The Next Watch

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My husband took voluntary retirement after completing 20 years of service in the Indian Navy. Like him, many of his course-mates made the hard decision of parting company from the organization that made them men of substance. Their day began at 4:45 AM whilst others were partying till the wee hours of the morning. They were learning about battle ships and weapons while others were still figuring out video games and boy-toys. They were building on their stamina while others ran out of steam by chasing girls. They learned about teamwork and comrade while others were busy trying to fit-in. They motivated others to follow their orders while others were finding motivation for themselves. They led by example and set high standards for themselves while others were still following the herd. They displayed high regard for healthy competition while others were busy outsmarting their peers. All this and more, turned an 18 year old boy with a mindset of a 25 year old young gentleman. And in the prime of their career they decided to quit. The reasons were broadly two: Future or Family.

But quitting is hard. Literally speaking, the Organization itself is a maze and to find your way out, one needs immense perseverance and patience. It’s such a daunting task that most prefer to be in uniform till their retiring age. But at a deeper level, hanging one’s uniform is akin to discarding everything you have been trained to be so far.

So what is in the training that sets them apart?

“It’s the toughest job”. Military training is all about creating the ideal soldier. From landing an aircraft on a pitching ship to shooting a heavy machine gun to just looking at the Milky Way from someplace without city lights for hundreds of miles, they have done things most others only see in movies.

The core values of loyalty, integrity, honor and courage are so deeply ingrained in each soldier that it becomes the only way to be. And that is why serving in the military is not for everyone.

According to Carl Forsling you shouldn’t join the armed forces if you can't handle pain, misery and being pushed to the limits, as you will spend some length of time at the beginning being treated horribly. Like being screamed at for not ironing your shirt properly. Your drill sergeant will make you do push-ups until you arms fall off or stay awake all night. You will be sent to some place so awful that no sane human actually wants to live there. You wont see your family for a while. You could get seriously injured or worse; killed in combat. Its crystal clear that a career in the armed forces is not for the fainthearted. Basically, they go through hell. And the positive mindset and the training serve them well.

But there are a few bad habits of thought and behavior that become stumbling blocks in achieving success in the business world. Tackling these blocks is not about discarding the ingrained values of honor, courage, integrity and loyalty but about adapting to a new playing field. Antonio from highspeedlowdrag.com explains some of the challenges and how to overcome them.

FOLLOWING ORDERS

Soldiers are trained to obey without questioning. In a military situation it is an efficient system when it’s a matter of life and death. But once you are outside of a high-stakes situation where there is little time to think or evaluate, this mindset becomes less useful. Thinking like a follower and not a leader greatly reduces personal and professional growth.

In order to reduce stagnation one has to learn how to rethink one’s relationship with giving or obeying orders. Viewing it as a direction rather than an order can prove helpful as it helps in not being bound to a specific course of action-just to a specific result. Remember, objectives not orders. No one is a superior officer anymore. You are allowed to use your initiative.

RELIANCE ON INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

Its not just food and housing – its health care, supplies for whatever task you have at hand; even the clothes on your back. You are expected to take decent care of what you are given and when stuff breaks there is going to be someone to fix it for you. The result is that the brain is just not all that ready for basic stuff that doesn’t cost a lot but makes you feel like “burning a whole in your pocket.” Even though you are not used to an extravagant lifestyle, there will be times when you will be expected to meet demands and expectations just to keep up with the Joneses. You may have to take your team out for a celebratory meal and entertaining them outside a DSOI is expensive business. But focus on the personal and professional benefits of spending fun time with your co-workers, instead of worrying about the monetary loss.

EXPECTATION OF RESPECT FROM CIVILIANS

People outside the military have limited awareness of the job of a soldier. They think of military service as just another job or might look at it as a training and educational experience similar to college. These perceptions are hard to swallow when soldiers put themselves out there, ready to die or lose a limb for the sake of a nation. And it’s easy for veterans to come out of the service with a real chip on their shoulder and then beating down into a grudging mindset where nobody seems to respect your service is a tough negative influence to overcome.

It may help to realize that your service on its own is in the past. Even if people think it’s an admirable profession in the world, it wouldn’t have much effect on their current interests. What is important to them is how you are performing NOW. So instead of expecting the world to rest on a laurel wreath for the rest of your life after serving in the armed forces, focus on what people need from you. If you are getting things done and done well, you are making the impression you need to without the help of your military record.

TREATMENT OF SUBORDINATES

Officers are elite, at least within their world. They are used to the vast majority of people around them being automatically obedient. That can be a serious tripwire when you get out into the civilian world. The truth is people don’t just do what they are TOLD. That can be a struggle for officers who are good at sitting down, figuring out who needs to do what to achieve a task efficiently, and then handing out assignments. As soon as you start bringing things like “committees” into the equation, the assignments never end up handed out quite the way you expected. You end up needing to convince people that your method is the best one, rather than having it be assumed by virtue of your rank.

It’s a major adjustment to go from someone who orders to someone who persuades — but it’s the adjustment that has to happen to succeed in most civilian fields. Don’t assume that you have any inherent authority. Instead, start with the assumption that no one has authority over anyone else, and that you have to EARN people’s willingness to do what you say. Just because you “outrank” the IT tech doesn’t mean you wont need his help when your email goes wonky. Be nice to him, and you are most likely to get timely aid than you are if you have been bossing around the people on the bottom of the totem pole.

RELIANCE ON FORCED PT Like a lot of things in the armed forces, you don’t have to think about when or where to work out. They tell you when to do that and ample facilities to choose the way you want to stay in shape. But once you leave the services, they lose both the structured PT and the culture of work-outs and can quickly get out of shape. It can be a rude shock for most to find themselves in ill health and weak physical condition. Its important then to immerse yourself in a mindset where exercise is “normal” and not part of a “regime”. Remember, when the lifestyle changes, the thought process has to change too, otherwise your body starts to suffer pretty quickly.

The transition can be hard, it is easy to feel lost, out of place and maybe even disheartened for a while. But take heart, in knowing that you can translate your military training and its values into the business world. That will make you unstoppable.