What can businesses learn from the armed forces about building a great team?

Reports state that the air-traffic controller handling the small plane that collided with a helicopter over the Hudson River on Aug. 8 was simultaneously “bantering” on the phone about a dead cat on the taxiway. I wondered why someone with responsibility for others’ lives would engage in such foolishness. I’m sure we will hear some official lamenting, “We can’t get good people,” especially if the controller was young. Maybe we’ll hear, “We aren’t paying enough to get the best people.” Those are pretty good stock excuses. But organizations we all know well have figured out how to get results in high-risk jobs with poorly paid young people.

The night before that accident, I was at the Marine Corps Barracks in Washington, D.C., to see the Silent Drill Platoon. The platoon performs intricate marching maneuvers in total silence. The Marines twirl, throw and catch ten-pound M-1 rifles in perfect precision, with no verbal commands or music to help them keep time. The Marine Drum and Bugle Corps marches and plays a concert.

The show is impressive, but most impressive is the youth and esprit de corps of the participants. To me, they are great representatives of more than 2 million men and women in all branches of the military who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those men and women are young, low-paid volunteers who perform at a high level under extreme conditions and at great personal risk.

There are more examples. The PBS documentary “Carrier” recently spotlighted the young men and women who manage the flight decks and fly the aircraft on the USS Nimitz. Sailors barely out of high school orchestrate the movements of $100 million aircraft in a crowded space where one small mistake can be fatal. The New York Times published an article recently about the increased role of women in combat. Several have been decorated for valor under fire.

You can’t pay enough for what these people do. But without paying what it is worth, with combat deployments almost a given, in good times and bad, the services manage to find millions of capable volunteers, taking people from all walks of life and molding them into effective individuals and units. How can that be, and what lessons can we learn about building effective work teams? All branches of the military promote the idea of being part of something special and important; something that’s not for everybody: “The few, the proud, the Marines.” People want to be part of something special, but how often does a business advertise that it is a major accomplishment to make the team?

Each service has a clearly written mission, values and code of conduct. Recruits, trainees and veterans all know exactly what behaviors are expected and the consequences of failure to meet those standards. How many businesses take the time to articulate those things? How many use them for recruitment and for evaluation of all employees? Any organization can create a mission and values and code of conduct. It doesn’t cost a dime. We can’t all be the Marines, but that doesn’t mean our values and missions can’t be special.

Then there is indoctrination and training. The military spends months hammering home those unique values and ensuring recruits gain the skills they need. They constantly stress teamwork. Some don’t make it and are asked to leave. Businesses can’t match that level of training, but really, how much indoctrination and training does the average new hire get today? Most training, in my experience, is on performing tasks, not on values or teamwork. The priority seems to be getting busy hands working quickly, not building a great employee or a great team. When I hear about problem employees from business owners, more often than not the problems are with individual or group behavior.

Finally, there is responsibility. Watching those young people running a carrier flight deck brought home to me how little real responsibility is given to the average young employee. When you set the target low, that’s what you get. Giving younger employees enough responsibility to test them, with supportive supervision, is a great way to engage them and help them grow.

The economy will start turning around and businesses will be hiring again. Now would be a great time for business leaders to think about improvements in the recruitment, indoctrination and training processes and about documenting a compelling mission, values and code of conduct. It’s never too late to indoctrinate existing employees, so perhaps that should be on the agenda too. And when the hiring starts, don’t forget that there are many veterans out there who have great values and esprit de corps, are responsible and know how to be part of a high-performance team.

• Richard Randall is founder and president of management-consulting firm New Level Advisors in Springettsbury Township, York County. E-mail him at info@newleveladvisors.com.

As originally published in the Central Penn Business Journal

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