The Best Damn Ship in the Navy
2002 Boaz Rauchwerger
A friend recently loaned me a book called Its Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy,by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff. It describes the Captains Navy career and particularly his command of the Benfold, a destroyer armed with every cutting-edge system available and manned by 310 sailors.
When he took command of the ship in 1997, his goal was to make the Benfold the best damn ship in the navy.With his can-dopositive attitude, and an intense interest in his people, Captain Abrashoff turned a complacent crew into a championship team.
Whether youre the president of a company, the supervisor of a department, a teacher, a parent or in charge of your own business, you are the captain of your own ship in your own navy. Shouldnt yours be the best damn ship in the navy?
There are many valuable lessons in Captain Abrashoffs book. One of them reminded me directly of what my dearly departed Jewish mother did to create great success in her business and in her life. Chapter Three of the book is entitled Listen Aggressively.The Captain states that his education in leadership really began in 1994 when he was in Washington, D.C., working as the military assistant to Secretary of Defense William Perry. Watching Perry in action, Captain Abrashoff noticed that he was universally loved and admired by heads of state, by ministers of defense and foreign affairs, and by our own and our alliestroops.
A lot of that was because of the way he listened,the Captain writes. He states that each person who talked to Perry had his complete, undivided attention. Everyone blossomed in his presence, because he was so respected, and I realized I wanted to affect people the same way,the Captain writes.
Thus, when Captain Abrashoff took command of the Benfold, he decided to put into action William Perrys techniques. He took the time to individually interview every one of the 310 men and women who comprised the crew of his ship. He wanted to set a different tone. As Dale Carnegie states in the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People," in order to be successful in life, show a genuine and intense interest in other people.
The Captains interview questions are very basic, yet very powerful in building bridges with people. In talking with his individual crew members, the Captain asked their names; where they were from; their marital status. Did they have children? If so, what were their names? He asked about their goals. Then he asked about the Benfold: What did they like most? Least? What would they change if they could?
Remember the title of this chapter in the Captains book: LISTEN AGGRESSIVELY. The effect of this process was incredible on the crew of the Benforld. They responded by performing like a championship team. They felt important! They turned the Benfold into an efficient, well-tuned, confident team that came to believe what they at first pretended that the Benfold was the best damn ship in the navy!
Now its your turn to make yours the best damn ship in the navy. Become genuinely interested in the people you work with, in your friends, in your mate, in your kids, in the people you meet. Listen aggressively. Youve got the questions above. Now create the genuine interest in your heart.
I cannot express to you the level of magic that I experience every day because I do exactly what I saw my mother do so many times. I show genuine interest in other people.
A child that grew up to be a very successful adult, despite the fact that he was raised by a single parent, was asked to what he accounted his incredible achievements. He said, When I was small, my mother made me feel important because she listened to me. When I talked to her, she made me feel as if I was the only person on earth.
Congratulations! Youve just been promoted to become Captain of your life. No challenges or disappointments of the past count. Weve built a brand new ship for you. With your intense and genuine interest in other people, theres no question in my mind that youll now create the best damn ship in the navy and sail into an incredible future! Aye, Aye, Captain!
A Daily Affirmation to Set Sail
I am the Captain of my own ship. Im genuinely interested in other people and Im creating the best damn ship in the Navy!
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