“We Have a Problem”
Incident with Shore Power
Upon docking at Pearl Harbor, a problem arises with shore power due to a red tag violation. Although the conditions for energizing breakers on the pier were met, a sailor failed to remove the red tag beforehand, indicating an oversight rather than a safe, deliberate action.
Embracing External Oversight
Facing a dilemma about reporting this issue to higher authorities, Lieutenant Commander Rick Panlilio decides to report it, highlighting the importance of embracing external oversight despite the potential for increased scrutiny and additional managerial tasks. This decision leads to organizing a critique involving relevant external parties.
Mechanism: Embrace the Inspectors
David Marquet introduces "Embrace the Inspectors" as a strategic mechanism under the category of control. This approach is aimed to leverage external inspections not just for compliance, but as a proactive tool to enhance learning and disseminate good practices within the squadron. The key aspects of this mechanism involve: - Learning from inspectors: Engaging inspectors for solutions to existing problems and learning from other ships’ experiences. - Disseminating good practices: Using positive inspector observations to share the ship’s effective strategies across the fleet.
Reflection on External Feedback
The chapter reinforces the value of external oversight, such as from Naval Reactors and INSURV teams. These groups provide a check on the ship’s operations, offering opportunities for external validation, pinpointing deficiencies, and ensuring that critical resources are allocated to solve widespread issues.
Questions to Consider
- How do you use outside groups like social media comments and government audits to improve your organization?
- What are the costs and benefits of being open about problems in your organization?
- How can you leverage the knowledge of inspectors to enhance your team’s competence?
- In what ways can you improve your team's cooperation with inspectors?
- How can you strategically use inspectors to benefit your organization?