Senior Enlisted Blended Seminar Program (SEBSP)

Student Orientation provides an introduction and overview of the NRS synchronous online platform, course requirements, attendance policy, and assessment tools used during the course.

This lesson will explore the different aspects of critical thinking with an introduction to systems theory/thinking. It further examines the cognitive aspects of thinking, and how people make decisions with an awareness of biases and how they affect decision-making..

This lesson provides the tools necessary to build, sustain, persuade, and defend an argument both orally and in writing; additionally, it will introduce persuasive reasoning and how it can aid students when leading diverse groups of Marines. This lesson will help develop students’ communication techniques to inspire confidence in their Marines.

In this lesson, Marines will learn to align their decision-making with Marine Corps core values, fostering trust, a positive command climate, and unit cohesion. This lesson explores the influence of personal values on leadership choices, provides strategies to recognize and mitigate biases, and guides Marines in assessing the ethical integrity of their leadership within various contexts. By the end of the lesson, Marines will be better equipped to lead with integrity and make ethical decisions that strengthen their units and uphold Marine Corps principles.

This lesson will explore six common programs or behaviors that often pose leadership challenges within many units. By studying relevant policies and orders, students will gain a solid understanding of the issues. Engaging in group reflections and discussions will provide diverse perspectives on these challenges, while sharing best practices will equip students with practical strategies. By the end of this lesson, senior enlisted leaders will be well-prepared to positively influence their units if confronted with these challenges, fostering unit cohesion and success.

This lesson will discuss how the Marine Corps handles complaints and grievances. The lesson covers roles and responsibilities in the request mast program and the Inspector General of Marine Corps Inspections Program. The lesson will examine alternative methods to surface complaints or grievances besides request mast. The lesson studies how to use the prohibited activities and conduct (PAC) complaint resolution processes, both informal and formal. The lesson also interprets the two sexual assault reporting options (unrestricted and restricted).

This lesson will review the origins of the elements of maneuver warfare. From this, seminar students will work in small groups to develop ideas on cultivating a warfighting mindset in their current and future commands.

This lesson will review the uniqueness and the expeditionary capabilities the MAGTF can provide to the joint force. More importantly, senior SNCOs will explore ideas on how to facilitate an expeditionary mindset in their command that is essential for the success of the MAGTF.

This lesson will allow students to refamiliarize themselves with the latest development, organization, and capabilities of the different military services. Students will also learn how other services are organized and commanded to be an effective joint force.

This lesson provides students with the tools necessary to prepare for the final resident seminar. After students complete the nonresident portion of the Senior Enlisted Blended Seminar Program, they will head into the final resident seminar (FRS). However, before students attend the resident portion of the blended seminar, there is independent study to be completed. This lesson covers the FRS communication, warfighting, and leadership assignments that should be completed or viewed before you arrive at the FRS. The lesson card explains in detail each of the functional area’s FRS prep requirements, and the lesson provides all the necessary documents to complete the requirements.

This lesson focuses on the relationship between communication and leadership and how improving your communication skills allows you to better advise your commander and lead your Marines.

Interpersonal communication is an essential skill for a leader of Marines as it outlines the critical components of communication necessary for a successful leader: how to communicate and interact with those around you. This lesson will introduce you to interpersonal communication and how it can be used to advise and assist your command and lead, motivate, and inspire your Marines.

You will give an in-person oral presentation to your instructor and peers for this lesson. It will allow you to prepare and practice your presentation skills in front of an audience. Additionally, your instructor and peers will provide meaningful feedback to further improve your public speaking.

This lesson will go over the aspects of the Law of War and the Profession of Arms. As a Marine leader, you are responsible for ensuring your unit adheres to the law of war and reporting any discovered infractions. Doing this allows leaders to comply with the profession of arms.  The profession of arms is every leader’s North Star.  These guiding principles, along with USMC ethos, provide a leader’s operating parameters to execute assigned duties and provide an example to subordinates.

The Marine Corps Planning Process (MCPP) introduces the concepts of planning, maneuver warfare philosophy, mission command, design, the tenets of Marine Corps planning, the six steps of MCPP, and the operational planning team (OPT).

This lesson explores the critical aspects of design in planning, emphasizing the significance of a thorough comprehension of the operational problem, environmental factors, adversary assessment, and purpose before proceeding further in the planning process. It provides a comprehensive breakdown of the four-step Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace (IPB) process, offering insight into Marine Corps design methodology, essential intelligence products, and the array of decision support tools generated within the IPB process.

This lesson begins the in-depth review of the steps of the Marine Corps Planning Process. It covers the injects, activities, and results of problem framing.

This lesson is the first of three practical exercises that enhance the learners’ knowledge of the MCPP. It uses a joint and multinational operational scenario to begin the planning for MEF-level dominate phase conventional operations on a linear battlefield. During this planning session, operational design, task, and center of gravity analyses are performed to develop a problem set and mission statement as well as refine the commander’s intent.

This continues the in-depth education of the planning process steps. It covers the injects, activities, and results of both the COA development and COA wargame steps. Specifically, it introduces the development and wargame analysis of the course of action, task organization, supporting concepts, synchronization matrix, and other planning process tools.

This lesson presents the second of three practical applications that enhance the warfighting skills of senior enlisted leaders by developing a common, in-depth understanding of COA development. It allows learners to demonstrate an understanding of the purpose, considerations, and criteria for developing COAs and how to articulate COAs in graphic and written formats. 

This is the third and final practical application and demonstrates how wargaming helps (1) visualize the COA flow of battle; (2) foresee friendly actions, enemy reactions, civilian reactions, and friendly counteractions during the fight; and (3) help identify COA critical events, tasks, requirements, problems, and solutions. It allows learners to experience the wargaming process and appreciate the value of the red and green cells. The war game worksheet and decision support template and matrix will be developed during this lesson, while the synchronization matrix will be further fleshed out to better define actions performed by the warfighting functions.

This lesson completes the in-depth review of the Marine Corps Planning Process steps. It covers the injects, activities, and results of the COA comparison and decision step, the orders development step, and the transition step.

This lesson will examine the doctrinal concepts and force structuring of the United States Marine Corps, focusing on their integration into naval operations.  This lesson addresses the evolving challenges posed by near-peer competitors in littoral areas of operations.

This lesson investigates command climate, its key indicators, and the responsibilities associated with shaping and preserving a unit's culture. Additionally, this lesson delves into the crucial concept of unit cohesion, examining the role of senior enlisted leaders in fostering it. Unit cohesion represents the unbreakable bond that sustains a group of Marines even in the most challenging circumstances, driving them towards victory. This lesson discusses various types and indicators of cohesion, along with strategies for enhancing a command's overall cohesion. Students will gain essential insights into leadership, command culture, and building strong, resilient units.

This lesson discusses how Marines are evaluated, providing leaders with insights to effectively educate their subordinates on how performance is assessed. The lesson includes a guide on interpreting a Master Brief Sheet, enabling leaders to support Marines in reviewing their performance records and and assist reporting officials with assignments and retention of excellent Marines. In particular, the lesson surveys what is adverse material and the fitness report appeal process. To ensure accurate recognition of individual performance, the lesson also outlines the role of senior enlisted Marines in overseeing and assisting with the awards process.

During the Mentoring and Counseling lesson, students will become more familiar with the Marine Leader Development Order and its resources, the counseling requirements for both positive and negative circumstances, and the competency review board process. The senior enlisted leader’s roles in teaching, coaching, counseling, and mentoring as well as how these actions relate to assessing performance and correcting deficiencies are also examined.

The Manpower lesson will discuss the various roles senior enlisted leaders fulfill in ensuring our force is shaped to meet and defeat our adversaries. It will cover retention, enlisted career force controls, and separations—three ways the Marine Corps remains optimally configured to fight our Nation’s battles..

Societal Issues will cover many of the toughest challenges to true cohesion and performance facing Marine Corps units today. Among the topics to be discussed are extremist activities, inclusion and diversity, equal opportunity, sexual assault prevention and response, and suicide. This lesson is designed to merely start conversations among you, the Corps’ senior leaders, that can and should continue after this course.

Career Development examines how senior enlisted leaders play a crucial part in ensuring the right Marines continue to wear the cloth of our Nation and remain determined to defend the Constitution. This includes mentoring and counseling subordinates effectively on planning their careers, including special duty assignments, assignments, the attendance of PME and MOS training courses, special programs (to include commissioning), and actions taken for personal development. As the Marine Corps continues to transform itself to meet the threats in an ever increasingly complex world with adversaries ranging from near-peers to non-state actors, managing and retaining the right talent and experience in the force—and getting it to the right place—is even more important than ever before.

This lesson equips students with essential knowledge and responsibilities related to maintaining Marine Corps discipline and standards while advising commanders on effective correction methods. Beyond correction, the lesson underscores the paramount importance of rehabilitation, a critical process that fosters personal and professional growth in Marines. When executed correctly, rehabilitation ensures Marines learn from their mistakes, enhancing their overall capabilities and commitment to both the Corps and the nation. The lesson culminates in discussions on rehabilitation strategies and the obligations to Marines preparing to transition out of the Marine Corps.

Throughout the blended seminar, the senior enlisted leader’s role or the institutional intent for many processes have been discussed. The Administrative Obligations lesson will look more closely at the specific roles and obligations to ensure administrative completion of those processes to support a leader’s Marines most effectively.

During the two-hour Colonel Panel, students will have the opportunity to discuss the expectations of commanders for their senior enlisted at an informal social event. Examples of topics to be covered are “How do different commanders use their senior enlisted during the planning process?” and “What are some of the best, or most effective, practices the commanders have seen used by their senior enlisted in the past to engage the command and affect command climate?”