On Veteran’s Day, Write a New Story
On the 11th Day of the 11th hour of the 11th month fighting stopped and this day, which began as Armistice Day, started as a celebration of the peace that…
The World Class Butthole
I was coming up on my first annual performance evaluation as an officer in the Navy and, as the day approached for my debrief, I wasn’t really worried because I…
Mess Creates More Mess
I just saw “The Great Gatsby” with my youngest son, Ben, last night. One of my favorite quotes from the movie (and the book) came from Daisy Buchanan. When asked…
Common Sense Isn’t Common
The ocean swells were so large I thought I was reliving the beginning scene of Gilligan’s Island. I had only been in the Navy for six months and out to…
Teamwork Is ALL About ME!!
Whenever I teach a class or share my thoughts with an audience on teamwork, I always give the old adage of “There’s no ‘I’ or ‘U’ in the word TEAM.”…
SHUT UP!
He was trying to be patient. I know he was. I was excited to be at my first duty station and learn my trade. I had just gotten finished with…
Unconventional Process!? Unconventional Results!
The stench of sweat, mothballs and fear permeated the room as the timer went off and the instructor said, “Go!” It was our final locker inspection for my graduation from…
Leading Through The Zombie Apocalypse
Beware, it’s coming….the zombie apocalypse! Ok, probably not, but 2017 is sure to throw you a challenge or two in leading others through change. On this past season of the “Walking…
Six Things NOT TO Share With Your People
“Sweet, Lord! Please do not share ANYTHING else with me!” is what I thought as she droned on about everything that was going on in her life. As a new…
Teaching Pigs To Sing
When the message came in, I knew it was trouble. We had been able to maintain our numbers for a good while but this was going to be a big…