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Six months after I left active duty with the US Air Force, I was thrilled to be hired by Wal-Mart into a leadership role in their Logistics division. I had operated as a leader in smaller groups in the USAF and could not wait to apply my military experience into a civilian career. Everything looked good – except for that pesky Open Door policy that Wal-Mart was committed to...
I was used to leading within the context of the military's Chain of Command structure – the very real expectation and practice that a service member would engage with every level of leadership before consulting the next higher level. Got a problem? Try resolving it at the lowest possible level. Didn’t work? Take one step up. Repeat. In contrast, Wal-Mart (as many civilian organizations) operated with an Open Door policy. Any Associate in the company could engage any leader, at any level, at any time.
When Sam Walton was still alive, he kept a published phone number for his home in Bentonville, Arkansas – and was accustomed to getting calls from Associates at any hour, day or night. That is truly the definition of an Open Door. And that is a world apart from a Chain of Command.
I'm not debating or comparing the relative merits of one system over another. In fact, I ask you, my reader, not to engage in that debate yourself. Instead, I pose this question to a practicing or potential leader:
Do you adapt to your organization – or are you expecting it to adapt to you?
I've written before (many times!) about my good fortune working for great leaders. One of them, JL, told me once that you hire a leader based on what you need as a leader for that team. Seem overly pat? I trust him – he's a smart guy and an effective leader. I watched him lead a large organization through significant change – and do so with integrity and poise.
My challenge was to decouple the familiar patterns of my background – a chain of command – from the role that that my new employer wanted me to fill – which included supporting an Open Door policy. I struggled with the change – until I accepted the fact that where I was operated differently than where I used to be.
In the end, I found success operating as a leader for my new employer. I worked through a cultural adaptation – on my part. And, most satisfyingly, when I hired a retired Senior NCO from the US Marine Corps a year later, I smiled when he said, "Open Door? They don't have to go through me first?"
"Nope," I replied. And then I was privileged to watch B translate his leadership skills to a new environment. And – by the way – his folks were better off for his adaptation.
So if you're working in a leadership role or – even more importantly – contemplating a move to a leadership position in a new organization, can you recognize how you may need to adapt your leadership style? I sure hope so.
Your people are counting on you!
I write about a variety of topics including leadership, family, and geek culture here: http://tmpinsyr.com/
I was used to leading within the context of the military's Chain of Command structure – the very real expectation and practice that a service member would engage with every level of leadership before consulting the next higher level. Got a problem? Try resolving it at the lowest possible level. Didn’t work? Take one step up. Repeat. In contrast, Wal-Mart (as many civilian organizations) operated with an Open Door policy. Any Associate in the company could engage any leader, at any level, at any time.
When Sam Walton was still alive, he kept a published phone number for his home in Bentonville, Arkansas – and was accustomed to getting calls from Associates at any hour, day or night. That is truly the definition of an Open Door. And that is a world apart from a Chain of Command.
I'm not debating or comparing the relative merits of one system over another. In fact, I ask you, my reader, not to engage in that debate yourself. Instead, I pose this question to a practicing or potential leader:
Do you adapt to your organization – or are you expecting it to adapt to you?
I've written before (many times!) about my good fortune working for great leaders. One of them, JL, told me once that you hire a leader based on what you need as a leader for that team. Seem overly pat? I trust him – he's a smart guy and an effective leader. I watched him lead a large organization through significant change – and do so with integrity and poise.
My challenge was to decouple the familiar patterns of my background – a chain of command – from the role that that my new employer wanted me to fill – which included supporting an Open Door policy. I struggled with the change – until I accepted the fact that where I was operated differently than where I used to be.
In the end, I found success operating as a leader for my new employer. I worked through a cultural adaptation – on my part. And, most satisfyingly, when I hired a retired Senior NCO from the US Marine Corps a year later, I smiled when he said, "Open Door? They don't have to go through me first?"
"Nope," I replied. And then I was privileged to watch B translate his leadership skills to a new environment. And – by the way – his folks were better off for his adaptation.
So if you're working in a leadership role or – even more importantly – contemplating a move to a leadership position in a new organization, can you recognize how you may need to adapt your leadership style? I sure hope so.
Your people are counting on you!
I write about a variety of topics including leadership, family, and geek culture here: http://tmpinsyr.com/
Posted in these groups: 
Transition
Transition
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 8
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An open door is not an open door when it's a closed door.....in which case, liberal use of C4 will open the door.
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Without a doubt you have to adapt to the company that hired you for the simple reason they hired you to join them. They already have a policy and you must abide by those policies. No different then when you joined the Air Force. They had systems in place that you were expected to follow. If/when you start your own business it is your right to adopt and implement the policies that you see fit.
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There is a lot of things that are just 'on another level' when you compare to the military community. Open door policy for us meant, 'if i find out you haven't exhausted every other level and option before knocking on my door and interrupting my play back of Dr. Phil I will send you to the furthest reaches of the globe to clean dirt of of igloos. '
For 'them' (aaahhh for us... i am a them?! aahh) it is more literal, because there is more of a 'coddling' and 'relaxed' atmosphere on the outside. I hope that came off right. I do not mean that all civis are babies, but rather people are more inclined to NEED to have attention paid to them.
I had a similar experience when I started to work for the broadcasting company I work for now. In the military (and other professions like doctors or whatever) someone who is 'on call' is someone who is sober, alert, keys in hand, waiting to answer the call. You do not need to be in your chucks sitting in the drivers seat, but you should be in driving range and 'able to help' right? Well, for this company there was an instance we called the on call guy and he was two states away attending a bachelor party or something... no need to say he was tremendously helpful in obtaining a solution right?!
I think this is just another example of 'difference in culture' between public servant and private citizen lifestyles... and unfortunately in most cases we are the ones that are expected to adapt.
For 'them' (aaahhh for us... i am a them?! aahh) it is more literal, because there is more of a 'coddling' and 'relaxed' atmosphere on the outside. I hope that came off right. I do not mean that all civis are babies, but rather people are more inclined to NEED to have attention paid to them.
I had a similar experience when I started to work for the broadcasting company I work for now. In the military (and other professions like doctors or whatever) someone who is 'on call' is someone who is sober, alert, keys in hand, waiting to answer the call. You do not need to be in your chucks sitting in the drivers seat, but you should be in driving range and 'able to help' right? Well, for this company there was an instance we called the on call guy and he was two states away attending a bachelor party or something... no need to say he was tremendously helpful in obtaining a solution right?!
I think this is just another example of 'difference in culture' between public servant and private citizen lifestyles... and unfortunately in most cases we are the ones that are expected to adapt.
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