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🏆 Ever delved into the inspiring saga of Alcoa CEO Paul O'Neill? 🏆 In 2015, I stumbled upon "The Power of Habit" at a recruiting training symposium, and while the entire book reshaped my perspective, the chapter recounting the "Ballad of Paul O'Neill" has since been an enduring guide in shaping long-term strategies. In O'Neill's narrative, he courageously picked a fight to instigate change and defy the norms in the manufacturing industry. Rejecting the notion of an "acceptable level of risk" that threatened his team's well-being, O'Neill's commitment and coaching transformed Alcoa into one of the nation's most profitable manufacturing organizations. Drawing parallels, a comparable challenge surfaces within the Veteran/Military community. The absence of a unified effort among military champions across diverse organizations challenges the "acceptable levels of risk" during service members' transition to the civilian workforce. Denying them the ability to leverage resources is not just unacceptable—it's a hindrance to their potential. The status quo begs to be challenged, and it necessitates veterans who grasp the unique challenges of transition, echoing Paul O'Neill's unwavering commitment to organizational change. It's time for a coalition of champions, an AllegiantVets movement, to ensure our service members don't merely survive but thrive in their civilian pursuits. Let's disrupt the norms, shatter the barriers, and redefine what's genuinely "acceptable" for our veterans. 🤝🌟 #VeteranTransition #ChallengeTheStatusQuo #ChampionsForChange #AllegiantVets

It was no coincidence that Ayrissa Schmidt, Anna Vargas, and Sam Bascom presided over my going away festivities when I relinquished command of USS PINCKNEY (DDG 91) in December 2020. These three outstanding young leaders “fleeted up” onboard the ship, meaning they completed both their junior officer tours on the same ship. Everyone onboard benefited from their energy, professionalism, and devotion to mission – especially me, the Captain!  Talent Management comes in many forms – in this case it was “hiring” from within. Organizations are strengthened when there is an internal path for growth and retention. At the same time, it’s important that healthy, achievable paths exist for “outsiders” to join the team and provide diversity in thought and perspective. In other words, I think we need to have our cake and eat it too! (Note: Baggs the Beaver was unable to pass the “which squares show bicycles” authentication test so sadly is not available for a LinkedIn connection.) #ProudtoServe #TalentManagement

Interesting read about proposed changes to military acquisitions personnel.

Trigger Alert! I'm going to defend DEI. I dislike almost everything about DEI because it disregards performance, and I have never witnessed it work as advertised in my corporate America experience. However, DEI is an attempt to right the unspoken, always denied, truth that exists in corporations, and likely in all private and public institutions. That unspoken truth is that managers promote people based off likeability rather than performance. Insert the word cronyism for likeability if you like. I've never seen anything different...EVER in my corporate America experience. Veterans don't fall in the DEI bucket, yet I've watched dozen of top performing Veterans, for some reason including several Navy Captains, passed over for middle of the packers. I've watched top performing minorities passed over for mid-packers as their poor performing bosses were also promoted. I don't hear anyone on the idiot box complaining about cronyism in government or corporations, but say DEI and peoples hair catches fire. Do you think more people are promoted every day from DEI or cronyism? Was VP Kamala Harris a DEI pick? If so, why is that any different from George Bush picking his families buddy Dick Cheney for VP. Remember Iraq WMD hoax got to rebuild Afghanistan Dick Cheney? If you're really concerned about businesses picking the best managers, or government picking the best government official, consider putting your energy into choosing among the top performers, instead of worrying so much about DEI. #leadership #veteranshelpingveterans #marines #veterans

"Get paid for your skills rather than your time." — Colonel Rhinesmith, USMC Retired In today's dynamic professional landscape, the value of individual skills and expertise cannot be overstated. As Colonel Rhinesmith, USMC Retired, aptly puts it, it's about recognizing the worth of one's skills over the mere passage of time. This perspective challenges professionals and industries alike to rethink how value is defined and rewarded in the workplace. Whether you're in a creative field, technical profession, or leadership role, your unique skills and contributions drive success and innovation. Let's advocate for and embrace a culture where talent and skill are the primary metrics of professional advancement and recognition.

🌟 Day 12/100: Responsibility and Accountability - The Cornerstones of Trust 🌟 Day 12 brings us to two fundamental principles ingrained in every service member: Responsibility and Accountability. In the military, responsibility goes beyond individual tasks; it’s about being a reliable part of a team where every role is crucial. Accountability isn’t just about taking credit for successes; it’s also about owning up to and learning from mistakes. This culture of accountability and responsibility is what builds cohesive units that can rely on each other implicitly. In civilian careers, these traits are equally vital. They foster environments where trust is the foundation of every team and project. Being responsible and accountable means being someone your colleagues can depend on, someone who contributes to a culture of integrity and trustworthiness. “Accountability breeds response-ability.” - Stephen Covey. This quote perfectly encapsulates the idea that being accountable not only involves answering for our actions but also proactively addressing challenges and opportunities. #Responsibility #Accountability #TrustInTeams #Day12of100 📌 12/100: Today, let’s appreciate the deep value that responsibility and accountability bring to our professional lives. These principles, deeply rooted in military training, are key to building lasting trust and achieving collective success in any endeavor.

Core Values are near and dear to us! This is only one element of our Core Values discussion. For us at B&BC our shared values are excellence, integrity, loyalty, and resilience.

Diversity is about more than just black and white. It is about culture, background, values, and a host of other attributes that each person brings with them into the workforce. At ManTech, working in diverse workplaces and with diverse people is just part of what we do even when creating boards that will help provide leadership and growth to Secure the Future for Everyone! #diversityandinclusionmatters!

Today was Day 1 at the Naval Leadership & Ethics Center Spouse Leadership Course, in Newport, RI, where I am a spouse mentor. It was a great day to kick off this amazing learning and sharing experience, where rising XO/CO/CMC/COB spouses convene to help each other prepare for the experience ahead. Some take aways from RDML Baze of Navy Personnel Command: -Big Navy has a goal to increase predictability of PCS moves, transparency in detailing, and improve Sailors' trust in the process -Currently 30% of PCS moves are no-cost, which means families are able to "homestead" and remain in the same geographical place while their service member moves on to a new role in the local community -The Senior Enlisted Marketplace is a new method for Sailors to compete for jobs they are qualified for in a timely & relevant manner, similar to in the civilian workforce -Improved process for enlisted advancement exams so they are no longer once or twice per year at a certain time, but available more on-demand style to better align with their career progression timeline -MODERNIZING PAY! Supposedly, gone are the days where a Sailor would move to a more costly duty station and wait for MONTHS for thieir pay to catch up! Y'all, this is HUGE! -"Bundle Detailing"...if you take this job, then the detailer can promise you follow-on orders to *that* job. I am so encouraged by these improvements. Also curiously, recruitment is still falling behind the goal, but retention is at or above target. Looking forward to another great day tomorrow. Feeling reinvigorated and reconnected with my Navy life after so long apart from it....