The general tendency of things throughout the world is to render mediocrity the ascendant power among mankind. – John Stuart Mills
Without ambition, one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Two truisms. Which one describes your world view?
More thoughts on fleeing institutional mediocrity.
It is a stressful time to be a General Officer in the United States Armed Forces. An Army Major General, Ryan Gonsalves, was on the short list to get his third star, or promotion to Brigadier General, when he abruptly inserted combat boot in mouth. An article asserts he made some colorfully blunt and condescending assessment of a Congressional delegation and particularly offended a female staffer. He should not have been so colorful. Perhaps he could have watched “A Few Good Men” for insight in how not to be condescending.
One gentlemen I know summed it up well. For millennia, men have used power to obtain sex; however, in the same time, women have used sex to obtain power. At the extremes we have seen abuses. Effective warriors in history, such as Alexander, Charlemagne, Ulysses S. Grant and Omar Bradley were effective leading people and changing the course of history. However, I would think that a general in the second decade of the Second Millennium would have some acumen. For the last two hundred years, the United States military has had civilians making policy, authorizing budgets, and setting priorities for national defense. Many times this has been contrary to the advise of the seasoned warriors who know that adversaries and potential adversaries respect the threat or the actual implementation of force.
Yet a parent’s advice to a child aggrieved about many things should still be a fundamental truth. Apparently, the wisdom of picking one’s battles carefully was not heeded by this general. Perhaps he reflects the current Commander-In-Chief in that regard. And unfortunately it seems, this general officer has learned that indeed, the “pen (to strike his name from consideration) IS mightier than the sword”.
via U.S. Naval Institute, Proceedings Magazine
CAPT. Eyer’s (USN, Retired) insight is recommended reading for Navy veterans and military professionals about failures throughout the organizational structure. It is not the “stand-down” and the bandaid as the Navy rushes in to fix this that is required. It should be long-term, lasting institutional changes. How many times will the services go through loss of life, damage and loss of equipment, scandals and loss of prestige? When politicians and bureaucrats at the highest levels wanted to adapt corporate practices, social experimentation, and project power with unclear objectives, the military culture suffers.
When I was in the military, my role -besides ALL the other roles that I was given, was to maintain electronic communication equipment. Really, this was an ironic career choice. I should have gone into the social sciences and language. The irony is that, for more than 30 years, I have been very capable in problem-solving. When I lack the specific skills I am not afraid to ask questions – usually over strong coffee.
In the military and in an industry, to be effective, a person has to be capable in the role they were hired to do; possess attitude and work ethic for team success, do more than what is necessary and to be creative in problem solving. At times, it is knowing the proper department person to contact for a quick -turn shipment, a service request, or who stocked a particular adhesive for a repair done outside of the production chain of command. To advance personally and professionally, a veteran often stands out by mentoring new employees and providing a team manager a “go-to” person. In the workplace today, there are so many social contracts, sensitive subjects, and human factors which are at odds with the department production goals and veterans “can-do”, get-the-job-done expertise. While almost every enterprise challenges workers to do more with less, a veteran generally wants a product that a military end-user would have perform flawlessly when needed. It might take more veterans in each business unit to overcome some individuals who do not challenge plans, goals, and promises made by leadership, and to challenge those peers who do only what is necessary to maintain their position. 
Problem-solving skills include experiences in a military career to develop civilians into capable specialists. Raised in an environment that does not cater to individual wants, does demand personal sacrifice, and teaches attention to detail, a veteran is unfazed by office politics, used to changing priorities from managers and figures out what gets the job done. Sometimes the response is a cheery dose of salty language. Circumventing the labor to schedule, exchange email, and discuss tools and equipment needed is a skill many military veterans are well-versed. The veteran has frequently used a barter program, the unofficial currency in the military, to accomplish a task. At other times, it means having the confidence to draw a stopping point and get more hands on deck to troubleshoot a complex set of issues.
Once upon a time, I would work myself into burn-out. I no longer set impossibly-challenging goals and am able to call in reinforcements without hesitation. Being creative in solving issues, and not volunteering but being assigned, may get a ‘hanger queens’ successfully leaving my test station. I leave it to others to foul it up.
Truths, Half-truths, and Sea Stories 