Dedication in our Naval profession

Dedication to the mission, to the people, and long hours at work form the foundation of a successful intelligence professional. I remember one of my seniors telling me that “they call work ‘work’ for a reason...if it was meant to be fun, they would have called it ‘fun’.” While I don’t quite agree with that line, it does support my belief that putting in extra hours is a normal part of being successful in this business. If you truly desire success, it’s not good enough to simply say you want the most challenging job – most of us fit into that category. What differentiates the truly successful is that they excel in the tough assignment, and are then “rewarded” with another challenging job. Many of these demanding jobs require putting in a bit of overtime. Seniors recognize those who put in the extra time; but, they also recognize whether there is productivity associated with folks who are staying late, or whether folks are just putting in long hours but not achieving much for the time expended.

I’d much rather see someone work a “normal” work week and get all her or his tasks completed on time. Few seniors like people to stay around just to stay around and be seen. That doesn’t impress very many people, and certainly doesn’t impress one’s family. Dedication to our profession comes at a price...the cost for this level of success is frequently measured by less time at home, with your family, or with your hobbies. You need to figure out how much you intend to invest at work and with your family. You need to achieve an optimal balance...to paraphrase a former boss “When your Navy career is over, your shipmates will all be miles away involved in their own lives, all you will have left is your family...so you better take care of them!”

From VADM Jack Dorsett's
THE ART OF SUCCESS IN NAVAL INTELLIGENCE