Embrace the Suck

"Embrace the suck" is a saying that is ingrained in the modern military. Its roots likely go back to the first time a soldier was told to wade through a swamp to take a non-strategic bump on a map. Okay I didn't research the history, but that's not why I'm writing today.

It is often joked that each service has their own abilities with this saying. Yes, we all know the Marines embrace harsh environments and substandard living conditions like the Air Force embraces their five start billets. But again, that's not why I am writing today.

I would like to attempt to export this vital saying out of military culture and into the civilian world a bit.  I had an awesome chat about this subject with my good friend Austin Cusak (hat/tip good Sir!) and he mentioned the concept of “SISU”, which is a “600-year-old Finnish concept of facing your challenges with the grim, white-knuckled form of courage needed to succeed despite the odds”. So apparently the civilian translation for Embrace the Suck is a Finnish term called “SISU”. 

But what am I actually talking about here?

The fact is that – at some point in our lives- we all experience poor work environments, a lack of support in leadership or logistics, and sometimes receive missions that simply don't make sense. "Embrace the suck" teaches us that instead of breaking down in these moments, instead of complaining and making the situation worse, and instead of giving up (that hurt me to even write) -- In these moments, we Embrace the Suck and get the job done.

The fact is that it is up to you every single day to go to work and decide if you're going to make your situation better or worse.  Are you going to turn on your teammates because they aren't carrying their weight on a project? Are you going to complain about the lack of leadership and direction? Are you going to spend all day on the internet surfing the news and job boards?

---OR---

Are you going to Embrace the Suck and start writing draft guidance and “push notes” for your leadership's review? Are you going to put your head down and start the project because it is the right thing to do and it must get done? We all have those choices and there is so much we can do to make our situations better every single day. Here are some things to try in your environment:

1) Ask a coworker how they are doing- and be genuinely interested in their responses. We have to find commonalities with our coworkers if we expect to work together well. Don't let your work environment be the only ties between you and them.

2) Simply smile and greet people as they walk by. A positive attitude is addicting regardless of where you are. This one reminds me of Admiral McRaven's SEAL training story where the SEALs are neck deep in the cold mud and one of them starts singing for motivation. A positive attitude can change nearly any situation. In Iraq, I often told my soldiers that "no matter how bad this situation gets today, it will likely be a great story down the road". We may be odd ducks (okay we’re definitely odd ducks), but we definitely do look back on some really bad situations and laugh. 

3) Volunteer to write the guidance that is needed for your team. I have seen too many leaders get buried in organizational bureaucracy or with high op-tempos to the point where they couldn't write simple emails to their staffs- management discussion is another day, but there are things that you can do to make the situation better. You can write "ghost notes" or "push notes" for your boss to send out. You simply draft the note for them and send it directly to them. Now they just have to take a minute or two to copy/paste and review what you wrote before pushing it out to the team. Embrace the Suck, write the note, get the job done. It works out for everyone. 

4) Ask your coworkers for help on parts of your project that you know they are good at or passionate about. Sometimes we must open ourselves up to our coworkers and ask for help. Leveraging their strengths is a sure way to get them involved and connected to the project. The reality is that teammates are a necessary evil in most careers. I happen to love working in teams, but I understand that some folks want to be the solo artist. Whether you prefer to fly solo or you think your coworker may be part-human/ part-brick, it is important to Embrace the Suck and try to connect with them. The best way to connect is to get them engaged in something that they are good at and enjoy doing. This technique alone can open a lot of rusty doors in your organization. If that doesn’t seem to fit, try the inverse and see if you can help them one of their projects. Yes, actually volunteer your time to help a coworker! It is awesome, I promise.

In the end, Embrace the Suck is an attitude setting that has to get reset every morning. It is up to you on how you react to the situations you face. Embrace life with a hardiness and grit that says, “I accept this challenge with a smile and a song- lets rock!”

Alright LinkedIn community, what other techniques am I missing here? Any input and feedback is appreciated!

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