Marc on the Message to Garcia

I'm playing catch up here so I'll be slightly less verbose than normal.  I was "off the grid" for a few days up on a mountain where my phone told me that there was "no service".

Yes, this essay is still used in military circles.  I remember that it was one of the things we had to read during my initiation into the Chief Petty Officer mess.  We had to be prepared to discuss our thoughts on the matter.

In the words of the endearing Colonel Nathan R. Jessup, "We follow orders son.  We follow orders or people die.  It's that simple.  Are we clear?"

Brad, you're right.  In the military, when people's lives CAN literally be on the line, there are times when you don't question.  But, in the military context, when NOT questioning an order can also cost lives, the most difficult thing is knowing when to say, "Aye aye Sir" and carry out the order and when, as a leader, you have the responsibility to get clarification on an order.  That is as much a responsibility as carrying out an order.

Here are a couple of "takeaways" that I use from this story:

First, if you take the time to teach and explain your orders on a regular basis when you DO have the time for it, your subordinates will understand the urgency of a situation when you say, "I don't have time to explain now."  They know that when you say that there is a very good reason for it and will carry on smartly.

Second, everyone wants subordinates who take a task and simply go do it without having to give a detailed explanation.  However, Blanchard would call that person a D4 subordinate, and the only way to get a D4 subordinate is to develop them to that point from D1, D2, and D3, which requires direction, explanation, and coaching from the leader.  In other words, those people who can take a task without any explanation and accomplish it well don't just drop out of the sky, they are developed.  And subordinate development is the task of the leader who wants D4 followers.  Lazy leaders want everyone to walk in the door as a D4.  It's hard work developing others.  It takes time and commitment.

Third, no subordinate is going to run a task to ground on their own if they are consistently told in detail how to accomplish every bit of tasking that they ever receive.  THAT is how you develop mindless drones: spell everything out for them all the time.  But again, to develop subordinates, as a leader you have to let them try to figure things out on their own at some point.  Otherwise they will stand there and wait for detailed direction before they take off to find Garcia.

Lastly, in the Navy context, you make your arguments with the Captain (in private) when you don't agree with him/her, but once he/she has made the decision, it's time to walk out the door of the office and figure out how to get it done.  That's the bottom line.

Brad, you made a comment about how you don't want employees that are "yes men".  The military doesn't want them either, but I would think that whether it's a military unit or a medical revenue company, when the Commanding Officer or CEO makes a decision, it's time to get it done.  They hold that position for a reason.  NOT following orders is a good way to find yourself looking for a different job.