08-18-2023, 12:10 AM
As Grant thought on her question, Tyra had settled back into her seat, taking the moment to watch the young man as he considered the question with more care than some. To be honest, she'd found this particular question to be a very good filter for who should and should not be given chances to gather valuable leadership ability and opportunities to further their ambitions. There were two very specific categories of officers that she felt usually made themselves known during these conversations: the clout chasers and the painfully unambitious. The clout chasers were those that passionately expressed their desire to climb the ladder with an emphasis on the glory and esteem that came with such a climb; they were the same officers that would likely crumble when a mission went wrong, shirking the responsibility onto the nearest scapegoat and absolutely leaving their crew to suffer. The painfully unambitious were the ones absolutely unable to name a single goal and were most comfortable being given step by step instructions for every moment of their working lives; they usually were inadequate for command or leadership because they quite literally couldn't think for themselves. They absolutely had a purpose in the fleet, just not in any sort of leadership role.
Fortunately, Grant seemed to fall into a different category, though he made it clear that his ambitions were for command. It was possible that his desire for command involved the sparkle and shine of achievement and accolades but if it was, he, at least, hid it better than most. He understood that reaching such a pinnacle required a great deal of hard work and hard experiences gained and hopefully, his time on the bridge of the Artemis would lead him to understanding what it actually took to be in command. It had always been Tyra's suspicion that if more young officers understood how heavy and suffocating the mantle of command was, they might think twice before desiring the center center. After all, it was largely watching her father command a ship for years that had lead Tyra to desire to be a specialist, an expert in her own field with no desire to promote beyond security, but Fate had other plans for her.
"But I know things don't perfectly line up all of the time," he continued. "Which is why I have to work for those goals. To prove myself worth taking on those positions. Those responsibilities. Where I stand now, with the experience I have under my belt, I know there is a possibility that I could become a Department Head now. I know that's not always feasible, so I would, and plan to, go about requesting to be given more leadership opportunities, some of which I've had, before becoming an Assistant Chief Tactical Officer and moving up from there."
The redhead didn't immediately answer, allowing herself to take a sip and move the drink around her mouth before swallowing it. Either it didn't burn or she was well beyond reacting to the burn of whiskey down the back of her throat.
"Well, I am glad that you're hoping to take on more leadership opportunities," she remarked as she leaned forward once more, her blue eyes watching him closely.
"I've always found that career trajectory tends to be just as much about luck as it is skill and potential. Look at Lieutenant Mayfair: she is skilled and she is talented beyond reason but were she on a different ship, she likely wouldn't have been afforded the opportunity to prove herself as Chief Medical Officer. It's rare for a non-doctor to hold the position and yet, due to personnel issues and personnel losses, a nurse was the best option at my disposal. And quite frankly, I've never regretted it."
"I hope to be able to say the same about you..." she remarked, letting the words hang in the air for him to interpret as she took another sip.
After letting the silence hand for a moment, she continued. "We recently were informed that Mat-- Lieutenant Commander Briggs, our most recent Chief Tactical Officer, will not be returned to the Artemis, which is very unfortunate," she said, her tone sounding a little resigned.
She was getting tired of the revolving door that was her senior staff; she missed when it was an established and cohesive group of officers, who had served together for years. Who knew those had been the good old days with all the war and blood that had tainted them.
"Carol -- Lieutenant Harriman is a good officer and one I have served with for many years. However, she is not a candidate for filling the position left by Mathew; she isn't exactly administratively focused, which is largely what a Chief gets to deal with. I know the role of senior officers seems glorious and glamorous but it's really filled with paper cuts and headaches."
"After looking at the department and what HQ can offer me, I think my best solution for the opening is from an internal source, you, but I am not without my concerns." she stated simply, her gaze unwavering as she gauged his reaction.
"I think you are a capable and competent officer. However, I also think that a great deal of your experience since departing the Academy has been in security, even including the last mission. While you performed well on the bridge, you also acted in a security role during the most crucial portion of the mission. I worry that throwing you into the role of Chief Tactical Officer without actually letting you gain valuable experience as a tactical officer is unfair and is setting you up for failure. One thing you will learn about me as you serve aboard the Artemis is that I value the long term success of my people over the short term ego boosts and I will not put people into positions that I feel will not serve them unless there is no other choice."
She held up a hand to stop any possible objections. "Having thought over this issue for the last week, I think there is a compromise that will provide you the opportunity to prove yourself and give the command staff the oversight needed to make things work. I would like to offer you the position of Acting Chief Tactical Officer with the understanding that whether the position becomes permanently yours will be entirely based on how you perform. As I stated before, CTO involves a great deal of administration and it is a difficult aspect of the job to grasp when you haven't spent an extended amount of time within the department. However, both myself and Commander Coleman will be making ourselves readily available to teach you how to handle that function of the job and we will obviously be on hand to witness your performance on the bridge."
Now, she arched an eyebrow up as she took another sip, clearly waiting for his response. "So?"
== Tag Grant! ==
Fortunately, Grant seemed to fall into a different category, though he made it clear that his ambitions were for command. It was possible that his desire for command involved the sparkle and shine of achievement and accolades but if it was, he, at least, hid it better than most. He understood that reaching such a pinnacle required a great deal of hard work and hard experiences gained and hopefully, his time on the bridge of the Artemis would lead him to understanding what it actually took to be in command. It had always been Tyra's suspicion that if more young officers understood how heavy and suffocating the mantle of command was, they might think twice before desiring the center center. After all, it was largely watching her father command a ship for years that had lead Tyra to desire to be a specialist, an expert in her own field with no desire to promote beyond security, but Fate had other plans for her.
"But I know things don't perfectly line up all of the time," he continued. "Which is why I have to work for those goals. To prove myself worth taking on those positions. Those responsibilities. Where I stand now, with the experience I have under my belt, I know there is a possibility that I could become a Department Head now. I know that's not always feasible, so I would, and plan to, go about requesting to be given more leadership opportunities, some of which I've had, before becoming an Assistant Chief Tactical Officer and moving up from there."
The redhead didn't immediately answer, allowing herself to take a sip and move the drink around her mouth before swallowing it. Either it didn't burn or she was well beyond reacting to the burn of whiskey down the back of her throat.
"Well, I am glad that you're hoping to take on more leadership opportunities," she remarked as she leaned forward once more, her blue eyes watching him closely.
"I've always found that career trajectory tends to be just as much about luck as it is skill and potential. Look at Lieutenant Mayfair: she is skilled and she is talented beyond reason but were she on a different ship, she likely wouldn't have been afforded the opportunity to prove herself as Chief Medical Officer. It's rare for a non-doctor to hold the position and yet, due to personnel issues and personnel losses, a nurse was the best option at my disposal. And quite frankly, I've never regretted it."
"I hope to be able to say the same about you..." she remarked, letting the words hang in the air for him to interpret as she took another sip.
After letting the silence hand for a moment, she continued. "We recently were informed that Mat-- Lieutenant Commander Briggs, our most recent Chief Tactical Officer, will not be returned to the Artemis, which is very unfortunate," she said, her tone sounding a little resigned.
She was getting tired of the revolving door that was her senior staff; she missed when it was an established and cohesive group of officers, who had served together for years. Who knew those had been the good old days with all the war and blood that had tainted them.
"Carol -- Lieutenant Harriman is a good officer and one I have served with for many years. However, she is not a candidate for filling the position left by Mathew; she isn't exactly administratively focused, which is largely what a Chief gets to deal with. I know the role of senior officers seems glorious and glamorous but it's really filled with paper cuts and headaches."
"After looking at the department and what HQ can offer me, I think my best solution for the opening is from an internal source, you, but I am not without my concerns." she stated simply, her gaze unwavering as she gauged his reaction.
"I think you are a capable and competent officer. However, I also think that a great deal of your experience since departing the Academy has been in security, even including the last mission. While you performed well on the bridge, you also acted in a security role during the most crucial portion of the mission. I worry that throwing you into the role of Chief Tactical Officer without actually letting you gain valuable experience as a tactical officer is unfair and is setting you up for failure. One thing you will learn about me as you serve aboard the Artemis is that I value the long term success of my people over the short term ego boosts and I will not put people into positions that I feel will not serve them unless there is no other choice."
She held up a hand to stop any possible objections. "Having thought over this issue for the last week, I think there is a compromise that will provide you the opportunity to prove yourself and give the command staff the oversight needed to make things work. I would like to offer you the position of Acting Chief Tactical Officer with the understanding that whether the position becomes permanently yours will be entirely based on how you perform. As I stated before, CTO involves a great deal of administration and it is a difficult aspect of the job to grasp when you haven't spent an extended amount of time within the department. However, both myself and Commander Coleman will be making ourselves readily available to teach you how to handle that function of the job and we will obviously be on hand to witness your performance on the bridge."
Now, she arched an eyebrow up as she took another sip, clearly waiting for his response. "So?"
== Tag Grant! ==