Take Care Of Your People
In October 2010, I drove from Phoenix, Arizona, to Newport, Rhode Island, to report for my initial Navy training at Officer Training Command - Newport. Our primary drill instructor was this old crusty Senior Chief who was on his last tour before retirement. Senior Chief was an absolute trip, and I have several notebook pages of quotes from him that warrant a separate post. After twenty-plus years in the Navy, Senior Chief had a wealth of experience in mentoring and supervising young sailors from all walks of life. He harped on a lot of things during our five weeks together, but one thing he reiterated over and over again was a simple concept that revealed a lot about his humanity and emotional intelligence.
“Take care of your people.”
Senior Chief always wanted my classmates and me to think about the people around us and do whatever we could to mentor them, protect them from unnecessary hardship caused by overbearing senior managers, help them along, see the bigger picture, empower them to learn and grow, and check in on their personal well-being.
I’m lucky to have a good, stable job, but our managers could definitely use a reminder to take care of their people. The culture at our office is going downhill, and the fact that so many managers just don’t take care of their people is, in my opinion, the root cause of a number of issues. Some simple things would go a long way.
Appreciate hard work and recognize people when it happens.
Trust your people and avoid micromanaging.
Never let ego cloud judgment or factor into decision-making.
People want more money and time off. Hook them up in these areas when possible. (This is another piece of wisdom from Senior Chief).
Refrain from making unnecessary busy work for people.
Don’t be entitled or act like a prima donna.
Shield people from petty tyrants up the chain of command who can make life miserable for everyone.
Treat everyone with respect.
Be level-headed and consistent.
Listen to people.