NCOA Module 1 Questions & Answers

Physical Courage - ANSWER the courage that probably comes first to mind. It's the kind that involves physical pain or endurance, where we might risk bodily harm or death to achieve a goal. Resiliency - ANSWER an Airmen's ability to withstand, recover, and/or grow in the face of stressors and changing demands by orchestrating the use of base resources, support activities, peers and leadership Resiliency focuses on what is known as the 12 Targets to Enhance Resilience and Operational Performance: - ANSWER Be a Wingman: Comm" Check: Lead From the Front: Mental Rehearsal Nutrition: Physical Fitness: Problem Solving: Purpose (Why): Recharge: Situational Awareness (SA): Strategic Thinking: Tactical Breathing: TSgt Keffer, is discussing Airmanship with his flight after they arrived for advanced echelon (ADVON) duty. He says, "This is your capacity to overcome and develop during hard-times and mental strain. There is constant uncertainty about what outcomes will occur. To combat this, lean on each other, the Chaplain, and other base services like the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation center." TSgt Johnson says, "To piggyback, this deployment is going to be hard due to the unfavorable conditions. At times, you'll be inconvenienced, which could lead to resentment. Trust each other and we'll get through it together." TSgt Keffer's comments BEST identify _____ . a. Courage b. Resiliency c. Hardiness of Spirit - ANSWER B: According to the Airmanship chapter, Air Force resiliency is an Airman's ability to withstand, recover, and/or grow in the face of stressors and changing demands by orchestrating the use of base resources, support activities, peers and leadership. In the scenario, TSgt Keffer's comments identify resiliency. Profession of Arms - ANSWER "A vocation comprised of experts in the design, generation, support and application of global vigilance, global reach and global power serving under civilian authority, entrusted to defend the Constitution and accountable to the American people" The Air Force Professionalism Goals are: - ANSWER 1. Inspire a strong COMMITMENT to the Profession of Arms. 2. Promote the RIGHT MINDSET to enhance effectiveness and trust. 3. Foster RELATIONSHIPS that strengthen the environment of trust. 4. Enhance a CULTURE of shared identity, dignity and respect. Respect - ANSWER the root of the Profession of Arms and bonds every Airman who voluntarily serves. the feeling of esteem or deference for yourself or other entity, but in the Air Force it takes on a greater meaning and importance. Progressive Professionalism (P2) - ANSWER refers to continuous personal and professional development which includes education, training, and experience. All of which helps Airmen move to the right and helps advance the POA Direction, Discipline, and Recognition (DDR) - ANSWER is considered the foundation of P2. As an Airman, you must maintain a high degree of professionalism throughout your career, particularly in early development. Core Values - ANSWER institutional values and principles of conduct that provide the moral framework within which military activities take place Integrity First - ANSWER HONESTY: Honesty is the hallmark of integrity. COURAGE: Courage is not the absence of fear, but doing the right thing despite the fear. ACCOUNTABILITY: Accountability is responsibility with an audience. Service Before Self - ANSWER DUTY: Duty is the obligation to perform what is required for the mission. LOYALTY: Loyalty is an internal commitment to the success and preservation of something bigger than ourselves. RESPECT: Respect is treating others with dignity and valuing them as individuals. Excellence in All We Do - ANSWER MISSION: Mission focus encompasses operations, product and resources excellence. DISCIPLINE: Discipline is an individual commitment to uphold the highest of personal and professional standards. TEAMWORK: Teamwork is essential to triumph at every level. During an NCOIC meeting, TSgt Izar discusses an idea to reduce the level of armor on the section's HUMVEE's. TSgt Nelson cuts Izar off and says, "That's a horrible suggestion, I was shot at twice last week! I know this is your first deployment..." TSgt Richardson interjects, "Nelson, don't discount Izar's idea before hearing her out. We're a team and are owed the courtesy of being not only heard, but listened to. Her idea would increase the fuel efficiency and not put strain on the engine, which will reduce breakdowns." TSgt Izar states, "Yesterday, I learned about a new type of armor that is lighter and cost efficient, but is stronger than what we have now." Because TSgt Richardson ________ she will MOST LIKELY _____ NCO effectiveness. a. understands respect in the POA; increase b. misunderstands respect in the POA; decrease c. understands Excellence in All We Do; increase d. misunderstands Excellence in All We Do; decrease - ANSWER a. CORRECT: According to the Airmanship chapter, respect in the POA goes beyond professional courtesy. It means accepting others for who they are, embracing a heightened personal sense of humility and fostering an environment of inclusiveness in which every Airman is able and eager to offer their skills, abilities and ideas. It means treating the equipment and resources in your possession with care, understanding and embracing the power of diversity and holding those who mistreat others accountable. TSgt Willis has been in personnel for 10 years now. He knows his job well. Some of his subordinates are suggesting innovative ways of changing his processes. He believes he has the right processes in place; however he is willing to listen and explore their inputs. TSgt Willis BEST illustrates the _______________ characteristic of a critical thinker. a. open mindedness b. intellectual humility c. free thinking - ANSWER a. CORRECT: Open mindedness is a willingness to investigate viewpoints different from your own. Being open-minded means you're 'open' to actively listening and thinking about an idea, solution, or criticism (he is willing to listen and explore their inputs) that, on the surface, you might not normally subscribe to (TSgt Willis has been in personnel for 10 years now. He knows his job well.)...even if you believe your viewpoint is the right one (he believes he has the right processes in place). NCO Effectiveness - ANSWER according to AFMAN 36-2647, Institutional Competency Development and Management, you must "identify and fill gaps in information required to understand options and issues. Apply analytic methods in solving problems and developing alternatives. Develop others' and own ideas engaging in mutual problem solving, identifying alternative positions or approaches and evaluating them openly and fairly." Mission Effectiveness - ANSWER According to AFMAN 36-2647, Institutional Competency Development and Management, NCOs should apply analytic methods in solving problems and developing alternatives. One way you can do this is by adopting a strong, proven, decision making process. You'll be presented with problems and situations varying from simple to most complex that could have an impact on your mission's effectiveness TSgt Goodgame is giving the pre-deployment brief when he says, "This is the resolve to get yourself through tough times. Your willpower and ability to remain focused during adversities is crucial for yourself and your team. If you find yourself or others losing direction, there are multiple resources to get you back on track." SSgt Rosemond follows up with, "As professionals getting ready to deploy, you're putting the service before yourself. But make sure that you're taking care of your family as well." This scenario BEST identifies _____________ a. the Profession of Arms b. the Core Values c. Warrior Ethos - ANSWER c. CORRECT: According to the Airmanship chapter, Warrior Ethos is the tenacity to push through self-discipline, self control, hardiness of spirit despite physical, and mental hardships, moral and physical courage. In the scenario TSgt Goodgame's comments reflect Warrior Ethos. SSgt Gagnon is a supply management supervisor who wants to be the best she can be as an Airman and a professional. She values training and enhancement opportunities and makes an effort to acquire higher education. She also wants to ensure the growth of her Airmen, so she makes time to sit down with each one of them to provide clear guidance and expectations. She does not hesitate to correct substandard behaviors or recognize Airmen who exceed the standards. The result of Gagnon's actions has played an instrumental part in her work center receiving top Group level awards. This scenario BEST illustrates___________ and its impact of mission effectiveness. a. Service before Self b. Progressive Professionalism (P2) c. Warrior Ethos - ANSWER b. CORRECT: According to the Airmanship chapter, Progressive Professionalism (P2) is the concept of improving oneself on the professional continuum through education, training, ethical behavior, and being morally balanced. The foundation of P2 is the DDR, a methodology of providing Airmen with direction, discipline and recognition as required. TSgt Oddo is the NCOIC of night shift in the maintenance section. He was chosen because of his extensive knowledge and experience, as well as his ability to influence others. He continually emphasizes the importance of upholding standards and ensuring the job gets done right. He is well liked by all the Airmen, and they all look up to him. One evening, SrA Abella approached him and informed him that he couldn't finish a job because the only torque wrench they have is overdue for calibration. Oddo thought about it for a little while and instructed Abella to use it anyway. He justified it by saying that it's just one day overdue, what could possibly be off in one day. The actions of TSgt Oddo ________________ and will MOST LIKELY result in _______________________. a. summarizes Direction, Discipline, and Recognition; decreased mission effectiveness b. supports Resiliency; increasing his subordinate's effectiveness c. violates the AF Core Values; decreased mission effectiveness d. infringes Moral Courage; decreased NCO effectiveness - ANSWER c. CORRECT: According to the Airmanship chapter, Air Force Core Values are said to be our inner voice; the voice of self-control and the basis for the trust imperative in today's military. These institutional values and principles of conduct provide the moral framework within which military activities take place. By instructing the use of the overdue torque wrench, Oddo is violating the AF Core Values and negatively impacting mission effectiveness. Characteristics of a Critical Thinker - ANSWER Open-mindedness Healthy Skepticism Intellectual Humility Free Thinking High Motivation Open-mindedness - ANSWER This characteristic involves a willingness to investigate viewpoints different from your own. AFMAN 36-2647, Institutional Competency Development and Management, charges you to "Develop others' and [your] own ideas engaging in mutual problem solving, identifying alternative positions or approaches and evaluating them openly and fairly." Healthy Skepticism - ANSWER you should ask questions in order to ascertain what's truthful and what's not. AFMAN 36-2647 charges you to, "Respond in a pro-active manner to unexpected or ambiguous situations, opportunities, or risks; and actively seek information about the new situation." Intellectual Humility - ANSWER adhering tentatively to recently acquired opinions; being prepared to examine new evidence and arguments even if such examination leads you to discover flaws in your own cherished beliefs; to stop thinking that complex issues can be reduced to matters of 'right & wrong' or 'black & white', and to begin thinking in terms of 'degrees of certainty' or 'shades of grey'. Free Thinking - ANSWER you should have an independent mind. High Motivation - ANSWER you should have a natural curiosity to further your understanding and be highly motivated to put in the necessary work sufficient to evaluate the multiple sides of issues. You can overcome the lack of essential knowledge on a subject by doing the research needed to reach a sufficient level of understanding before making judgments. During a discussion with his new boss, TSgt Prescott says, "At my old job I was criticized for always looking at issues as totally accurate or totally incorrect, but this new job requires me to think in terms of amounts of confidence." TSgt Prescott's comments BEST identify the _______________ characteristic of a critical thinker. a. open mindedness b. intellectual humility c. free thinking - ANSWER b. CORRECT: Having Intellectual Humility means adhering tentatively to recently acquired opinions; being prepared to examine new evidence and arguments even if such examination leads you to discover flaws in your own cherished beliefs; to stop thinking that complex issues can be reduced to matters of right & wrong (totally accurate or totally incorrect) or 'black & white', and to begin thinking in terms of 'degrees of certainty' (amounts of confidence). Components of Critical Thinking - ANSWER Universal Intellectual Standards Reasoning Elements Essential Intellectual Traits Universal Intellectual Standards - ANSWER standards which should be applied to thinking to help ensure its quality. The ultimate goal is for these standards to become infused in your thinking, forming part of your inner voice, guiding you to reason better. Clarity - ANSWER state of being "clear" and clear of ambiguity. It's the 'gateway' standard. Accuracy - ANSWER Once you've determined a statement is clear (Clarity), you need to check to see if it's true. Precision - ANSWER A statement can be both clear and accurate, but not precise. There might be information you need, but isn't provided. Relevance - ANSWER A statement can be clear, accurate, and precise, but not relevant to the question or problem. When presented with a problem, you have to 'weed out' the information that doesn't have anything to do with it. Breadth - ANSWER consider if there's an argument/position that hasn't been heard yet. A problem might meet all the previous standards, but is only presented from one perspective Logic - ANSWER When you think, you bring a variety of thoughts together into some order. When the combination of thoughts are mutually supportive and make sense, the thinking is "logical". Fairness - ANSWER treating of all relevant viewpoints alike without reference to your own feelings or interests. Depth - ANSWER This standard addresses your ability to consider the complexities of an issue instead of just skimming the surface. Sometimes, when your people have problems, they usually aren't one dimensional in nature...there could be more to the problem than what you initially see. Reasoning Elements - ANSWER Think about your Purpose (goal or objective) State the Question at Issue (problem to be solved) Gather Information (data, facts, observations, experiences) Watch your Inferences (interpretations, conclusions, and solutions) Clarify your Concepts (theories, definitions, principles, laws, and models) Check your Assumptions Understand Your Point of View (frame of reference, perspective, orientation) Essential Intellectual Traits - ANSWER Intellectual Humility Intellectual Courage Intellectual Empathy Intellectual Autonomy Intellectual Integrity Intellectual Perseverance Confidence in Reason Fair-mindedness Intellectual Courage - ANSWER involves the need to face and fairly address ideas, beliefs or viewpoints you may have strong negative emotions about or may not want to hear Intellectual Empathy - ANSWER involves being able to put aside your own viewpoint, assumptions, and ideas in order to step into the shoes of others so you can genuinely understand them. Intellectual Autonomy - ANSWER involves having rational control of your beliefs, values, and inferences. The idea of critical thinking is for you to learn to think for yourself and to gain command over your thought processes. Intellectual Integrity - ANSWER involves recognizing the need to be true to your own thinking...to be consistent in the intellectual standards you apply. Confidence in Reason - ANSWER involves confidence that, in the long run, your own higher interests and those of humankind at large will be best served by allowing people the 'right' to reason and by encouraging people to come to their own conclusions via their own rational faculties. Fair-mindedness - ANSWER involves treating all viewpoints alike, without thinking about or referencing your own feelings or interests, or the feelings or interests of your friends, peers, or community. It also implies adherence to intellectual standards without reference to your own advantage or the advantage of your group. Intellectual Perseverance - ANSWER involves being aware of the need to use intellectual insights and truths in spite of difficulties, obstacles, and frustrations you may have or face. While mentoring a new employee, TSgt Baker says, "We have a lot of people in our section so we must keep our own prejudices at bay when looking at all of the concerns that come up. I've often had to look at circumstances with exact precision that even resulted in me giving some of our assets back to the wing. I didn't really want to do that, but it was the right thing to do." TSgt Baker's comments BEST illustrate the use of the ____________standard. a. relevance b. clarity c. fairness - ANSWER c. CORRECT: Fairness implies the treating of all relevant viewpoints alike without reference to your own feelings or interests. Because you may tend to be biased (prejudiced) in favor of your own viewpoint, it's important to keep the standard of fairness at the forefront of your thinking, especially when the situation (concerns) may call on you to see things you may not want to see...like problems you weren't aware of or issues (circumstances) that might make you look bad, or give something up you may want to hold onto...like manning or other resources (assets). Impact of Critical Thinking - ANSWER Subordinate Effectiveness NCO Effectiveness Mission Effectiveness Subordinate Effectiveness - ANSWER AFI 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure, states that NCOs "must train and develop their subordinates to ensure they are also technically ready to accomplish the mission." This extremely important task may require you to demonstrate some of the Essential Intellectual Traits of Critical Thinking. Furthermore, you must "guide and instruct subordinates to ensure they are prepared to accept increased levels of authority and responsibility. Assist subordinates in reaching their full potential." TSgt Jones says, "Well, we received 100 complaints in the last 30 days. Our focus is on wait times. Out of the 100, 70 of the complaints are focused on long wait times, averaging 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Ten complaints are about the courtesy of our civilian technicians. The other 20 are about the cleanliness of our area. According to our metrics, the wait time goal is 30 minutes or less." TSgt Jones' comments BEST identify the lack of use of the ____________standard. a. relevance b. clarity c. fairness - ANSWER a. CORRECT: Relevance means to 'weed out' the information that doesn't have anything to do with it. Since TSgt Jones is looking a wait times (Our focus is on wait times) and (According to our metrics, the wait time goal is 30 minutes or less), only the 70 complaints on wait times (Out of the 100, 70 of the complaints are focused on long wait times, averaging 45 minutes to an hour and a half) should be considered. The complaints on courtesy (Ten complaints are about the courtesy of our civilian technicians) and cleanliness (The other 20 are about the cleanliness of our area) are not relevant to wait times and should be weeded-out. TSgt Lenz is being pressured by the other section NCOICs to follow their way of processing different kinds of information that flows from one section to the other sections. He thinks he has a better way of doing things but does not want to upset the other NCOICs. After considerable thought, he musters the nerve to at least momentarily abandon his "adherence" to their processes and do an inquiry of all of the processes currently in place. Because TSgt Lenz _______________ characteristic of a critical thinker, his actions will MOST LIKELY ________________ mission effectiveness. a. misunderstands the intellectual humility; hinder b. understands the intellectual humility; enhance c. misunderstands the free thinking; hinder d. understands the free thinking; enhance - ANSWER d. CORRECT: To think freely, you must restrain your desire to believe because of social pressures to conform (TSgt Lenz is being pressured by the other section NCOICs to follow their way of processing). You must be willing to ask if conformity is motivating your belief or opinion (He thinks he has a better way of doing things but does not want to upset the other NCOICs), and if so, have the strength and courage (nerve) to at least temporarily abandon your position until you can complete a more objective and thorough evaluation (do an inquiry of all of the processes currently in place). This will most likely enhance mission effectiveness. A-I Theory Basics - ANSWER Adaptors Innovators Bridger Level Style Cognitive Gap Coping Behavior Problem A Problem B Motive Opportunity Adaptors - ANSWER Prefer to solve problems in a structured and methodical manner. Creativity is exercised "inside the box." Someone that prefers this style usually comes up with ideas by modifying the current organizational paradigm. Prefer more structure Improvers Innovators - ANSWER Prefer to solve problems in a manner that is less concerned with structure and details. Creativity is exercised "outside the box." Someone that prefers this style usually breaks or goes against the current organizational paradigm when coming up with ideas. Prefer less structure. Full of Ideas Bridger - ANSWER A person willing to help other's understand the cognitive approach between those being bridged through interpersonal skills, active listening, and effective questioning techniques. Bridgers accomplish this through the roles of counselor, mediator, and negotiator. Interpersonal skills (or else there is a danger of making matters worse) Level - ANSWER Refers to potential capacity (intelligence or talent) and learned levels (such as management, supervisory and leadership competency). It is important to remember that both styles (adaptive and innovative) are found at every level from highest to lowest. Style - ANSWER Refers to "how we think," our preferred cognitive approach to problem solving and decision making. These style differences, which are normally distributed along a continuum, range from strong adaption to strong innovation. Cognitive Gap - ANSWER The distance between one's preferred style and the behavior actually needed in a particular situation. It is also described as the distance in a social interaction, between the preferred styles of two people, a person and a group or between two groups. Coping Behavior - ANSWER The effort required to do something that is outside one's preferred style. Can have a cost Problem A - ANSWER This is an "actual problem" that two or more individuals come together to solve. Problem B - ANSWER This encompasses all of the problems (team dynamics, interpersonal skills, communication, collaboration, etc.) that stem from "human interactions." Problem B's steal time and energy from efforts needed to solve Problem A. Motive - ANSWER An emotional, desire, or physiological need that causes one to take action. Opportunity - ANSWER An appropriate or favorable time, occasion, or situation favorable for attainment of a goal. Preferred Cognitive Style - ANSWER describes how one would prefer to think, more adaptive or more innovative, when problem solving. Thinking is the means by which we s