Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/652983
March 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com 98 final word | by Tom Jackson I n the summer of 1985, I got lost in the woods of western Germany. It wasn't my fault, but that of a still wet-behind-the-ears second lieutenant. Mr. Butterbars had ap- parently failed to discern the finer points of map reading in his brief military education, yet refused to listen to the more experienced NCO in our ranks. This was no ordinary hike in the woods, but what the Army calls a 48-hour forced road march; a grueling trek of nearly 60 miles while carrying a full pack, canteens and an M-16. The lieutenant and the NCO started arguing on the second day. But when 48 hours had passed and we were no- where near our objective, things got heated. The NCO finally convinced the lieutenant to reroute, but it took us an additional five hours of march- ing to get back on track. When we finally dragged into camp, there was a captain and a major waiting outside the ops tent. I never heard the final disposition, but it's likely the lieutenant didn't advance much further in the Army. It is a tradition (in all of the armed services) to pair junior officers with more experienced NCOs, and it serves a useful purpose. It forces the young officers to listen to, and respect, the voices of experience whom they often outrank. The British Army also has a tradition (or they used to back in the 1980s) that put the officers and enlisted together, with plenty of alcohol, at the end of a major field exercise. The purpose was to let the enlisted men blow off steam and criticize anything they thought went wrong with the exercise, but with no repercussions. The next day, everybody returned to their respec- tive roles. But the airing of grievances, even just once, helped the units get smarter and build greater cohesion. In successful companies in the civilian world, you will likely find company officers who are similarly gifted in this practice. Unfortunately, too many com- panies just give it lip service. They talk about "ac- cessibility" or "management by wandering around." Leaders say, "My door is always open." The trouble with these sentiments (and that's all they are) is that they're passive. They depend on subordinates taking the first step, which is the antithesis of leadership. The military, in contrast, forces the higher ranking junior officers to seek out the NCOs, thus requiring the leaders to take the initiative. It's a simple formula. As a leader in your com- pany, your first have to figure out what you need to know, but don't. Then, find out who does know and actively seek their advice. It could be a senior vice president, a superintendent, or just a laborer who's relatively new to your company. I'll be the first to admit that this doesn't always happen in the military. There are a lot of "my way or the highway" types in uniform. But, as General Patton once said: "If everybody in the room is thinking the same thing, then somebody isn't thinking." To that, I can only add: If everybody in the room is thinking the same thing, it might be because they're afraid to tell you what you really need to know…or are certain that you aren't going to listen anyway. If that's the case, it's not their problem to fix. It's yours. The art of listening TJackson@randallreilly.com How the military does leadership, Part 3