Is anyone shooting at you?

In my previous job as a federal Program Manager I was fortunate to get to work with a retired Army Special Forces Command Sergeant Major named Chris.

Chris was a fellow Program Manager and my contractual counterpart for a large defense contracting company. He oversaw programs that required him to project and man courses running at dozens of locations multiple times throughout the year across the US. 

The locations varied greatly in pay, comfort and prestige and Chris had the unenviable job of manning instructors at each based on numerous factors: which included client requests, personalities, etc. 

I was smart enough to pay attention to him and was lucky enough to learn a great many things from him. Below are a few examples that may help you as well.

The contractors Chris dealt with daily were almost exclusively former and retired Special Operations personnel from each of the military branches. They were predominantly Green Berets, Rangers, and a few Navy SEALS (mostly kept around for entertainment’s sake). They were all Type-A and there was a high percentage of characters amongst them. 

When you have hundreds of “Type A” employees working with each other and jockeying for coveted, well-paying, positions tempers often ran high. And when tempers flared, or competition was especially steep, Chris was the one they called. 

I can think of at least a half-dozen times I was sitting in his office catching up with him when he’d receive a phone call from a disgruntled contractor. From across his desk, I could clearly hear the drama, yelling and swearing coming through the other end of the phone.

Chris would listen calmly for a few seconds allowing the person on the other end to vent.  After those few seconds, in a very calm voice, he would interrupt and ask: “Is anyone shooting at you? Are you or your people in immediate danger? No? Great, call me back when you calm down.” He would then hang up the phone, smile and we’d get back to business. Within a minute or two the phone would ring again, but this time the person on the other end was much cooler and collected. It always amazed me how effective the technique was in getting the situation quickly and effectively under control. 

I should probably clarify: the biggest, most dangerous threat at these jobs was probably a paper cut.  These were office jobs and the guys calling Chris were in no danger at all. At least no danger in the way you’d expect for people with their backgrounds. They’d normally be furious at a client request, the performance or abilities (or lack thereof) of their fellow contractors, or a student issue.

Chris was masterful. He was a great Program Manager and leader and believed in empowering his people. 

One of the first questions he’d ask the caller (after ensuring no one was in danger) was how they felt the situation need be handled. 

Chris understood they were the “guy on the ground” developing the situation. He took his ego out of play and listened to their recommended courses of action. He had faith he’d selected the correct person to man the role and he empowered that person to the fullest.

If necessary he would probe a little, ask some clarifying questions, and help them come up with the correct solution. But it was most often the one they felt worked best: for themselves, the client and the company.

Chris knew to trust the guy on the ground. But that didn’t mean he was easy on them.

One thing people quickly learned about Chris was his uncompromising stance on maintaining standards. He was a consummate professional and he maintained training standards for the employees and courses under his control no matter the cost. To him personally or to the company in general.

I’ve witnessed Chris working after hours, on holidays and on weekends to personally fix problems. Problems he didn’t create, but which fell under the purview of his programs. If the problem somehow fell outside the scope of the existing contract Chris would ensure a quality fix was in place and that his company ate the cost. Always. 

It would never enter Chris’s mind that students within the programs not receive the best training possible. They were the ones about to take the fight to the enemy, they deserved it.

Chris knew it was his job to help prepare them for that fight.

So, why aren’t we all more like Chris? Three answers: insecurity, impatience or incompetence. 

Insecurity: We either think the world revolves around us and we are the sole source of truth for any problem

Impatience: We are too “busy” to work the problem effectively so we half-ass it.

Incompetence: We don’t know any better because we are in a position over our head and barely staying afloat.

We must learn to put the proper perspective on problems and to empower our employees to identify and enact the correct solutions. 

We must remember to trust the guy on the ground. Second-guessing others helps no one.

No matter your role, and no matter if you had anything to do with the creation of the problem when you are required to step in and help - do so willingly and without drama. 

Chris is the embodiment of a Quiet Professional. He’s great at handling problems, but world-class at leading people. 

Chris, thank you for all you taught me. De Oppresso Liber.