07 May 2013

Getting the Job Done with Cutbacks on the Horizon


The latest contribution in our series on military leadership best practices. The following advice is especially relevant given our current environment of budget cuts and uncertainty. 


As I transitioned to new assignments, I would learn the expectations of my Senior NCOs and Officers, and I tried to meet them every day, week, or month. As I went up in rank, I spoke to those in more junior ranks and let them know what my expectations were. It's a two way street. I received feedback from senior personnel and provided feedback down.




Now with all the cuts coming, you are going to have to do more with less. It's going to be tough. Not only will the lower ranks be stretched thin, but upper ranks are going to have be thinking outside the box in order to get the job done. It's going to be hard. Some will fail.

However, some will succeed because they took the time to find out years ago what was expected of them, and they figured out how to do it with limited effort. They can meet today's challenge with what is left.

Don Pope (CMSgt, USAF Ret)
Always do the right thing!


1 comment: