Tag Archives: Teamwork

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Why “It Is What It Is” is a Stupid Phrase

It’s Baghdad, 2007. I’m a company commander deploying to a contentious area during the height of The Surge. As my unit starts to shadow the unit we’re replacing, and I spend time with my counterpart and his battalion’s staff, I begin to hear a new phrase pop up:  “It is what it is.”

I wouldn’t have thought much of it, but I heard that response from numerous members of the unit, and applied to all types of discussion topics. My buddies and boss picked up on it, too. I heard “It is what it is” so much that I began to think it was an approved mentality of the unit, a sanctioned mindset.

It Is What It Is

Warrior Diplomat Soldiers from 85th Civil Affairs Brigade use teamwork to negotiate obstacles at the Leaders Reaction Course on Fort Hood, Tx., Oct. 9, 2014. Link to photo. 
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How to Build a Team of “Yes Men”

Listening to Michael Hyatt’s superb podcast on creating team unity, my first reaction was, “We’re good! The military has got this team alignment thing figured out. We’re focused on the mission, we have a clear command structure, and we follow orders.” But as Michael explained the steps to creating team alignment, he said that to get the most powerful results, leaders must:

Create an environment that is safe for dissent.

Ouch! Ok, that’s not the first phrase most military members would use to describe their work environment. In fact, I think it’s rare that I’ve seen a military leader who embraces dissent in the name of creating unity. I know I’ve never prioritized it.

The result?…we get a team full of Yes Men who not only fail to speak up when they disagree with mundane issues, but are also trained to remain quiet in the face of critical decisions. If you want a team of folks like that, then make sure you do these things.

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Caroline Chavez, a senior drill instructor assigned to Platoon 4023, November Company, 4th Recruit Training Battalion, commands her platoon during their final drill evaluation, June 25, 2014, at Parris Island, S.C.
(DoD photo by Cpl. Octavia Davis, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)
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Why Your Leadership Style Needs Some…Gemütlichkeit???

Let me reveal a secret about social functions in the military:  No one wants to attend a morale or family event and feel like they’re right back at work. We spend all day in the midst of clear authority, customs, and time-critical tasks and we don’t want our social events to feel anything like that.

But, we’ve all been there. Here’s a short story.

Why Your Leadership Style Needs Some Gemütlichkeit

The Commander of U.S. Garrison Bavaria taps the keg at the 56th Annual German-American
Volksfest in Grafenwoehr, Germany, 2014. Link to photo.
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6 Ways to Enhance Your Close-Out Formation

The physically fit but exhausted Soldiers maneuvered back and forth, looking for some advantage that would lead to victory. They had applied every hand-to-hand combatives skill they had to become the final two Soldiers in the pit after starting with 25 competitors. The rookie Private from Bravo Company then surprised the seasoned Staff Sergeant from Headquarters and launched him over the edge of the pit, causing an uproar from Bravo and securing bragging rights for the next month.

Close-out Formation

Pvt. Ryan Owen, left, attempts to clinch Staff Sgt. Aaron Price during a one-minute bout of hand-to-hand combat Dec. 16. Owen is one of 32 Basic Combat Training Soldiers in Company F, 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment who were certified in Modern Army Combatives.

Doesn’t sound like your typical close-out formation, does it?

The battalion commander had ordered each company to offer up 5 Soldiers at the monthly close-out formation challenge, but the teams never knew what the competition was until after they were selected. It was a brilliant way to reinforce a crucial aspect of the unit’s Vision Statement, “Be ready to fight, anytime, anywhere.”

Most units view close-out formations simply as a venue to communicate information and give the mandatory safety brief. But with a little creativity, leaders can turn them into competitive, team-building events that build cohesion and give permanency to the leader’s message. Here are a few ideas.

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How To Survive a Shrinking Army

Last week, while discussing the separation boards and low promotion rates in light of a downsizing Army, a fellow officer commented,

“These trends are going to create a cut-throat Army. Everyone is going to watch their backs and protect themselves to make sure they get promoted. I’m not looking forward to serving in that environment.”

With all due respect to his perspective and opinion…that’s the wrong way to approach the coming years in our Army. And specifically, that’s the wrong attitude to have if you want to get promoted and continue to lead Soldiers. Here’s why…

Scouts from the 4th Infantry Division work together scale a wall during the obstacle course portion of the Gainey Cup, March 5, 2013, at Fort Benning, Ga. After finishing the six obstacles, the soldiers took a written test before the three-mile ruck march to the finish line.
Photo Credit: Sgt. 1st Class Raymond Piper
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3 Traits That Will Get You Fired

When was the last time you saw a military peer get fired from a position? Doesn’t happen too often, right? In the civilian world, the last several years has been characterized by high unemployment and a difficult job market even for new college graduates. In contrast, the military is intentionally difficult to enter, but also hard to be removed from. Why is that?

Several reasons are important:

  • The military invests a lot of time/resources in developing specialized skills
  • The nature of service is honorable and we give the service member much credit for volunteering to serve
  • Service members are not easily replaceable
  • The military asks a lot of its service members, so it gives a lot of leeway for marginal behavior
  • Service members typically move every 2-5 years, so supervisors can “wait out” bad performance and pass it down the line

As a leader, you have mediocre performers on your team, the ones who fulfill their duty and not much more. They keep the organization running by learning just enough to progress in the military’s “up or out” system. They’re not destructive, they’re just there.

But how do you identify the bad apples, the ones who will have a corrosive, or even dangerous effect on your unit or another unit down the road? What subordinate traits are unacceptable and worth of dismissal?