Monday, February 13, 2012

10 Tips From "My Old Man" - The Chief (CMSGT)

1.  Sometimes 'good' is not good enough.
2.  In the beginning - keep your hair cut, your shoes shined and you mouth shut.
3.  Hard work never killed anyone.  Not any Sailors, anyway. 
4.  Keep at it until you get it right.  If it's not right, you're not done.
5.  Always tell the truth.  That way you never have to remember what you said.
6.  The only way to know what's going on on the mid-watch is to be on the mid-watch.  Visit your people on the mid-watch.  Day ladies, that means you.
7.  Always write it down.  Take my word for it.  You'll wish you had written it down.
8.  Take care of your people.  Toughen them up for the long haul.  20-30 years in the service can wear a person down.  No professional compromises.  You'll regret them.
9.  A good Fitness Report writes itself.  Do the hard work required to do a great job.
10.  Never ask one of your people to write their own award or Fitness Report.  It's not right.  And if it's not right, you're not done.  Go back and write their award and Fitness Report.  They deserve the recognition.
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8 comments:

  1. CWO4 Brian Ashpole, USN- RetiredFebruary 13, 2012 at 8:21 AM

    Basic tenents of leadership. I've failed on more than one occasion.

    ReplyDelete
  2. James HammerslaFebruary 13, 2012 at 1:03 PM

    Well put.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Justin Rogers ENS, USN (1170)February 13, 2012 at 6:47 PM

    This is a super post!! So glad to see a rule like #10 in written form. If you think about it, rule 10 takes care of rule 9,8 and 7...get 'er done!!!!!.

    ReplyDelete
  4. WagamamaFebruary 14, 2012 at 5:35 AM

    Great post Sir. I've fell victim to one of these once in awhile.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousFebruary 14, 2012 at 5:37 AM

    I wish today's USAF practiced some of these recommendations....today's usaf, well at least the air force intel types are "uniformed civillians" in my opinion....more worried about their lunch hour or getting another ribbon for consecutive tours in a building in conus........a lame service overall, it used to be cool, but not anything like it used to be. sad frankly.

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  6. AnonymousFebruary 14, 2012 at 5:38 AM

    Great post Sir. I have fell victim of one of these on occasion.

    Signed,

    Wagamama

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 12:20 AM

    Captain Lambert,

    From these words you were lucky to have a CMSGT as a guide when you were young. As some of the contributors have pointed out they may have failed a time or two in upholding these words, and I can add my name to that group.

    Very Respectfully,
    Navyman834

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousFebruary 19, 2012 at 2:43 PM

    Great tips. You have an awesome 'old man'.

    ReplyDelete