Category
Communication
It’s fun to reminisce with family and friends about shared experiences. At the same time, I find it extremely enjoyable to listen to people tell stories of events past, reliving memories, sharing laughs, and catching up on what has happened… Continue Reading →
I think we should [insert well articulated opinion here], “just a thought.” I’d love to give [insert new experience here] a try, but I’m “just [insert self-limitation here].” I recommend we [insert well thought out recommendation here], “just an idea.”… Continue Reading →
Like many, I most certainly enjoy being entertained. My wife finds it funny that one of the quickest ways to grab my attention and inspire a genuine laugh is to show me a video with talking animals. Works every time…simple… Continue Reading →
Hello, my name is Sean and I am a Progress-aholic… I am addicted to progress. I am not interested in being busy, but I have an insatiable desire to see forward movement. Properly applied, this addiction can inspire others to… Continue Reading →
Though far from an exhaustive list, the word Partner can be used to describe a relationship between spouses, significant others, parents, friends, teammates, businesses, governmental organizations, or nations. The word speaks to an alliance where two or more partners agree… Continue Reading →
In most organizations and especially in the military, clearly articulated roles and responsibilities are critical to enabling mission accomplishment. Authority, responsibility, and accountability are easy for all to see based on little more than an organizational chart. In fact, when… Continue Reading →
I am not a photographer, but I appreciate a well-framed picture. I am not a painter, but I hang art that inspires me in places that matter. I am not an artist in a traditional sense, but I very much… Continue Reading →
In a world of scarcity, we often speak of trade-offs, a tit for a tat, a quid for a quo, and finding the right balance. In a world of abundance, we don’t think in terms of or; we look for and…. Continue Reading →
I enjoy thoughtful conversations on a wide range of topics and I am fortunate enough to have them with some extremely knowledgeable and passionate people. Because I have a rather diverse set of friends and colleagues, rarely a day goes… Continue Reading →
I heard it again recently, two relatively senior Naval Officers talking about their personal involvement in helping someone be given the benefit of a “Get Well Tour.” Now those of us who have served or are serving in the Navy (and maybe… Continue Reading →
We recently celebrated our Nation’s independence last week on the 4th of July. It was a glorious celebration that should remind even the unpatriotic of how fortunate we are to enjoy the freedoms that we do. I took the opportunity to… Continue Reading →
I am continually looking for opportunities to learn from others, put ideas into action, and experiment with things that may not work. One of the many ideas I have explored of late is that of the walking meeting, or in… Continue Reading →
“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” – Eugene Ionesco Many of us like solving problems, pride ourselves in finding the “right” answers and are quick to share our insights with others. I say “us” because I… Continue Reading →
Like many others, I look around me for inspiration. Fortunately, with the company I keep, the books I read, and the environment in which I live, I don’t have to look too hard. One of the forums I frequent offered… Continue Reading →
Early this month I had the pleasure of sharing lunch with a prized friend and mentor. We talked of many things including family, our individual efforts focused on inspiring others, the future of our ongoing personal experiments, updates on some… Continue Reading →
I hear it just about every day, “It’s too hard.” The phrase remains the same, yet the context and sentiment varies. One day it’s my son trying to convince himself that his most recent challenge is insurmountable (e.g. “It’s too… Continue Reading →
The basis for this post is an e-mail I sent to the team with whom I currently lead. Until recently, we had not made team-building a deliberate focus; we had not made standard enforcement a priority; we had not allowed… Continue Reading →
I am often careful of the words I choose to use and one of the many words that I dislike hearing as much as saying is the word “Mandatory”. In fact, I just call it “The “M” Word”. In the… Continue Reading →
It was late December of 2012 and I had just finished my list of goals for 2013, or so I thought. The week prior to finalizing my list, a mentor had lent me the book How to Deliver A TED Talk…. Continue Reading →
ENS Kyle Hunter is an Information Warfare Officer, commissioned in 2011 through the Seaman to Admiral-21st Century program. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in March 2001, and after completion of basic training reported to Monterey, California to become a… Continue Reading →
A senior officer who had recently been made aware of relevant discussion threads and bulletin boards filled with colorful conversation regarding our profession asked me if I thought a visible online presence was worthy of his time. As you might… Continue Reading →
Being both a student and practitioner of leadership, I keep my head on a swivel to identify leaders from whom I can learn, peers with whom I want to partner, and juniors who show great promise. I also am on the lookout… Continue Reading →
We hear it all the time, “People are our greatest assets.” I used to believe it, but over the years I have grown to believe that claim is both false and misguided. The disconnect between words and actions from various… Continue Reading →
The value of a meeting is sometimes measured by the side-conversations that accompany it. The quality of a speaker’s talk might be assessed by the number of questions it inspires. The interest in a particular blog post could be gauged by… Continue Reading →
LT Jim Legg is an Information Warfare Officer. He enlisted in the Navy in 1994. After completing boot camp, Jim reported to Pensacola, FL for Cryptologic Technician Administrative “A” School. He was commissioned in 2006 through the Seaman to Admiral-21st… Continue Reading →
I like to sleep well at night. I have trouble doing that when I begin to question if I might be doing anything that may be perceived as not “walking the walk” (because I certainly do a great deal of… Continue Reading →
Of late and as a result of recent posts, I have enjoyed the pleasure of many conversations on the topic of mentorship. These conversations have left me believing that there are two kinds of mentors…“Doing” Mentors and “Being” Mentors. Both… Continue Reading →
LTJG Jason Pawlak is an Information Warfare Officer originally from Mason, Ohio. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Computer Science, he commissioned through Officer Candidate School in October of 2010. Jason took orders to NIOC… Continue Reading →
I recently partnered with two remarkable military leaders to write a paper we titled Sharing Our Message: The Migration from Embedded to Social Media. In it, we contrast two military operations. One failed in part due to an absence of embedded… Continue Reading →
Those of us who serve in the Navy are very familiar with our three core values, HONOR, COURAGE and COMMITMENT. We personally witness, read stories about, and celebrate a long history filled with examples of heroic actions exemplifying a tradition… Continue Reading →
For the unindoctrinated and according to my favorite reference Wikipedia, “Elephant in the room” is an English metaphorical idiom for an obvious truth that is being ignored or goes unaddressed. The idiomatic expression also applies to an obvious problem or… Continue Reading →
It never fails. Whenever I consider a new purchase, it is made very clear to me just how abundant that very item is. If I am shopping for a new car, the road becomes filled with the same make and… Continue Reading →
“Work – Life Balance”, we’ve heard the phrase many times and each time my stomach turns. Either the intended message is completely miscommunicated or the primary assumption that one’s work and life have to be at conflict is flawed. According… Continue Reading →
Those who know me are well aware of the fact that I work both directly and indirectly with incredibly smart, creative people. In fact, I often celebrate the fact that I am rarely (if ever) the smartest person in any… Continue Reading →
Over the years, I have been guilty of incorrectly using the terms sympathy and empathy. Empathy – The ability to co-experience and relate to the thoughts, emotions, or experience of another without them being communicated directly by the individual. Sympathy… Continue Reading →