A leadership conference called the Master Chief Petty Officer’s (MCPO) Conference was conducted at naval base, Kochi on 15 May. The Conference was inaugurated by Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla, the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Naval Command (SNC). The theme of the conference was “Enhancing Mission Success and Combat Readiness Through Renewed Focus on Training and Support.”
The Indian Navy regards ‘the man behind the machine’ as the most important element of its combat capability. MCPOs are the senior most sailors, with vast knowledge and experience, who play a key leadership role in all naval processes. The aim of this Conference was to provide MPCOs a platform to present their perspectives on various aspects of the Navy’s functioning, based on their own experiences, expectations and expertise, so as to enhance the existing processes and procedures.
The conference was conducted as part of the Navy’s efforts to involve the personnel below officer rank in the decision making process with a view to benefit from the vast experience of personnel at ground level. It is one more of the many HR initiatives undertaken in the Navy towards integrating MCPOs as a key component of the naval hierarchy and organisation.
During the Conference, a total of eight topics, encompassing key disciplines of the Navy such as Operations, Training, Technical, Maintenance, Logistics and HRD, were covered by 10 MCPOs from varied backgrounds and units, including some from outstation training units under the SNC.
The Conference the second of its kind is a step towards initiating a change in the Navy’s working culture through experience sharing. It is therefore expected to be path breaking and kindle a new beginning in the internal communication and consultation process which should not only enhance the combat effectiveness of the Navy, but also prepare it better to face future challenges.
