Chief Petty Officers are unique as senior enlisted leaders. Furthermore, no other U.S. military branch has senior non-commissioned officers with the degree of responsibility.
Accordingly, Chiefs have contributed to the success of the Navy for 130 years and counting. As well, they build on those traditions daily. History of the Chief Petty Officer (navy.mil)
Specifically, Chiefs are deck plate leaders and the backbone of the U.S. Navy. Unquestionably, the Navy would not perform well without Chiefs.
With so much volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) it seems foolish to write, a tremendous year. 2022 was and still is for a few days longer, quite a year.
I choose to focus on micro, rather than macro, topics for this blog. For me, I could get overwhelmed with the amount of negative news. As a result, I want to inspire the best in you and me with each post.
For this year, there have been 50 posts made in the blog. Currently, 51 if you count this one as well. I kicked off a series of experimental posts on LinkedIn which help feed longer form content on the blog.
I have no shortage of natural beauty to take in around our home. We still have fields nearby, which remind me of steady progress in our exurban town.
My wife and I celebrated 20 years of marriage last month. Our daughters have almost finished high school (secondary school). These are just personal highlights.
Improving continues to grow with over 1500 Improvers in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. We are strategically adding new firms to the growing concern that align with our values.
Professionally, the year has been rewarding for me. I’ll spare the details in this post. I will share that after a very challenging 2018 and early 2019, I’ve found a place where I belong.
A Tremendous Year – Beyond personal
I set a goal for 2022, and I believe I crushed it. It wasn’t personal, it was altruistic. In a sense, I was climbing Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Over the Thanksgiving (US) weekend last year, we drove to a town nearby, McKinney, TX. Each year the town host a “Christmas on the Square” event. It’s a big draw for local business and families alike. What is not to like about family and fun?
This year was different as the weather did not cooperate. It rained most of the afternoon and into the evening. For me, the conditions were perfect as I don’t like crowds.
For my wife and daughters, they made the best of a wet situation. By the way, “Christmas on the Square” has become a tradition for my wife and girls, not so much me.
Since none of the stand and few of the stores were open, it turned into a short experience. Or so I thought. The girls grabbed desert and we started for home after 20 or so minutes in the square.
As we returned to the parking garage, I asked about a place I knew was open; Arcade 92.
This looks like fun to me!
Video games connect family and fun
Since I had not been to Arcade 92, I only could imagine what I was suggesting we do. Given that our daughters are in the teens, I thought this might be a good way to make memories. Boy, was I right!
So, this brings me to the heart and purpose of the blog. As well, it brings me to the mission statement for Arcade 92.
From Arcade 92’s website
For me, the mission statement ties together my intent for this website. Just like gaming with my kids, my hope for this blog is similar. The wording is just a bit different;
Bring people together by providing a website to connect through experience
Design, indicators, and quality are connected. When we don’t think about them, they are doing their job well.
I was headed into the Dallas Improving office in June. The photo below is what showed up a short distance from home.
So, indicators and warnings. Yeah, I considered ignoring the tire pressure light.
But, I didn’t. I drove back home. Checked the pressure. Inflated the tires. Back on the road.
This brings me to a question on the first of the three thoughts.
What indicators or warnings are you ignoring from your teams?
Tire pressure warning light
Building on my thoughts above, I wanted to pose a different question.
Working in the product development space, I enjoy having a good experience. While the low tire pressure indication might be annoying from time to time, it is important.
When I consider user experience (UX) and experience design (XD) I want people to note important information.
Do you appreciate the value of having clear messaging from the products you use?
Another angle I considered with the original post was quality products or services.
Simple Theme – Design, Indicators, and Quality
My car is 14 years old. It has passed the average age for vehicles operating on U.S. roads.
The story on product quality is the car is still operating well and has very few noticeable defects.
Since I bought the car used, I don’t know its full history. I can share that for as long as I have owned it (since 2014) it has spent more time on the road than in the repair shop.
When quality is builtin, products last. Services are relatively easy to access and use. Routine maintenance keeps them operating well.
What is your experience with quality?
To tie this together, good design leads to timely indicators and solid quality. When products and services lack good design, they may fail to deliver indicators and quality.
Better outcomes are a combination of elements. In Scrum transparency, inspection, and adaptation are the pillars of empiricism. Add in “talk straight” and you have the basic concepts for this post.
I value transparency, which led to this post and a #lifeatimproving moment.
During a quarterly town hall, our CEO Curtis Hite asked for us the lean into the company’s vision. He was transparent about our needs, and he issued a “call to action”.
Better outcomes and questions
Here’s my challenge. Ask yourself the following questions.
First, does your CEO “talk straight”?
Second, do you know what is needed to execute the company’s vision based on transparency?
Third, can you inspect the results of progress?
Fourth, if the results don’t align with the vision, are you empowered to make adaptations to achieve the desired outcomes?
When you know the expectations and needs of the organization, you are positioned for planning. Planning then flows into building hypothesis which can be tested.
Enabling a “fail fast and learn” culture is what Scrum scaffolds and empiricism reveals.
In effect this creates a feedback loop. You have critical information available. This supports crafting “safe to fail” experiments. As a result, the organization “sees” the results (transparency), inspects them, and adapts them for improvement.
Alternatively, the company can stop actions that don’t achieve the desired results. This is due to “talking straight” and maintaining transparency.
About “talk straight”
In Stephen M.R. Covey’s book, “The Speed of Trust“, he writes:
“Talk Straight” is honesty in action. It’s based on the principles of integrity, honesty, and straightforwardness. As I said earlier, it means two things: to tell the truth and to leave the right impression. And both are vital to building trust.
I was sharing a story with our youngest daughter. She and her older sister are on a speech and debate team at the high school (secondary school) level. She was struggling with a fellow team member to the degree of high frustration.
It reminded me of how leadership is about influencing others to act or think a certain way.
I auditioned for in high school (secondary school) and was accepted into both the choir and chamber group. I was one of four or five second-year students to gain entry to the chamber group.
First, the normal invitation to join the chamber group was as a third-year or fourth-year student.
Second, the natural progression was from a junior choir to the main choir to the chamber group.
Finally, based on demonstrated progression, the student received the audition invitation.
For me, that wasn’t the case. My situation was highly unusual. I played piano and cello in elementary and middle schools (primary school). Occasionally, I sang in the church choir.
More bluntly, I was accepted into a group based on an audition with zero social credibility and influence.
Our daughter was feeling a similar lack of credibility and influence. She wanted to throw in the towel, so to speak.
I threw in the towel, I quit the chamber group and choir in the middle of my third year.
I regret my choice today as I took the easy way out of social pressure. In sharing that with our daughter it reminded me of how leaders feel at times.
My senior yearbook photo
Is this thing on?
The Navy’s promotion system worked well to provide enlisted leaders with credibility and influence at the senior level. As a chief petty officer, many would be transferred in the weeks and month following their “pinning”.
Pinning is the event when a Navy member receives the collar devices denoting a new paygrade. Often, this was several months before being paid at the new level.
When a chief transferred, he or she joined a new command with built-in credibility and influence. To be clear, this action is based on tradition as much as an understanding of familiarity.
People who are familiar or unfamiliar will treat leaders or new team members as a potential threat until proven otherwise.
Objectively, our brains are wired this way. We don’t like change. As a result, we get jealous of people who are elevated into authority or who are given greater influence.
If you can’t get a transfer to a new team, how do you gain credibility and influence?
For me, it’s about working with positive intent. Expressly, pursue the team relationships with openness and curiosity.
For this reason, we’ve been given two ears and one mouth. We need to listen with the intent to understand other people.
For me, blogging each weekend nearly one year ago. The action to do it was inspired by my move to Improving. This post covers my reflections on blogging regularly.
Done is greater than perfect.
Each blog post on LinkedIn came with risk. In my mind, there are a lot of questions around how posts would be received.
First, would people view them?
Second, then read them?
Third, would people comment on them?
Fourth, then share them?
Finally, will the posts be valued?
As a result, I can’t say I’m content. I am focused, like my post on Scrum value #2, but definitely not comfortable.
Reflections on blogging
As I write, I become more aware of what I don’t know.
My new LinkedIn profile banner
My old LinkedIn profile banner
By sharing my views, I open myself up to critics. As well, I open myself up to learning.
Blogging puts me back into the competition instead of sitting in the stands, observing others expressing their own understanding and views.
Most of my posts don’t go viral. I rarely see more than 1,000 views on LinkedIn. I see even fewer views on this blog.
That doesn’t stop me from sharing. By failing, I’ve learned what not to do. I’ve learned how to hurt and offend people.
As a result, I’m not proud of my learning. I am willing to share it to help others act and choose a different path.
I have a video posted on this blog that speaks to heroes, trauma, and finding “normal”.
For me, blogging allows me to share the scars I earned in life. To help people understand each other and extend kindness.
If blogging only positively impacts one person’s life, then my sharing has done what it was intended to do.
Wow, 2021 has been a wild year! As the year ends, I’ve been thinking about gratitude and kindness.
I know, there is still a week left during the year. Alternately, I it is not too early to reflect on how the year unfolded. As well, I look forward to how next year ought to begin.
Self reflection is a skill I have been trying to use recently. Given that I don’t like certain results, I feel compelled to look at my actions and attitudes. How did my actions and attitudes impact my results?
The question above is really tough to answer.
Equally as important, what beliefs do I hold that influence my actions and attitudes?
Another tough question to answer.
As humans being, we are all influenced by other humans being. As a result, none of us is immune to “stinkin’ thinkin'” or “so-so beliefs”. Working in the technology space, I find these concepts to be quite true given we are trying to solve complicated and complex problems.
There are plenty of books written on topics like attitude, beliefs, gratitude, and kindness. This post is not about my experience or reading.
Buc-ee the Beaver greeting visitors a one of several Texas fuel and market locations
Kickstart 2022 With Gratitude and Kindness
This week is your starting line. Use the week for reflecting and planning the next year. Resolutions are great, but only when backed up with action.
I get it. Planning really stinks and it’s challenging. I know some paraphrased quotes that reflect the concept.
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
— Benjamin Franklin
Everyone has a plan until they get ________.
— Mike Tyson (said something like this one time)
Plans are worthless, but planning is indispensable.
— Dwight D. Eisenhower
What if planning works for you? It could, and you might see different results in your work/life. For me, I plan to focus on being grateful and kind in 2022.
How that looks is where my plan becomes important. I will show gratitude and kindness by making opportunities for action. That is the plan and it is simple.
Try it, what do you have to loose? Do you know anyone who could benefit from some gratitude and kindness in 2022? Just think about how it would positively impact your colleagues and family.
Seriously, this is a question I struggle with almost daily. Yeah, about that question. I’ll let you know once I’ve figured it out.
Given that I don’t have an answer, here’s what I’ve discovered for myself. Mostly, it’s about attributes (and adjectives) in life. I enjoy:
Being on high performing teams
Contributing to problem solving
Laughing at work
Connecting with fellow humans being
Getting to geek out at work
Telling story that relate different topics
Writing witty content for the internet!
The list could be longer, but I don’t want to bore you (or me for that matter).
What I don’t want to be
I figured out that I don’t want to be a “forever child”. I joined the Navy at 19 years old and I never looked back. As well, I never went back home.
USS ARCHERFISH (SSN 678) ship seal
I didn’t want to go back home, so I don’t want to feel trapped by my past. Can you relate?
I don’t want to be taken too seriously. I’m serious, but not so serious that I would ask the question to a child or young person, “What do you want to be, when you grow up?”
I don’t want to be insincere.
I think this list is long enough to get my point across. There is too much pressure to figure out a constantly changing set of preferences in life.
Life is about preference
If my high school career counselor could see what happened to me, she would be amazed. I took a career aptitude inventory during my second or third year. It seemed to consign me to hair styling.
How ironic! I’m partially bald now!
That inventory challenged me to figure out a different way toward a career. I re-invented myself when I joined the Navy. As a result, I’ve been re-inventing me ever since!
Most of my pivots are based on preference. Having choices and options is a good thing! I’m glad that I do.
So, the next time I get asked or you get asked, “What do you want to be, when you grow up?”, consider this answer.
Once I’ve figured it out, I’ll let you know!
In the meantime, explore your preferences. See if teamwork is your thing (since you may have to be a team player at some time). Look for ways to geek out and get paid!
All I would like is that you don’t stay a “forever child”. Find a career path that works for you. Who knows, maybe we can work together in tech?
As a kid growing up in rural, central California, my Dad took me to the International Farm Equipment Show. It was a highlight for me because I spent the entire day with my Dad. As well, it was the first place where totally “geeked out!” I also discovered the I’m an undercover geek.
Yeah, I know, this reads a bit silly, and I’m OK with that.
Let me break down what, for me, being an undercover geek is about. Firstly, it’s about seeing new technology on display, before it hits the market. Secondly, it’s about getting beta or preview access to new software. Finally, it’s about (or used to be about) getting the hottest, newest tech before anyone else.
Most important, its about NOT shouting about all this new stuff from the roof tops!
I can’t emphasize this point enough. DO NOT TELL ANYONE you have access to new tech or go to events where new tech is on display!
Commissioning crew photo from the USS WYOMING (SSBN 742)
For me, being a geek was not what I wanted as an identity when I was younger. Now, I’m mostly OK with the label. Please don’t ask me to come over and fix your computer at home!
Back then, I was embarrassed about how my peers would see me. It was not cool to be a geek where I grew up. Times are different now.
I choose to geek differently as an adult than when I was a kid and teenager. I had a beta GMail account, before it went mainstream. I’m blogging on a laptop with a preview release of Windows 11.
I still struggle with the stigma of being an undercover geek. It’s not easy to outgrow the pain that came with the label. Although, I’m on complaining about the pay days as an adult!
Find your undercover geek and be OK
I want to encourage you. It’s OK to be an undercover geek. Don’t worry about what people might say if they found out that you have a passion for technology.
From a fellow undercover geek, I have your back. I figured out a way to make being an undercover geek pay off. Believe me, I never would have imagined that I could be part of a nuclear submarine crew when I was five!
