Thursday, March 14, 2013

After the decision has been made - We need 9 parts action to 1 part further thinking

Our most effective Naval officers are those who can think for themselves and are capable of thinking long and hard before jumping to conclusions.  Once the decisions are made by senior leadership, it's time to act.  Most of the thinking (and arguing for your point of view) has been completed.  At that point we need 9 parts action to 1 part more thinking.  Get busy.  CNO and others are waiting.  And, they should not have to.  There is much work to be done.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Really?! Stupidest thing you have posted recently. Welcome to think slow Thursday.

Jim Murphy said...

I'm always amazed (but rarely surprised) when people's reaction to someone else's writing contains thought-provoking and mature statements like "Really? That's Stupid."

If you find a post that useless, ignore it and move on...or at least have the guts to stand by your 'contribution' by identifying yourself.

Mike Lambert said...

Thanks Murph.

Navy Grade 36 Bureaucrat said...

Definitely not the stupidest thing. How many people are all talk and no action? How many times do we sit in a meeting going "Make a bloody decision already and get on with it!"

Command impact and FITREP bullets aren't created by wishful thinking...they're created by action.

Anonymous said...

De Anon @ 0658


OK ... perhaps I should have not been so short (I was startled).

"Once the decisions are made by senior leadership, it's time to act. Most of the thinking (and arguing for your point of view) has been completed."

Do you really believe that statement? Senior leaders 'deciding' is by no means an indicator that you should check your thinking, or questioning, processes.

I am at a loss that you would post anything that would even imply that COA.

Anonymous said...

NG36B - Why are you waiting to act for someone in some senseless meeting. Make the decision yourself and ACT.

Michael Junge said...

Not "the stupidest thing" but it did give me pause.

The Surface Community has seen too many "shut up and color" moments over decisions that we were assured had rigor, analyses, and thought behind them.

Except they didn't.

There's a collaborative part to decision making that includes getting buy in from those who need to act. Just issuing an order works for simple things, but when something is more complex there needs to be more than "Just do it!"

That is, if you subscribe to the idea of an intelligent, educated, active force. Which I tend to... ;)

Mike Lambert said...

My post was intended to point out the need for more action in implementing our seniors' policies, directions, desires, requirements or wishes, once to decision has been made. Obstructionism, pessimism, procrastination and general nay saying ought to be minimized.

I am very familiar with the 'shut up and color' mentality. I am not suggesting that the thinking and discussion stops. The focus ought to be on the actions required once decisions have been made.

For the purpose of this discussion, I am presuming the senior got the 'buy in' he/she was looking for or decided it was necessary to move on without it.

Anonymous said...

Any specific decisions in mind? Is there something that you feel seniors have decided on that the rest of the community is not taking onboard?

Mike Lambert said...

There are too many to enumerate here but one of my pet peeves is the lack of senior leader (O5/O6) acceptance and endorsement of the foundational cryptologic principles which all the Flags and SES signed and supported.

Most of the IDC Roadmaps end up on the shelf without further action after months of staffing for Flag signature. The Flags can't do it all themselves. Some of the other senior leaders need to start 'carrying the water'.

Anonymous said...

CAPT, this was your best post you've written. I'll just ignore the fool who commented first. Please more like this. . . You often write of "writing." This is "writing," rather than just posting. . .

Mike Lambert said...

Anon @ March 23, 9:58AM

Thanks Dad, I appreciate that.