I love being a manager. I enjoy working with people and helping them achieve their greatest potential. Consequently, I read a lot of business management books. This week, I want to share one I have returned to almost annually. It is the management lessons learned from the “best damn ship in the Navy.”
Several years ago, I attended a conference and Captain Mike Abrashoff was the speaker.He had just published his first book, “It’s Your Ship”. I was riveted by his stories and how he handled situations. From the first moment of his command of the U.S.S. Benfold, he had an uphill battle. During the change of command ceremony, as the previous captain left the ship, the crew broke Navy protocol and cheered – and not in a respectful way. They hated the previous captain and it showed. The Benfold was last place in every ranking and certification. This was a ship in trouble.
When Captain Abrashoff left his command a few years later, the Benfold had completely turned around, winning the Spokane Award for being the best ship in the Pacific Fleet. This was not an easy turnaround for any involved and Abrashoff details the steps through countless stories that are engaging and pertinent. His insight helped me see exactly how running a guided missile destroyer is much like being the president of a division in a very large conglomerate. He had to learn to fit within an organization that did not always support his ideas, entrenched in dogma and “this is how we always do it” thinking. How many of us feel in the same situation in our companies?
I have used many of his principles in the command of my teams, such as Listen Aggressively, Build Up Your People, Create A Climate of Trust and Lead By Example. Every chapter is seasoned with examples of how it worked for him. How well written are the stories? Every one of my children have read this book. They enjoy the stories of his unorthodox ways of rewarding the crew while on patrol in the Persian Gulf, enforcing the blockade of Iraq after the first Gulf War.
How unorthodox? Well, Captain Abrashoff never let anything stand in the way of rewarding his crew for top performance. Because of their best rating of launching cruise missiles, the Navy rewarded them by insisting their ship alone be left on patrol on New Years Eve. While all the other, poorer performers were going to be on shore, enjoying leave, his crew was “rewarded” by being stuck on the ship, “enjoying” a dry New Year’s Eve. Abrashoff thought it highly unfair. So, using the “Company VISA”, he rented a barge to be towed out to where they were on patrol, fully stocked with all the food and drink for a great party. After a hard day at work, the Benfold pulled up to their party barge and had a good time. The irony? On shore, rains overflowed all the sewers of the port town and all the other crews had to spend New Year’s Eve dry and stuck on their ships.
Another of my favorite examples was using technology and company resources to improve the lives of the crew. Abrashoff made it a point to talk to every one of the crew at least once a year. Ideas he gleaned from these talks were enacted immediately. One such idea came from the lowliest of of the low. New recruits to the Navy are always stuck on painting detail, a boring, yet necessary, job that never ends. The only way to get off painting duty is to pass certain exams, but with all the painting, there is never any time to study.
One young seaman noticed that the reason they painted was because of rust. All the fittings, nuts and bolts were made of iron and began to rust immediately in the salt air. His idea? Change them all for stainless steel which doesn’t rust. Why no one in the Navy had thought of that in the last 200 years is amazing. Abrashoff sent him to Home Depot with the “Company VISA” and they changed everything out. Not only did they save enough time painting so the seamen could study, they actually saved taxpayer money because they went from painting the entire ship six times annually to just once. Now all the ships in the Navy are switching out. Imagine the savings, all from an idea from the lowliest Seaman. It pays to Listen Aggressively.
Another thing I like about Abrashoff’s style is his willingness to admit his mistakes. This is not a captain who walks on water and he knows it. He spends time going over the things he did wrong, how it effected him and his crew and what he should have done differently. As usual, the candidness strikes home. If all managers were this honest with themselves, many more problems could be avoided.
I make it a point to read this short book annually. Every time I do, I see an area where I can improve. This is one of my highest recommended books, along with his subsequent books, Get Your Ship Together: How Great Leaders Inspire Ownership From The Keel Up
Originally posted at www.mindlikemonkey.com
