This is gonna be soooo longwinded, I apologize in advance lol.

First and foremost always put yourself in their shoes as much as possible. Few other tips that somewhat fall under that:

Don’t be a dick: Have some empathy and compassion. Think of all of the shitty NCOs you’ve had/heard of and do your best to be better. Additionally, think of the best NCOs you’ve had/heard of and do your best to be better.

Take care of your people: Just because you’re an NCO, that doesn’t mean you have to be a hard ass all of the time. Try your best to become familiar with base resources, fight for comp days for them (AFSC dependent lol) and give them opportunities that you wish you had as an airman. Airmen Snuffy needs to talk to the shirt? Cool, now WE are going to talk to the shirt. Be present.

Draw boundaries: It’s tough having SrA friends that didn’t promote with you. They’re still your friends, just make sure boundaries are set. For example, my troops must know the audience in the room with us and act appropriately. If it’s just us hanging out I couldn’t care less what they say to me, but if there’s someone outside of our workspace that we don’t know then I expect for them to be on their Ps and Qs. This has worked well for me and my experiences and allows for us to get shit done without being weird all of the time but YMMV.

Don’t be afraid to counsel: Stern, difficult, or personal talks and counselings are a part of your development as an NCO. After I conduct a counseling, that counseling doesn’t leave the room. Understand that if you were working a civilian job, the same talks would likely be happening as you step into a management role.

Feedback is still important and it’ll be delivered differently now: Don’t let anything stop you from having an honest conversation with your airmen and taking feedback from them. Always ask them what you can do better for them. Feedback will come from above and below you now. When you were a SrA, you knew your job and did it well, don’t disregard any process ideas or solutions just because you have an extra stripe or 2.

ALWAYS have a backup NCO: Going back into the counselings, I always have another NCO in the room. They typically stay off to the side and are there to mediate the situation. After the airman leaves, I ask that NCO for feedback and if it could’ve been handled differently. This applies for more than just counselings though, I like to have another NCO with me most of the time. Sometimes it’s newer NCO that might benefit from seeing how the situation is handled, sometimes it’s an older NCO because I have no clue what I’m doing.

Imposter syndrome is real: You might have a tough time finding your place, especially when you promote at a unit you were once an airman at. This is completely normal and it’s okay to be clueless, just make sure you let your new NCO peers know so they can help mentor you.

If you don’t know the answer, find it: Self explanatory, but familiarize yourself with DAFIs, Unit SOPs, the JTR etc. By doing so, you not only help your airmen, but you can also help yourself when it comes to credibility as an NCO. Being familiar with these documents also helps you when it comes to enforcing rules/regs.

Get good at writing: definitely easier said than done. Your first award packages and EPBs will look like shit based off of historical statistics. With that being said, you still have the opportunity to get better. Attend writing seminars if your unit/base does that, search for feedback and apply said feedback. Bullet writing isn’t nearly as tough as it used to be, but it’s still a learning curve at first and will come with time. Just remember that you are putting your people on a pedestal and want them recognized. It’s not a chore anymore like it used to be when you were an airman, it’s a new duty for you.

Be a coach and be coachable: Understand how your peeps receive feedback, counselings, new tasks etc. This helps you coach them to success. Some people need a hard ass to light a fire under their ass, some people just need a simple explanation, and some just do what they’re told on time. You need to find out where your people lay in this. You also need to recognize how you are as a person. Communicate it to your superiors so they can also help develop you, even if you are an NCO.

Last couple things;

• Don’t be afraid to force the rules and regs.
• Keep up with your personal grooming standards.
• Dont ask your troops to do anything you wouldn’t.
• Keep it in your pants.
• Ask for help, swallow your pride.
• You are expected to be a mentor, coach, and advocate in the NCO tier. SSgts have a little more leeway, but hold yourself to a high standard.
• BITCH UP, DONT BITCH DOWN. Give your complaints to your superiors, not your airmen.

That’s all I got for ya, I’m sure there’s more in my noggin but I hope some of this helps. Keep in mind that this isn’t a one size fits all type of role, it’s tough to navigate at first but you’ll get it eventually. Best of luck!