Zero-defect culture.
…Chester Nimitz, before he became the famous Admiral in the Second World War, early in his career he actually ran his ship aground when he was commanding a smaller vessel… He said that… Chester Nimitz would never have made it past the next promotion board if he did that today.
THE GRIT AND GROWTH MINDSET – War Room – U.S. Army War College
I have to imagine running a ship aground is one of the cardinal sins for a Navy commander.
We’re spending a lot of time lately talking about underwriting mistakes as a way to spur innovation.
Are we doing it?
I recently reflected on the fact that I don’t actually see many people destroyed for small mistakes.
Despite that, this sense that one small error can completely derail a career is pervasive. What’s going on here?
Related – this short thread where a couple of us joke about tough obstacles. How many people out there lost their shot at some special unit or career field because they failed a single obstacle on an obstacle course?
What if that was the obstacle that double no-go’d you and sent you home?
I’m sure it’s happened before. How odd.
It’s a weird thing to think about.
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Carrying the Gun 