Soldier and Family Readiness Groups: Engaged and Resilient…
Kindergarten is hard work! It is even harder when you move every few years and arrive for this first year of school without knowing anyone. Family is important. When arriving at a new duty station, Army soldiers and families rely on each other for support, whether it comes in the form of information, coffee on the porch, a borrowed air mattress, or new life-long friends.
The US Department of Defense (DoD) recognizes the importance of military families in the success and retention of its service members. Part of the DoD’s effort to prioritize service member and family well-being is through programs and systems that support readiness and resilience. The US Army has established Soldier and Family Readiness Groups (SFRGs) linking commanders with their soldiers and families to provide accurate official information, a network of support, and a connection to resources (US Army 2019). “(S)FRGs can raise commanders’ awareness about issues that their unit’s families are facing, as well as provide family members with important information and help facilitate communication among families” (Sims, Trail, Chen, and Miller 2017, 16).
In the fall of 2019, the Secretary of the Army published new regulations to increase leadership, accountability, and continuity (Jowers 2019). This shift presents an opportunity to create an engaged and resilient SFRG culture.
AN OPPORTUNITY…
Historically the SFRG has been fraught with issues stemming from a lack of command involvement and the wide variety of civilian volunteers in leadership positions. This, combined with the military personnel and operations tempo since 2001, has led to some SFRG members feeling fatigued and disconnecting from the SFRG. A May 2021 mixed methods survey gives some insight into current issues and demonstrates the value of implementing systems to improve communication and information management (see figure 1). Leadership believes one area contributing to SFRG burnout is a lack of structured and coordinated communications and minimal continuity of information. The new Army Family Web Portal (AFWP) communication and information management system provides the opportunity for SFRGs to be engaged, effective, and resilient.
A COMMUNICATION CHALLENGE
Everyone benefits from effective communication. According to Frank Dance, communication at a fundamental level “is a complex process associated with sending, receiving, and interpreting messages” (Dainton and Zelley 2019, 20). When analyzing communication, it is helpful to consider the context and competence of interactions. Publishing the new regulations outlining the 2019 SFRG changes does not ensure effective communication of resources or desired outcomes. Since the fall of 2019, 84% of those responding to the survey have seen no improvement in leadership, accountability, or continuity of SFRGs.
“I think the changes are unclear and have been confusing for volunteers and command teams” (Survey Respondent).
“There is a lot of misinformation about the changes, and in some circumstances, it has caused more harm than good” (Survey Respondent).
Communication competence is “the total set of abilities and resources which a team has available to use during a communication process” (Schwarz 2017, 129). 80% of SFRG leadership respondents have NEVER used the current web portal, which was meant to be an information hub. Part of the updated 2019 guidance directs the implementation of the new comprehensive web portal in 2021. 70% of survey participants are completely unaware of this new resource. Leadership can mandate training, but if a need and benefit can be shown, team members will be more likely to engage and use the new system. For the new AFWP to successfully enable SFRGs to be engaged, effective, and resilient, effective communication is critical in closing the gap and delivering a valuable resource that will be used (Hall 2019, 5).
Effective Communication will Re-energize the SFRG
“Spouses feel they aren’t needed anymore, which is not the case” (Survey Respondent)
“Soldiers and family members are tired of inconsistent and inaccurate communication… some don’t see the point of participating any more” (Survey Respondent).
“Because communication is a prominent factor in a positive command climate, and there is potential for leaders to be overconfident in their communication abilities, it is imperative that military leaders at all levels understand this relationship and seek external advice regarding the efficacy of their communication patterns” (Blue Star Families 2021, 22). Only 17% of respondents rate their SFRG communication positively, and 100% of those believe it is inconsistent across units and commands. To ensure a complete assessment, inviting feedback from SFRG teams is a desired (70%) and valuable consideration.
SFRG Continuity will Increase Engagement
SFRGs have the ability to assist soldiers and families in everyday life, and as they transition through different units, training, mobilizations, and deployments. This is only possible if there is continuity of process and information. Leadership believes implementation of guidance, uniformity, training, and support is inconsistent. The resulting decreased trust and engagement negatively impact the SFRG mission.
“We could do so much more if we didn’t have to keep reinventing the wheel” (Survey Respondent).
“If everything had been maintained or implemented at the foundational level, we could have provided so much more for our Soldiers and Families” (Survey Respondent).
We are tired…
Varying experiences over time result in attitudes ranging from optimism to animosity and disinterest. This inconsistency correlates well with the 81% of leaders who desire additional (and consistent) training opportunities. Implementation and use of the new AFWP will provide needed continuity and reduce fatigue.
Standardized Systems will Build Resilience
“Readiness is a state and/or condition that focuses on the resources individuals have before experiencing stress, whereas resilience is a process that focuses on the outcome of experiencing stress” (Rand, 2016). Standardized resource systems leaders believe would assist readiness include email accounts (82%), information management (76%), communications (81%), and virtual SFRG platforms (77%). Learning, or creating, multiple new systems as units/personnel change increase workload and can be avoided.
“Each time command teams or key volunteers change, processes and expectations change. We lose history and important information” (Survey Respondent).
“The standardization should be that communication is happening and clear on how often. I recommend communication systems be consistent yet flexible” (Survey Respondent).
“Transitions are stressful enough. If we knew what to expect and how to use one standard system, we would be able to achieve more even when things get crazy. Right now we are overloading those who are capable and losing valuable people” (Survey Respondent).
Ensuring a consistent platform is a priority of the new AFWP, but to take advantage of this resource, leadership must first be aware of it!
WHAT IS NEXT? THE “ARMY MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK” SOLUTION
“Leadership and management are two sides of the same coin. Separating the functions, for example, in an arrangement where the commander practices leadership while a deputy provides management is imperfect; to achieve levels of high performance, all the top leaders in the organization must employ both qualities simultaneously and seamlessly” (Spoehr 2016, 8).
Integrating soldiers, volunteers, and staff is incredibly important. For years, the functions of SFRG leadership and management have experienced this imperfect disconnect. Many unit commanders, whose program the SFRG is, have leadership education, but little or no management education (Spoehr 2016, 9). Published in 2015, Army Regulation 5–1 provides SFRG teams with “a useful framework (see figure 2) approved for the application of management techniques in Army organizations” (Spoehr 2016, 10). Using this tool provides a process model for applying beneficial change techniques for the successful implementation of the 2019 changes in SFRG guidance.
Communicating the shared vision of the importance of the SFRG mission is where the change must begin.
“Aligning what can eventually amount to a small army of people and inspiring them to take action every day is a daunting but critical task, one that leaders would be wise to turn to storytelling for” (Hall 2019, 112). The SFRG command/leadership team will benefit from purpose stories to fulfill the mission of providing soldiers and family members timely and accurate information, resources, and mutual support they need to successfully adapt to the military lifestyle (SFRG Center n.d.).
When children start school, we do our best to set them up for success. We provide them with tools and access resources. We communicate with teachers and schools. We do our best to provide a stable environment. We set goals. We want them to be engaged and resilient. We can’t navigate this journey alone, and sometimes we need help.
“This photo will ALWAYS make me smile quickly, followed by a tinge of heartache and homesickness. This picture will always be special.
Twenty-eight. Hold onto that number, we will come back to it.
These boys met in kindergarten. They became fast friends. Nerf guns, bikes, legos, playgrounds, make-believe… They played from sunup to sundown. Sometimes later if, the parents were “having a fire pit.” People often say the 12 months of Command and General Staff College is the best year in a military career. It’s true. It was also the shortest year I’ve ever lived.
Twenty-eight. These four boys have had twenty-eight addresses between them. These boys didn’t choose to be born into a military family. They didn’t raise their right hand to take an oath. They serve their country as military brats.
It’s said a military brat will say goodbye to more significant people by the age of eighteen than the average person does in their lifetime.
Moving isn’t easy.
They, along with their peers, make the best of it. The sadness of saying goodbye to friends, teachers, coaches, is replaced by the excitement of making neighborhoods out of moving boxes, squeezing furniture and toys into oddly shaped rooms, and meeting new people. The move to Leavenworth was by far the easiest, the most memorable, and the most special. These boys and their families will ALWAYS hold a special place in my heart. Our paths have crossed a few times, picking up where we left off for a brief moment, followed by a hug as we venture to the next duty station. These boys are resilient, compassionate, loyal, ambitious, caring, smart…
They are 2021 graduates! They are going to do great things!”
Army soldiers and families rely on each other for support, and sometimes we need help.
THE TIME IS NOW!
The new AFWP is launching in stages and will be an invaluable tool for the command/leadership team and SFRG members. It will increase information continuity, communication, and access to needed resources. Communicating this vision and sharing stories as part of an awareness campaign will assist in highlighting importance and purpose while reducing negative perceptions or reactions about the change.
Uniting a diverse group to direct the change effort will enhance trust and promote the connection between all members of the SFRG. To increase effectiveness, this guiding coalition “must consist of members from multiple layers of the hierarchy, represent many functions, receive information about the organization at all levels and ranks, and synthesize that information into new ways of working” (Kotter 2020, 14).
To reduce resistance, communicate the “why” between factors, such as the relationships between actions and results, quantitative and qualitative variables such as engagement or emotions, or short and long-term results. SFRG members will better understand relationships, and be motivated to “collaborate instead of blame” (Stroh n.d., 1–2).
Time is limited for SFRG members and highlighting the time-saving benefits of the new AFWP will increase buy-in, and “routinely assessing and benchmarking performance” will clarify the current situation, assumptions and allow team members to see “how the whole system functions” (Spoehr 2016, 10 and Stroh n.d., 11–12).
REMEMBER:
Army regulations published in 2019 create an opportunity to reenergize the SFRG, increase engagement, and build a resilient SFRG culture. Changes include the launch of a new AFWP, including Virtual SFRG sites, to provide a standardized, effective communication and information management system.
We can’t navigate this journey alone, and sometimes we need help.
Utilizing the Army Management Framework and implementing an awareness campaign will demonstrate the new system’s value and empower the SFRG command/leadership team to execute the change successfully. Leadership, accountability, and continuity will increase, enabling soldiers and their families to successfully navigate military life.
We are going to do great things!
References
Blue Star Families. 2021. “The Military Family Experience 2021: Path to Recovery.” Accessed May 27, 2021. https://bluestarfam.org/survey-2/#community
Dainton, Marianne, and Elaine D. Zelley. 2019. Applying Communication Theory for Professional Life. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Federal Energy Management Program. n.d. “Strategies for Achieving Institutional Change.” Accessed November 3, 2019. https://www.energy.gov/eere/femp/strategies-achieving-institutional-change
Hall, Kindra. 2019. Stories that Stick. New York City: Telzall, LLC.
HQDA. 2019. Exord 233–19 Army-wide Implementation of the Soldier and Family Readiness Group.” Accessed April 11, 2021. https://www.armyfamilywebportal.com/content/sfrg-guidance-hqda-exord-233-19
Jowers, Karen. 2019. “Here’s why the Army is changing its family readiness groups.” Accessed January 21, 2021. https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/2019/10/15/heres-why-the-army-is-changing-its-family-readiness-groups/
Kotter, John. 2020. 2020: 8 Steps to Accelerate Change in Your Organization: with new insights for leading in a covid-19 context. Accessed January 15, 2021. https://www.kotterinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-8-Steps-to-Acceperate-Change-eBook-Kotter.pdf
Rand. 2016. “Family Resilience in the Military: Definitions, Models, and Policies.” RAND Health Quarterly. 5(3):12. Accessed May 23, 2021. https://www.rand.org/pubs/periodicals/health-quarterly/issues/v5/n3/12.html
Schwarz, Roger M. 2017. The Skilled Facilitator: a Comprehensive Resource for Consultants, Facilitators, Managers, Trainers, and Coaches. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sims, Carra s., Trail, Thomas E., Chan, Emily K., and Laura L. Miller. 2017. “Assessing the Needs of Soldiers and Their Families.” Accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1800/RR1893/RAND_RR1893.pdf
Spoehr, Thomas. 2016. “Leading and Managing High Performing Organizations.” Military Review. no.4: 8–17
Stroh, David Peter. n.d. “Leveraging Change: The Power of Systems Thinking In Action.” Accessed February 1, 2021. https://www.appliedsystemsthinking.com/sd/Leveraging_Power.pdf
SFRG Center. n.d. “Soldier and Family Readiness Group Center.” Accessed February 3, 2021. https://bragg.armymwr.com/programs/frgcenter).
US Army. 2019. “Soldier and Family Readiness Groups.” Accessed April 15, 2021. https://www.army.mil/standto/archive/2019/08/16/
