Conduct and Conclude an Exercise

1. Conduct and Conclude an Exercise M503.03 and M503.04

2. Beginning an Exercise • Before cadets arrive: • Inspect the area for damage/safety concerns • Set-up the exercise area • Ensure everyone involved has a clear understanding of responsibilities • Conduct and introductory meeting • Welcome • Introduce staff • General outline of exercise • Safety concerns • Location of facilities, muster areas, and first aid

3. Elements of an Introduction • Getting the team’s attention • Explaining the goal of the activity • Explaining the activity • Assigning tasks as necessary • Setting time limits • Relaying safety concerns as necessary • Motivating the team

4. Purpose of Supervision • To ensure orders are carried out promptly and properly • Shows that the work is important • Enables the leader to change orders on the spot as required • Permits the leader to encourage and motivate their followers • Makes it possible to immediately detect and correct errors in the work

5. How to Supervise • Ask questions prior to commencing to ensure participants understand what is to be done • Observe participants’ performance and ensuring they accomplish the objectives of the task/activity as planned • Give additional orders and/or instruction in reaction to any needed changes, if required • Ensure safety guidelines are followed at all times

6. How to Supervise • Ensure participants have all required resources to complete the task • Encourage and motivate • Examine completed work • React to performance and quality of completed work • Provide updates to a superior, when required, on any problems or changes that may be required • Take notes on important events or elements to consider during future activities

7. Correcting a Mistake • Stop them • Explain what is wrong and why • Show them the correct way to do the task • Provide an opportunity to redo the task the correct way • Follow up to examine the complete task and provide feedback

8. Providing Feedback • Frequent • Accurate • Specific • Timely • Focus on what is observed • Focus on the behaviour • Keep it neutral • Use it to inform • Make it supportive • Keep it simple Feedback should be: Ground rules:

9. After an Exercise • Conclusion meeting • Feedback from instructors • Feedback from the cadets • Recognition to individuals or group contribution • After cadets have left • Inspect the area for damage or safety concerns • Tear down exercise area • Return stores

10. Elements of a Debriefing • Reviewing the goal • Providing feedback • Re-motivating the team

11. Conducting a Debriefing • Should have an agenda which includes: • Purpose of the debriefing • Goals of the activity • Highlights (results, schedules, tracking systems, communications, practices, and effectiveness) • Discussion and recognition or special achievements • Review of reactions to the activities • Discussion of problems and issues • Discussion of how to reflect experiences from this project in future effects

12. Conducting a Debriefing... • Discuss issues: • What was accomplished and individuals contributions • Techniques and approaches that worked to ensure they will be used in the future • Techniques and approaches that did not work to ensure they are not used again or have appropriate adjustments • Invite the right people • Ensure everyone understands the purpose of the meeting is to learn not to blame

13. Creating an After Action Report • Should include: • Practices to incorporate in future projects • Steps to take to encourage these practices • Practices to avoid in future projects • Steps to be taken to avoid these practices