Bring People Together

Soon people bicker, sabotage begins, and the workplace is totally dysfunctional. Making collaboration a reality is the vital antidote needed.

The day after I took command, I called the department heads to a meeting. I gave them a very simple message: Collaboration was to be a top priority, and when it came to rank them, one of my criteria would be how well they supported the other departments. Anyone who refused to cooperate would be ranked at the bottom.

But I also made them a promise: “Look, you guys know that I have to rank you and not all of you are going to be considered for command.” If they weren’t ranked at the top but had done a good job, I guaranteed that I would do whatever I could when they left the ship to help them get whatever jobs they wanted in whatever place. “And if you’re planning on leaving the Navy,” I said, “I’ll get you a job that helps you prepare for that transition.”

After that, the department heads saw that it was in their interest to cooperate. And in hindsight, if I could point to one thing that made Benfold excel, it was the departments working together as a team. I would see the heads of the five departments in the officers’ mess, working out issues among themselves because they didn’t want to have to come to me to resolve a problem.

Once the team concept became embedded and people stopped thinking only of perfecting and protecting their little niches, it became easier to see what else needed doing. Better yet, people came to realize that when the whole ship – or the whole Navy – is performing well, it works to everyone’s advantage.