Transcript FITNESS REPORT WRITING

FITNESS REPORT AND
EVALUATION WRITING
PERFORMANCE
PREPARATION
PERSUASION
=
PROMOTION
CAPT Sean J. Coleman
7/17/2015
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THIS BRIEFING IS
UNCLASSIFIED
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THIS SHOULD BE YOUR
CAREER GOAL
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REASON WE WRITE FITREPS
MARKETING BROCHURES
about you from the writer to the
promotion board.

To view them as anything else is
to do yourself and the people you
are writing on a disservice

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PERFORMANCE


Most important of the four Ps.
Without Performance, Preparation
and Persuasion Won’t Help You.
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PERFORMANCE

First and foremost -- You need to be a topnotch performer. Anything less will not
suffice.

You need to plan the year.

You need to set goals: year, rank and career.
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PERFORMANCE

All Ranks (E1 to O6) Must Seek DIFFICULT
AND CHALLENGING LEADERSHIP
POSITIONS and Collateral Duties.

You need to separate yourself from your peers.
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PERFORMANCE
As
a LCDR / E5 and below you need to
be the “go to” technical expert.
 As
a LCDR / E6 and above you need
to be in some type of leadership position.
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GOALS
 THINK
FIVE YEARS OUT. What do
you need to do to make the next rank?
 Pick
a goal for yourself and SELL it to
your chain of command.
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GOALS
 Junior
Officer of the Year / Sailor of the
Year.
 Sailor
of the Quarter
 Department
Head / LPO.
 Make
the goal fit your current rank but
do not sell yourself short.
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PREPARATION
 LEADERSHIP,
LEADERSHIP, LEADERSHIP –
each bullet talks to LEADERSHIP.
 Critical
 In
to your success! We are leaders first!
some ways harder than Performance.
 Have
to stop and write it down.
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PREPARATION
Write your Fitrep / Eval at the beginning of the
year – make it your goals statement.
 Write down your accomplishments each
month.
 Start your fitness report draft early. It is easy
to tell those members who have put effort into
their draft.

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PREPARATION

Write it. Re-write it. Re-write it. And
then, Re-write it again!

It is easier for the chain of command to
edit a good draft than to start from
scratch with nothing or a poorly drafted
input.
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PREPARATION

Give us a final product you would want
briefed to a selection board.

This process does not reduce the
responsibility of your chain of command
to re-write your FITREP / EVAL again!
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PREPARATION

Don’t be afraid to buy a book to help you
with phrasing.

Writing aids are acceptable -- writing a
good report is hard work.
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PERSUASION

Toughest because you are talking about
yourself.

Keep your audience in mind.

Short declarative sentences are best.

Active Voice
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PERSUASION
You have to stand out from the other
Officers / Sailors before the board to get
promoted.
 FITREPS / EVALS are MARKETING
TOOLS for me – I tell the Navy who to
retain, who to promote, who to make a
CO or Chief.

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PERSUASION
Three avenues of persuasion:
– EP, MP or Promote
– Your Grades
– The Textual Content of the FITREP
Normally in that order!
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EARLY, MUST, OR PROMOTE
RATED
1
2
3
4
5
6
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EARLY
1
1
1
1
1
2
MUST
1
1
1/2 (E-6 2)
1/2 (E-6-9/O-3/4)
1/2 (E-6 2)
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GRADES
3.0 is a member doing their job well; 4.0 is a
member consistently above standards; 5.0 does
not exist, 4.0 is very hard to get.
 You can be ranked from a NOB to a 5.0 on
each category.
 A 3.3 grade average for a E-6 / LT / LCDR is a
superior report.
 My average is the important number, not your
average. You want to be above my line.

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GRADES


AVERAGE IS MORE IMPORTANT
THAN THE GRADE ITSELF.
Three Averages:
– Your Overall Average
– Reporting Seniors Rank Average - Historical
– Reporting Seniors Rank Average for This
Reporting Period
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RANKINGS


Murder Board.
I have the final say on all grades but we
expect you to provide the chain of
command with an input.
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RATED CATEGORIES

Officer/Chief FITREP Categories:
– Professional Expertise
– Equal Opportunity
– Military Bearing/Character
– Teamwork
– Mission Accomplishment
– Leadership
– Tactical Performance
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RATED CATEGORIES

E1-E6 Evaluation Categories
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Professional Knowledge
Quality of Work
Equal Opportunity
Military Bearing/Character
Personal Job Accomplishment/Initiative
Teamwork
Leadership
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TEXTUAL DATA

LEADERSHIP in every bullet – if deserved

FACTUALLY-BASED BULLETS. Do not
BURY the data in verbiage. Give quantitative
data if available.

For each category provide the chain of
command with 2-3 bullets.
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TEXTUAL DATA

Write the whole FITREP/EVAL:
– Opening
– Validation of Grades
– Closing
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OPENING


MUST BE UPBEAT, POSITIVE.
MUST SELL THE MEMBER
Most important part of text section.
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OPENING

LCDR XX has every quality one could
hope for in a Naval Officer. HE IS A
FUTURE COMMANDING OFFICER.
I rank him number one of my twelve
LCDRs.
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OPENING

XXX is a superb naval officer/petty
officer in every respect. In this reporting
period he has made a lasting contribution
to the success of XXX. Personally
selected by me to develop a plan of action
for the development of ...
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OPENING

XXX is an exceptional naval officer. In
this reporting period she has made a
significant contribution to the success of
XXX. She continually exhibits initiative,
leadership, and a highly professional and
positive approach to all aspects of unit
management.
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VALIDATION OF GRADES
The following comments pertain to
Above Standard/Greatly Exceeds
Standards for specific performance
traits;
or
 Among her accomplishments which
support my assessment of her
performance in Block XX.

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VALIDATION OF GRADES
35. (Military Bearing/Character) -Completed his annual PRT with a grade
of outstanding.
 37. (Personal Job Accomplishment) -She has provided critical support to the
timely production of the World-wide
Carrier Study, more than any other
officer in this command.

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VALIDATION OF GRADES

38. (Teamwork) -- Took the lead in
planning the unit family picnic.

If you are better than everyone else, tell
us so we can tell the Board.
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CLOSING

The expert leadership XXX continued to
display resulted in an extremely high degree of
success for the unit and the gaining command.
He has demonstrated that he is ready for
assignments of greater responsibility. XXX is
most highly recommended for immediate
promotion.
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CLOSING

XXX is highly motivated and an
excellent leader. He is most highly
recommended for immediate promotion
to XXX.

XXX is most highly recommended for
immediate promotion to Chief Petty
Officer and retention in the Naval
Reserve.
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MEDALS/AWARDS
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MEDALS/AWARDS

If you received a personal award during
the reporting period, mention it. The
board needs to know that. Put it in a
bullet or at the beginning of the closing
section.
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BLOCK 40/41

Recommendations are CRITICAL.
If you want a school or a leadership
position ask for a recommendation in
Block 40/41.
 You will get a recommendation, you
might as well get one that you want.

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DO NOT LET THIS BE YOUR
FITREP!

He has the wisdom of youth and the
energy of old age.

Works well when under constant
supervision and cornered like a rat in a
trap.
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OR THIS

She sets low personal standards and then
consistently fails to achieve them.

This man is depriving a village
somewhere of an idiot.
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FINAL THOUGHTS
•
•
•
•
•
Market yourself so I can market you.
PLAN your year and your career.
Do not just expect your superiors to make it
happen.
PREPARE your FITREP/EVAL carefully.
Write PERSUASIVELY. It is only your career
that is at stake.
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IT IS YOUR CAREER
OWN IT -- GET PROMOTED!
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