education, training, and experience

opportunities that guide your professional development. Remember,

civilian development is a personal choice and depends on your desire to

seek increased leadership opportunities. Use the continuum as a guide

as you plan your professional development.

The continuum incorporates the Air Force leadership levels—Tactical

Expertise, Operational Competence, and Strategic Vision. It is read

from bottom to top and left to right. Programs are situated on the con-

tinuum based on the level of institutional competencies delivered and

the level of Air Force oversight for selection for development. In gen-

eral, you can use your grade to determine where you would look for

development opportunities on the continuum. If you’re a GS 1-8/

equivalent member, you would look at the tactical level; a GS 9-13/

equivalent, you would look at the operational level; and a GS 14-15/

equivalent, you would look at the strategic level. A civilian grade map-

ping document linking civilian career groups and grades to one of three

leadership development levels is available on the AF Portal under Force

Development. This will help you target those programs most likely to

deliver the competencies you need for development.

Entry into the continuum is at the bottom and can be at any leadership

Page 2 Volume 1, Issue 6

level as civilians enter the Air Force with different levels of education,

training, and experience.

The programs in gray are foundational development programs designed

to close the skill and competency gaps that existed in civilian develop-

ment. These include: New Employee Orientation, self-development

tools, and non-resident Professional Military Education. The programs

in blue are more targeted opportunities designed to deliver focused

institutional competencies and leadership skills. These include: leader-

ship training courses, experiential focused learning and higher level

strategic leadership programs.

As previously mentioned, programs are situated on the continuum ac-

cording to their level of program oversight. As you move upward along

the right side of the continuum, the levels of program oversight in-

crease. For example, program quotas at the Career Field Manager/

Career Field Team level are managed by your Career Field, and infor-

mation regarding these programs will come from your Career Field.

Additionally, programs at the Air Force level, e.g., in-residence Inter-

mediate Developmental Education and Senior Developmental Educa-

tion, are selected by respective boards and disseminated through Air

Force calls.

Please note the continuum is not a checklist guaranteeing promotion.

Instead, it is a guide to be used as you’re planning your career path.

For more information, go to Air Force Portal > Life and Career > My

Development Plan.