Last Friday, a great time was had by all at our Command Holiday Party. Our Holiday Party Committee did a great job creating an opportunity for all of us to have some good fun with some great people! It was especially gratifying to be able to meet so many of the friends and family who make up the extended NIOC Pensacola Family. There were many good memories from the night (i.e. scavenger hunt, door prizes, etc) and my favorite was interacting on a personal level with so many people. I particularly enjoyed the dance lesson I received from a valued Petty Officer who felt my life would be more complete if I knew how to “Dougie.” As you might imagine, it was good for a few laughs as I am many things but a good dancer I am not.
When I awoke the next morning, given the make-up of OUR team I was not surprised to see that a portion of my dance lesson was posted via YouTube on our command Facebook page (note: No link provided, as you need no visual evidence that I have little rhythm). Admittedly, my initial reaction was one of concern as I wondered how the video might have been edited in an effort to have fun at my expense. After reviewing the 17-second clip, I saw how harmless it was. Some of my peers thought it odd that I didn’t delete the link immediately and ask the Sailor to remove the video from YouTube altogether. I thought it odd that they would feel threatened by the post. I interpreted the playful addition to our site as acknowledgement that Sailors know:
- I don’t take myself too seriously
- It is safe to openly participate in OUR Social Networking Forum
- We are serious about strengthening OUR family-based culture
Some might have deleted the link only to find that they inadvertently undermined many of the desired effects intended when committing to creating an online presence. The purpose of OUR forum remains “To share unclassified information, enhance OUR collective situational awareness and foster OUR command culture of teamwork, effective communication, continual improvement, and entrepreneurship.”
I have stated on many occasions, I love what I do and more importantly, I love those with whom I do it. It is the personal connections created over time that bring me the most joy. The dance lesson, the posting of the video and the good-natured laughs we continue to share serve as validation. Validation that we are building something special at OUR command, validation that we see ourselves as a family, and validation that we appreciate who we are as much as our customers value what we do.
Just as is often done when we are directed to “Cancel Reference A” (Military jargon for “My senior wants me to publicly acknowledge I showed too much initiative”…tongue in cheek), deleting a harmless video for reasons of personal pride would have undone far more. I still can’t “Dougie” but I appreciate what the whole experience says about the family I enjoy at “work”.
- When was the last time you overreacted?
- Do you consider the unintended consequences with the same level of scrutiny you do the desired effects?
- Do you take yourself too seriously?
Excellent post. I couldn't agree more. Well done.