The military whether in the U.S. or any other country comes under constant scrutiny and criticism for what it does wrong. This is true both when at war, when at peace and when preparing for conflict. Beneath the weapons, the camouflage and the rigid tradition-bound hierarchy there are many things the military does right. These can serve as examples for businesses and organizations of all sizes.
Accept only the best people. In spite of the recent controversy about U.S. Army recruiting not meeting goals, the military is always looking for the best men and women for their enlisted ranks and their officer corps. Standards, while they may be modified from time to time, are very high.
Training. New recruits. New enlisted personnel and new officers go through extensive training. While it differs from service to service, the training breaks men and women down to their raw attributes and skills and builds them up into the mold of the ideal soldier, sailor, airman or marine. This is only the first step of a continuous cycle or training.
Standards. Clear standards for are established for every role, job and function. This applies to both performance in the job and promotion to the next level. There is no guessing about roles – they are spelled out clearly. Performance is measured against established and documented standards for each function and role. Thus the guessing of what is expected is eliminated.
Promotion from within. Whether it is from enlisted ranks to specialties and non-commissioned officers or from lowest ranking officers to higher levels of pay and responsibility, promotions are made among the best performers and the most qualified in each area and function. Of course these are based on the “needs of the service”, but that is realistic to expect in any endeavor. This creates incentives for all to advance. Those who do not measure up and are not promoted are not retained – it is up or out.
Career paths. Every jobs, role and function has a career path. Whatever job one does, there are paths for advancement that include additional jobs, functions, training and education. These are all clearly spelled out. There are not vagaries of “where do I go from here”. Also, if one wants to change jobs, skills or functions, there are processes and mechanisms which spell that out too.
Performance management. Clear objectives, required performance reviews and promotion, pay and privileges based on these are essential to the military. What one does every day and how it is done is measured against established goals and objectives. Performance reviews are not optional. They are an essential part of the career management process for every single enlisted person and officer from Private to General, from Seaman to Admiral without exception.
More training. Training is on-going for every job, role and function. And advancing to the next level is often dependant on completing training with a performance threshold or completing additional education. Education and training are continuous and integral to advancement and performance evaluations.
Selfless. While it is unlikely that a business or organization person is going to put their life on the line for their co-workers or for a customer, it is something to consider. In the military, the team is valued over the individual. All efforts are toward making the team and unit successful in completing the mission. The enemy can be thought of as the competition. All must be done to defeat the enemy in the military. In business, all must be done to beat the competition through a selfless commitment to the customer and the team. The mission is above all.
Leadership. The military invests heavily in imbuing leadership at all levels of the organization. This goes beyond formal training to include mentoring and development for enlisted personnel and officers. In business, leadership is often an afterthought. Various management styles from effective to abusive are accepted without much thought to development or mentorship. The military model is based around the importance of effective and consistent leadership.
Longevity. How many CEOs are brought in from on company to run another? From one industry to another? This has become the rule not the exception. The military rewards longevity without rewarding mediocrity. The longevity is tied to performance. Only the best of the best rise in the ranks and remain. While it is unlikely that businesses today will adopt this element of the military model, it does have merit.
The military is often the butt of jokes and viewed as the ultimate in inefficiency. In reality, businesses organizations of all sizes can learn from the things that the military does every day enable it to better accomplish its mission through its people.
George F. Franks, III is the founder and CEO of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coach Federation.
George can be reached at: gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com
George's weblog is: http://consultingandcoaching.blogspot.com
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