Blue-water management wisdom

Thanks to novelist Tom Clancy and others, I have had many opportunities recently to reflect on my nine-plus years in the Navy I served from 1968 to 1977 and was trained to work on the Polaris and Poseidon missiles, which were at the heart of the Navy's submarinebased strategic weapons system. My assignments

Twenty-three years of civilian life as a manager in several organizations have blurred the details of my life in the Navy into a medley of beautiful Pacific sunsets. Some things, however, remain amazingly fresh, and among these are some practical lessons that were passed along to me by many of my supervisors.

What have stayed with me are insights, techniques and problem-solving methodologies that for generations had been accepted as dogma by older, experienced sailors. These people seemed to be mostly from rural America and spoke with accents that challenged my Chicago ears. Their management styles had been shaped not by formal classes and textbooks, but rather by years of hands-on experience directing a diverse workforce.