The Right Way, the Wrong Way, and The Army Way
Have you ever wondered where that saying comes from (assuming you've heard it)?
In the Army you don't get to pick very much. Top or bottom bunk, maybe. But when it comes to what you're doing, and where you are doing it. Not so much, especially when you're just getting started, e.g. Basic Training.
You've probably seen something about it in movies or shows. My favorite is Stripes, for many reasons, not the least of which is it was filmed exactly where I went to Basic at Fort Knox, KY.
The soldiers that enlist in the Army are a cross-section of our population, generally pre-selected for average or better health and physical condition. The US military is generally known for having amazing soldiers who are smart, driven, and professional. I personally had soldiers under my command that had advanced degrees. I also had soldiers who literally had to be told to brush their teeth. But in any given moment, they need to know what to do to execute their mission effectively, as their own and other lives may depend on them. This means we have to be able to define and express expected behaviors and actions that may not be in their own best interest at that moment in time.
Our's is not to question why. Our's is but to do, or die. - "The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
This in effect is commoditization of resources so that any component can be substituted with a like, interchangeable replacement - the capabilities need to be consistent. This is dehumanizing, literally and figuratively. In fact, that is part of the method and the madness of Basic Training - reducing everyone to a common denominator. Then, specific knowledge and skills can be layered on top of that shared foundation. This creates
- Standardization, which enables
- Scale, which drives
- Survival.
Any solder from any unit can join another unit without requiring core functional re-training. All administrative, logistical, social, and physical constructs remain relatively constant. This establishes a foundation for the ability to focus on differentiated mission delivery within a known context.
The result is definitely not the wrong way, but neither is it necessarily the best way, as not everyone has the ability to pull that off. So, we arrive at "the Army way", consistent and effective.
Does this apply to you in your context? It might be something to consider as you review your value streams. Are there processes in your organization that are optimized beyond what is actually needed? Perhaps possibly even creating variation that results in minimal added or even net loss of value, and wastes resources? Project managers call that "gold plating", and lean just straight up calls it waste.
We can do a better job of aligning our resources with our mission by reducing waste at every opportunity, including over optimization.
Jack Maher, formerly Captain, Regular Army, who served 3 of 4 years on active duty with the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) - The Iron Horse.