To no surprise, writing is my strongest form of communication. I love receiving something to read because I know the sender had to have put some thought into what they sent. Although handwritten letters are the best and most fair of them all, I do enjoy a good memorandum to send home a message.
I will happily stand in front of a crowd and say what needs to be passed. It does not mean I am comfortable, but I understand it's part of my job. What I like to do is create an orchestra on paper, and each time I write, Meatloaf's "Bat Out of Hell" is playing in my head.
I will happily stand in front of a crowd and say what needs to be passed. It does not mean I am comfortable, but I understand it's part of my job. What I like to do is create an orchestra on paper, and each time I write, Meatloaf's "Bat Out of Hell" is playing in my head.
Every time I write, I know I have the opportunity to create a real rock opera. Unfortunately reading is also the hardest way to keep someone's attention. It forces the reader to think critically and visualize instead of being force fed the message, but I will not argue that YouTube is awesome in many ways too. Still, every once in a while, I will write something to my team that I am proud of, and that's what I'm sharing with you here.
I do not get to cite all the influences in this piece, and I do not claim to come up with every word as original, but I will say that these phrases or quotations had to be sliced and inserted appropriately in order to form a more perfect message:
5 Oct 24
MEMORANDUM
From: Leading Petty Officer, Health Services, USS AMERICA (LHA 6)
To: Junior Enlisted, Health Services, USS AMERICA (LHA 6)
5 Oct 24
MEMORANDUM
From: Leading Petty Officer, Health Services, USS AMERICA (LHA 6)
To: Junior Enlisted, Health Services, USS AMERICA (LHA 6)
Subj: IRREGULAR STATE OF THE DEPARTMENT REVIEW AND PROJECTION
1. PURPOSE.
To serve as a disclosure of my thoughts, reaffirm expectations, and provide insights on the happenings of the Health Services Department concerning E6 and below.
2. BACKGROUND.
At departmental duty turnover today I threw an empty bottle of hand sanitizer across the room. It was done out of frustration, and it was a straw that caused me to act out of character. How did we get here?
3. MORALE.
Overall, it is my observance that morale is beginning to uptick toward a favorable place. I would give credit to our lieutenants who work really hard to recognize our team, and our newest check-ins who infuse their positive mental attitudes into our workplace every day. They also come curious and willing to do work. Their only blind spots are from what more seasoned staff a) have not taught them yet and b) what our seasoned staff tolerates as acceptable.
4. QUALIFICATIONS.
I am living proof of what happens when qualifications are not done in a timely manner; the road gets longer, more graded, and lined with potholes. Unless you are built for that kind of experience, now, in-port, is the time to put in that effort. Becoming qualified is largely done on your own time, and it's an exercise of its management.
I read and reviewed the reports, your delinquency is a) hurting the preparedness of the ship b) exposing a risk to the quality of healthcare and c) detrimental to your professional growth and development.
I do not want this to be made clear when it is time to sign evaluations because I'd rather do it now. If you don't know, find a mentor, request a Career Development Board, eat a slice of humble pie and state how lost you are. There are few harder responsibilities I must do than not recommend a request because it is tied to a requirement you failed to uphold. In essence, I would argue this is a delayed gratification problem.
Subj: IRREGULAR STATE OF THE DEPARTMENT REVIEW AND PROJECTION
5. COMMUNICATION. The Macho Man Randy Savage promised us that the cream will rise to the top. The same with good ideas. This is also true with problems. This is not a ban on the utilization of open door policies, but a summary of what you are actually doing. When ideas, problems, or schedules are not addressed at the lowest level, chaos is being invited into our work, and it presents itself in interesting ways.
If these are not vetted appropriately, you expose yourself to look like a fool from the spelling of your letters/emails to the line of thinking. It also places your audience in a potentially precarious situation of appearing the same when they try to right a ship based on one-sided information. It is my duty to preserve the integrity of those in the chain of command and its information, but this cannot be done when the chain is not properly used.
Use your Second Classes, use the other First Classes, I am obligated to serve in your best interest and if rates are elevated that is what is going to happen. Give everyone the courtesy to work on problems for their paygrade. With my chest, I will predict that anyone who is not seeing this has never truly held the responsibility of caring for anyone beyond their own self-interests and placed in the role of leadership. It does not mean you cannot or will not, but give it time and allow the process to happen.
6. DECISION-MAKING.
We are all saddled with forces working against one another. From previously mentioned self-interests, to fear of humility, to bank of knowledge, to lack of perspective. All of these and more make a good product turn bad. It makes good systems appear weak and broken. If there was one
pearl of wisdom I adopted prior to checking into this command it was simple:
pearl of wisdom I adopted prior to checking into this command it was simple:
TAKE THE HARD JOB.
Simple, but not easy. Don't know anything about 3M? Work to get 303 qualified and become the AWCS. Don't know anyone outside of the department? Volunteer for that working party. Having trouble "breaking" your evaluation group? Join an association. The possibilities of decisions are endless, but it is your decision if you choose to do the hard job. Everyone wants to skip the struggle not knowing that is where character is built.
Simple, but not easy. Don't know anything about 3M? Work to get 303 qualified and become the AWCS. Don't know anyone outside of the department? Volunteer for that working party. Having trouble "breaking" your evaluation group? Join an association. The possibilities of decisions are endless, but it is your decision if you choose to do the hard job. Everyone wants to skip the struggle not knowing that is where character is built.
7. LEAD.
My role is many things as the LPO. It is not my job to create a tensionless state of being. I will however try to create a safe environment where you can try your best. This allows you to fail, to learn, and then succeed. My job is to help you find something to strive and struggle for, a goal worthy of yourselves because when you can't find a deep sense of meaning, you will distract yourselves with pleasure.
This isn't taking all the bricks off your back, but recognizing which bricks are needed to put on for you to build something you are proud of. Through an undefined formula of time, patience, and consistency, what emerges is a unified team headed towards a common goal, or what we call in our line of work "the mission." My function is not to create more followers, rather more leaders.
8. TEAMWORK.
"Competition is the law of the jungle, but cooperation is the law of civilization." If you want to live in a world as dark and dangerous as the jungle, prepare to remain competitive. If you want to build something, you will need to work together. This is an insider tip, I expect the most junior Sailors talk to me about their accomplishments because that's where they are in their leadership journey.
They perceive accomplishment as something done themselves when their name is on the marquee. More defined leadership is seen through two lenses: a) when you pull everyone around you up to your same level of accomplishment and b) when you're able to allow them to use your shoulders to stand see even further. The best leaders have everyone saying they were successful because they did it themselves.
9. LITTLE THINGS.
It is now a cliché, but if we cannot do the little things, then how can we be expected to do the bigger things? If we can't throw away out empty bottles of hand sanitizer, or box of doughnuts that were gifted to the department, or clean after an ice-cream social, or make our beds after duty, or shine our boots, or restock our shelves, or take out/fold laundry, or anything else we purposely overlook, we are not seeing the forest through the trees. It all adds up. I do not expect everyone to be the brightest, and I don't expect everyone to be dumb, and I know no one woke up in the morning to say that they're going to be the problem today, but I do expect everyone in this department to have the character to
Subj: IRREGULAR STATE OF THE DEPARTMENT REVIEW AND PROJECTION
put the grocery cart away in its proper stall without being incentivized. This is not Aldi, this is an organization which cultivates good people to try and test them every step of the way. Buzz words such as satisfaction, organizational commitment, Happiness, value, or morale are all interlocked in with the
struggle of achieving a more perfect Navy.
Subj: IRREGULAR STATE OF THE DEPARTMENT REVIEW AND PROJECTION
put the grocery cart away in its proper stall without being incentivized. This is not Aldi, this is an organization which cultivates good people to try and test them every step of the way. Buzz words such as satisfaction, organizational commitment, Happiness, value, or morale are all interlocked in with the
struggle of achieving a more perfect Navy.
10. PROJECTION.
I like the projection our department is headed. We have good people who are eager to learn and try. Closed mouths don't get fed, and if it's out of your hands it should be free from your mind, too. Read good books, ask good questions, and don't forget your dose of humility with your
morning orange juice. It may not work out on YOUR timeline. The best investments take time to mature and produce dividends so remember the lessons and never quit.
C. W. RASTALL
morning orange juice. It may not work out on YOUR timeline. The best investments take time to mature and produce dividends so remember the lessons and never quit.
C. W. RASTALL