KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – You are a developmental supervisor. Your department is having a difficult time controlling the use of cell phones for personal use during the workday. As a supervisor, how do you handle this situation with tact and professionalism?

Army civilian professionals from U.S. Army installations in Germany and Italy attending the Civilian Education System (CES) Intermediate Course, (Team RETHEM, as my team called each other) were recently prompted with this question.

The atmosphere within the classroom walls of Installation Management Command’s Europe headquarters building morphed from quiet to frenetic as each of us explained our answers, describing what we would do as supervisors in that situation. Animated and passionate conversations flowed freely between us.

Hearing “Great point, I didn’t even think of that because we’ve always done it this way,” was a revelation to me. It was at that moment I realized the profound impact of the Army’s Civilian Education System.

I recently finished the CES Intermediate Course, Phase II on Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden, Germany. Lead by Army Management Staff College, four knowledgeable and engaging instructors met with 36 Army civilian professionals and truly delivered a “premier leader development experience.”

The intermediate course I attended provides Army civilian leaders educational opportunities throughout their careers. The course blends distance and instructor-facilitated learning, which is broken up in two phases.

During the 15-day residential cohort phase II, we delved into group discussions on topics such as “What attributes should an Army leader possess to create a positive environment?” and “What actions should be taken to improve team-building skills?”

As the days progressed, the classroom’s white walls became adorned with colorful poster boards displaying our collective thoughts on various Army leadership topics.

CES prides itself on being an interactive classroom experience that emphasizes student participation over PowerPoint presentations. One of the most valuable lessons for me was the focus on self-awareness within the scope of Army leadership. We took many self-assessment tests, but the most beneficial was the Strength Deployment Inventory, which explores human motives and strengths.

Engaging in discussions and lessons with people who have different personality traits and motives mirrored the real workforce, where blended personalities come together to accomplish the mission.

For U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, where I have been serving as a Public Affairs Specialist for two years now, that mission is “To serve, support, and secure the total force community, enabling power projection for the European Theater.”

Each day, I found myself more comfortable with the 16 other Army professionals who, day by day, also grew into relaxed versions of themselves as we gave individual and group presentations, asked for professional advice, gave feedback and shared work anecdotes from personal experiences.

“The Wiesbaden cohort demonstrated the networking and support that we foster in every class,” said Tamara Hullender, instructor and team lead for the Army Management Staff College. “The camaraderie and accountability that this cohort created was truly unique.”

Since completing CES, I have a newfound appreciation for regularly assessing my leadership skills. On the first day of class, my team and I created guidelines and standards to hold ourselves accountable.

The instructors kept us honest, asking how we used these guidelines to hold ourselves accountable. This exercise, along with many others, is something I will carry with me throughout my career.

Team RETHEM, do I earn a ‘smiley Post-it’ for my transparency?

For more information on CES courses or the Army Management Staff College itself, visit https://www.amc.army.mil/.