It is quite difficult to live an organization's core values and ethos in your own life. It is more difficult to teach those core values to others, particularly those just entering the organization and still unfamiliar with its culture. It is an entirely more difficult undertaking to lead others so that they may not only learn, but actually begin living, those values in their own lives.Yet, this is exactly what Coast Guard leaders, instructors, officers-in-charge, and mentors do with their charges every day, most particularly during those first few days of service. It is so important for any organization, because the values that an organization's members render sacred in their own lives inexorably shape the outcome of those members' collective efforts. They are, quite simply, our core values. The Coast Guard, of course, is not unique in its desire to inculcate its people with a common spirit in the form of values and ethos. Businesses, volunteer organizations, schools, and the other uniformed services seek to do the same thing, often with widely varying degrees of success. I have found, though, that an absolute pre-requisite to your people finding any meaning or purpose in those core values is an organization-wide embrace and sharing of their importance. Simply put, values will never matter if they are not cherished, lived, and frankly discussed from the corner office to the shop floor. And this must be done every day and in the context of every challenge in order for those values to leave their proper mark.
The question follows, "Does your organization revere and teach, and do you live, a particular set of core values? If so, how does it happen?" I am truly eager to know, so please feel free to comment.
Following a welcome and overview of the "Basic Introduction to the Coast Guard" course, I tackled the Guardian Ethos and Coast Guard Core Values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty with newcomers to USCG Auxiliary Flotilla Arlington | Northern Virginia.
This is not the first time I've had the privilege and challenge of leading such a discussion with new Auxiliarists -- I did so several times with our students at The College of William and Mary when I was an instructor there -- but I know that I can only aspire to give them the justice that Commander John O'Connor used to provide in his sessions at the Coast Guard Academy. My BIC presentation is actually modeled after what I remember of his discussion; I am truly thankful for the lasting impression that hour made on me several years ago.
As always, I have made all of the Basic Introduction to the Coast Guard (BIC) available online at http://link.cgauxnet.us/bic. Read this previous post for more background on the course or to learn how we got it underway. Feel free to use the material yourself, and of course please leave comments as to how we might improve BIC for future students.
