A CO that doesn't think?

So I saw this gem from CAPT Lambert's blog (http://navycaptain-therealnavy.blogspot.com/2014/05/amusing-anecdote.html)

Some Command Master Chiefs (Senior Chiefs, too) are fairly wise men and women.  I was talking to a retired CMC the other day and he was talking about the TRIAD and their roles in the command.  I asked him to describe their respective roles. He said, "My job is to make sure the CO and XO get to do their jobs.  The Commanding Officer's job is to give speeches and make Sailors feel good.  The XO's role is to think.  My job is to make sure the CO doesn't think and the XO doesn't give any speeches or make the Sailors feel good." 

I'm going to assume that likely the person making the quote was joking.

However, they aren't far off the mark.  From day one in my career, I was told the Chief would run my division and my job was to get qualified.  As a new Ensign, you tend to go with whatever you're told (you don't know any better), so that's what I did.

It was a total disaster.  My chief was an 8 year, 1 sea tour chief, and he managed to nearly kill a few Sailors before I finally got my head out of my butt and started paying more scrutiny to what he was doing.

Navy Retention Survey

If you haven't done so already, go take the unofficial Navy retention survey, located here:

http://www.dodretention.org/

Two things before you do:

1. They leave space at the end to ask for questions that weren't asked. Jot down questions you think should have been asked as you take it so that you can easily write that part.
2. They give a free flow text area at the end for additional retention thoughts. Please make it easy on the folks looking at the survey and compose your thoughts before writing. Don't just bitch...we all know there are bad aspects of the Navy, but focus on not just the bad, but how it could be overcome.

Getting your time to scale

(Inspired by: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/04/taking-your-time-doesnt-scale.html)

By it's very nature, time doesn't scale.  You can't "bank" time.  You can't store it.  You can't make more of it.  Time is one of those resources that is always fleeting. 

And yet, it's also one of the most important resources that you have.  While you can't bank it, you do always get more time, since after every second you get more seconds.