Who Delivers Your Message?

It took me awhile to learn that choosing the right messenger to deliver a message can be as important as the message itself.  What I'm talking about here is presenting your idea to a senior to gain their support or acceptance.  Sometimes they want to believe they came up with the great idea on their own.  So picking the right person to deliver your idea can become a critical step in the process. Without the right person delivering it, your idea/message may languish in the "GREAT IDEAS MUST DIE" bin.  If you carefully search your boss's office, you may find such a bin where the boss collects all the great ideas that he's killed. Beware of the overflowing bin.

The science behind all this is called cognitive science.  These cognitive scientists have demonstrated time and time again that what is being said may actually matter far less than who is saying it. Getting you idea accepted by the boss thus may depend on selecting the right Shipmate, the right settings, and the right time for getting your idea to escape the "GREAT IDEAS MUST DIE bin. 

I, along with many of my Shipmates have learned this the hard way, through trial and error. Some call this "lessons learned".  If they are called lessons learned, how come we never seem to learn anything?

Consider that sometimes the best messenger may be someone outside your normal peer group. Find someone that has been an activist in our cryptologic who has been working on the front lines for decades. If you don't want your idea to end up in the GREAT IDEAS MUST DIE bin be intentional about choosing a messenger who is viewed with trust, respect and the appropriate level of authority on your issue.  Try it.  It works.

This guy has loved the Navy for a long long time - still loves her today. Just another fool in love.

Almost 6,000,000 views on Google +

Check me out on Google +  HERE

Captain Don East has slipped the surly bonds of earth and touched the face of God

I can only think of one person that is not saddened by the passing of Captain Don East who was a beloved Chief Petty Officer and Commanding Officer.  Fellow aviator and VQ skipper CDR John T. Mitchell has been waiting for Don since March of 1984 when John and his VQ crew were lost en route to Guam.  I'm sure they both have some great stories to share.

New Officer in Charge at Navy Information Operations Detachment Groton, CT

The multi-talented LCDR Ryan Haag.

It's what we do. It's what we have always done. It's what we will always do.

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen.  Do great things in great ways for our Navy.  Seems like this is our anniversary.  Happy Anniversary.

11 MARCH 1935 MARKED THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE WORD "GROUP" IN THE TITLE OF THE NAVAL CRYPTOLOGIC ORGANIZATION AND IS OBSERVED AS THE BIRTH OF THE NAVAL SECURITY GROUP.

From Jan Tighe's message announcing the end of NSG in 2005.  The cryppies are back.  Ironic that she announced our departure and our return.

And HERE is her guest post on STATION HYPO.

Some cool folks at NCDOC

Pull an oar

First you must learn to pull an oar before you can take the helm.

Coming back soon...

NIOD Kaneohe Bay Sailor of the Year

NSGD Barbers Point was the predecessor of NIOD Kaneohe.  Established in 1982, I think. Arguably, some of the best CTs in the Navy passed through our doors over the past 34 years. The worst of those Sailors was above average. The average Sailor was a force to be reckoned with.  The best of those Sailors were simply incredible.  I am imagining that Petty Officer Evers has a really good shot at being CNO Sea Sailor of the Year.  I know an OIC who could not be prouder of her or her Shipmates in Kaneohe.  BZ Shipmates!

CTT1 (NAC/IDW/AW) Courtney Evers is the 2015 Fleet Cyber Command Sea Sailor of the Year

I can't find the news anywhere but I heard that she's pretty awesome.  She's a NIOD Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii Sailor.

Forward ... to the past. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I rest my case. Keeping cryptology alive, one Sailor at a time.

The command triad is a myth

Thanks to Jeff Bacon. http://broadside.navytimes.com

The Navy's notion of a command triad is largely a myth.  The team of CO, XO and CMC (SEL) is important to the success of any Navy command.  There is no question that commands do significantly better when these three individuals operate as a team.  But is there really a 'command' triad? More than a small number of commands are operating without a cohesive team at the top.  Trying to run a command with a weak member of that group is devastating.  It's as difficult as trying to balance something atop a tree legged stool.

More Jeff Bacon cartoons HERE.

You must put your ideas down on paper

From the Commander, TENTH Fleet strategic plan

Accountability: 

For those who depend on us, we will always deliver what we say we deliver.

For those on whom we depend, we will always be clear and exact in communicating our needs.


Words have meaning.  We're missing the mark by a wide margin in both cases above.