In larger organizations there is a tendency for the “institution” to dampen the “inspiration.” How do you keep this from happening?

2016-05-23T17:14:18-04:00

In some of our larger formations and organizations in the military there is a tendency for the "institution" to dampen the "inspiration" of those individuals assigned.

How do we as leaders (Officers, Warrant Officer, and NCOs) keep this from happening within our organizations?

What are some of the steps that can be taken to keep inspiration and motivation at its highest levels?

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made May 23 at 2016 5:17 PM

2016-05-23T17:17:03-04:00

Oh Yeah, That is why they call it the Uniformed Services, We have a great desire for Standardization and it makes it easy to teach using a Standard Model but that goodness their are folks like RADM Grace Hopper "There is always a better way to do things".

Response by LTC Stephen F. made May 23 at 2016 5:28 PM

2016-05-23T17:28:26-04:00

It is difficult when the civilian leadership of the military services or the external board of a large corporation believes it is their mandate to focus on social change instead of what is best for the nation and/or corporation COL Mikel J. Burroughs. In those I=situations it is best for leaders at all levels to focus on doing what they know us best for the people they are responsible for and the organization they are responsible for. The biblical admonition "They that endure to the end, the same shall be saved" seems very appropriate.
In all situations display the appropriate respect fro those assigned over you, your peers and your subordinates. Be prepared to go to bat for your subordinates while ensuring they both understand and keep consistently high standards of performance and appearance.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made May 23 at 2016 8:20 PM

2016-05-23T20:20:19-04:00

I continually "Paint A Target on My Back' but here goes.
The " Institution " has a tendency to " rest on their laurels and I view this as the POLITICALLY CORRECT mindset. Failing to understand the essential ingredient of inspiration that is, "personal recognition" and "human need", will sink the sturdiest ship. I have heard most of my life how antagonistic man is toward change and ALMOST agree that this also maintains the PC attitude. Change means we " must think outside the box" and that is alien to a lot of the staid and stoic in society.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made May 24 at 2016 12:48 AM

2016-05-24T00:48:49-04:00

Even in a large organization I focus on my own responsibilities and take my satisfaction from doing my own job well. This has led me into some very interesting and satisfying jobs as well.

Response by SrA Steve Susumu Monas made May 24 at 2016 4:24 AM

2016-05-24T04:24:47-04:00

Col. That's a hard one. I think it comes down to morale of the entire unit. Well if the organization binds together as a family it does make things better. Everything from company outings to shared leisure activities. But the open Door policy is what made every good unit I belonged to work well. So Communication from bottom to the top is essential.

Response by SrA Steve Susumu Monas made May 24 at 2016 4:25 AM

2016-05-24T04:25:51-04:00

Mandatory face time is what I was told...

Response by MAJ Michael Pauling made May 25 at 2016 8:17 PM

2016-05-25T20:17:44-04:00

by balancing between what is equal and what is fair.......ironically these two words do not mean the same thing

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made May 25 at 2016 9:21 PM

2016-05-25T21:21:28-04:00

It's an interesting question... even though small to mid size organizations offer some of the leading growth opportunities, I find it's typically larger organizations that have enough money and resources to provide ambitious individuals with true incentives to provide inspiration. In my experience, the critical success factor was how open and honest the communication was. And, the communication needed to be frequent and consistent, starting at the top, throughout the organization. Not only did this build trust but it also helped to create that feeling of camaraderie that a lot of us from the military crave... that one team, one mission, feeling

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made May 26 at 2016 5:07 PM

2016-05-26T17:07:10-04:00

This may sound silly, but personally I found my motivation at it's highest when I had opportunities to interact my CO. I come from a small MOS in the Air Wing. Most people don't acknowledge us unless something goes wrong. Now I wasn't suffering from low motivation at the time, but when my CO came down from the Headquarters building to my office and spoke with the Marines in my shop, it was a real boost for me. There were other things that my COs have done which kept my motivation going. My Unit would give the Marines their birthday off per the direction of the CO. Well I had one CO who personally came down to my shop to wish me a Happy Birthday and give me a birthday card.

I've also had my COs bring me a "Welcome Aboard" award for the births of my daughters. I've never felt like I belonged to a Unit more in my life. One of my CO's wife even crocheted a baby blanket for my daughter. My daughters even received a Christmas present from the Commanding General.

These are all minor tokens in the grand scheme of things, but I can tell you that I stood a bit straighter every day. I worked a little bit harder every day. I felt like I belonged to my Unit and I was truly sad when I had to move on.

To me, it's the little things that matter the most. Why does a LtCol need to waste his time asking how a PFC or LCpl's day was? Because at the end of the day, it's that PFC or LCpl that is working hard to achieve the LtCol's mission. It's easier to accomplish the mission at hand if the junior troops believe someone recognizes their contribution to the fight.

Response by LTC Jesse Edwards made May 26 at 2016 6:45 PM

2016-05-26T18:45:01-04:00

Leadership driving the culture.

Left to its own, institutions naturally move towards entropy.