Fort McCoy Deputy to Garrison Commander Cameron Cantlon held an open discussion for garrison civilian employees in grades GS-8 and GS-9 on Feb. 22 aimed at providing those employees with an avenue to openly share their perspectives on the workplace environment.

During the session, some of the topics employees discussed were workplace mindset, supervisors and their roles, and what they most appreciate about working at Fort McCoy.

One notable discussion revolved around the distinction between viewing one’s employment as merely a job versus a career. Attendees engaged in a thoughtful exchange, ultimately agreeing that this perception hinges on mindset.

Many stated this realization opens doors for individuals to approach their work with a long-term perspective, recognizing it as an opportunity for growth and development.

Moreover, participants also raised the importance of enhancing supervisor training where they are able to have more knowledge in their new position and how to apply themselves to their new positional power, and how to engage with and reward workers.

One participant spoke about his experience with his supervisor giving him the opportunity to search for answers when they did not yet know how to find a solution to an issue that was there before the new supervisor took over.

“I have a great supervisor,” he said, “she puts that effort in” to delegate and problem solve as a team.

This training would also aim to help avoid linear mindsets where decisions are made based on previous leadership who have been in the position long enough to settle and not grow as much as the current department may need.

By equipping new and old leaders with the necessary skills to support and motivate their teams, the forum highlighted a pathway towards maximizing workforce potential.

The forum ended positively with attendees mentioning things they love about working at Fort McCoy, which included multiple answers saying that the people here make it worthwhile as well as garrison events such as Triad Nights.

Reflecting on the outcomes of the forum, participants emphasized to Cantlon the collective responsibility in shaping the culture of their workplace. They also underscored the mutual exchange of ideas and support between leaders and employees as integral to fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

The next Fort McCoy Garrison civilian employee forum is on March 28 for GS-10 and GS-11 employees followed by the next Garrison Town Hall meeting on April 25.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”

Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”