- Report this article
Darren Kraabel
Darren Kraabel
Proud Veteran | Significance Seeker | Dot-Connector
Published Feb 28, 2023
+ Follow
My daughter called me the other day, distraught about a mishap she had in one of her courses at Auburn University. While fabricating a part in her engineering lab, she had removed too much material and the part was now out of spec. She had been diligent, measuring repeatedly. How could this have happened? Upon further investigation, the caliper she had been using was apparently out of calibration. After quizzing her, the instructor concurred that was indeed the problem and admitted it sometimes happens. But he wasn't going to cut her any slack: she needed to start over. To my daughter, that didn't seem fair - and perhaps it wasn't fair. But in the real world, the world outside the insulation of academia, she would have had to fabricate a new part. And that was the accountability lesson she was learning here.
As my daughter and I were discussing her experience, I thought back to my time at the US Air Force Academy. I spent the first several weeks there trying to survive Basic Cadet Training...learning how to shine shoes, march in step, and eat at attention. On the first day of training, I also learned there were only five appropriate responses to any question: 1)Yes, Sir/Ma'am, 2) No, Sir/Ma'am, 3) No Excuse, Sir/Ma'am, 4) Sir/Ma'am, I do not know, and 5) Sir/Ma'am, I do not understand. At the time, the requirement to answer any question or respond to any command with only those five responses seemed like just another basic training haze. What if I needed to explain my answer? What if I needed to provide context so the person yelling at me would understand it wasn't my fault? I continued to hold that perception all through my freshman year.
When I became an upperclassman with the responsibility for training freshman cadets, the genius of those simple responses became clear. In those five basic responses, the military was instilling in every cadet a profound sense of accountability. You see, we weren't allowed to elaborate on failures caused by elements outside of our control; we couldn't blame anyone else. If we didn't know the answer, it was our responsibility to find the answer. We weren't allowed to offer qualifying or clarifying explanations to our answers; it was simply "yes" or "no". The message was clear - we were sponsible for mission outcomes and we better be prepared to be held accountable for those outcomes, regardless of the circ*mstances.
Recommended by LinkedIn
That sense of accountability is as important in business as it is in the military. We all need that sense of accountability when it comes to delivering projects, writing proposals to grow the business, mentoring others, developing leaders, bringing new talent into the company, and keeping each other safe, among others. One of my old bosses, Craig Martin, used to say, "If it's to be, it's up to me." I think he got that just right. So while I'm not suggesting we start limiting our answers to important questions with only the five basic responses, I think that embracing the simplicity of these responses to establish a foundation for personal accountability is something to which we can all aspire.
Post Script: I'm very proud that my daughter took responsibility for her situation, albeit somewhat begrudgingly. She worked hard to fabricate a new part from scratch and got her project back on track. It's a lesson I'm confident she will lean on several times in her career.
Like
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
29
5 Comments
Matt Breden
1y
- Report this comment
I recall two more communications that were allowed. "Sir/Ma'am may I ask a question?" And "Sir/Ma'am may I make a statement?" I like your perspective on how these limited responses taught us accountability. Thank you for sharing.
1Reaction
Steve Cook
Director, Space & Missiles Systems at QTEC Aerospace
1y
- Report this comment
In the Marines, "I do not know" had to be followed with "but I will find out" 😀
1Reaction 2Reactions
See more comments
To view or add a comment, sign in
More articles by this author
No more previous content
- Our Shared Significance May 15, 2023
- Divine Preparation: Making It Matter May 11, 2023
- Divine Preparation: The Yellow Baldwin Acrosonic May 5, 2023
- The Identity Trap Apr 28, 2023
- The Unexpected Door Apr 21, 2023
- Epic Ego Beatdowns Apr 14, 2023
- Something Doesn't Feel Quite Right Apr 6, 2023
- My Journey to Significance Mar 31, 2023
- Wise Words (Final Part): "It's Daddy Magic!" Nov 28, 2022
- Wise Words (Part 5): "You Aren't Going to Watch the Game with Me?" Nov 14, 2022
No more next content
Sign in
Stay updated on your professional world
Sign in
By clicking Continue to join or sign in, you agree to LinkedIn’s User Agreement, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Policy.
New to LinkedIn? Join now
Insights from the community
- Teaching How can you establish a recognition program that motivates teachers?
- Teaching What are the most effective ways for teachers to learn from their mistakes and become better leaders?
- K-12 Education How can teachers establish credibility with their students?
- Teaching What do you do if you've made common mistakes as a new teacher and need to bounce back?
- Educational Leadership Here's how you can secure a raise in Educational Leadership using effective negotiation tactics.
- Teaching What do you do if your students are confused by your task instructions?
- Teaching What are effective strategies for building trust with your teaching team?
- K-12 Education How would you handle a situation where a student refuses to follow your instructions?
- Educational Leadership What are the best ways to build relationships with your school board for career advancement?
- Educational Leadership What do you do if you want to switch careers and become an educational leader?
Others also viewed
- Working Themselves out of a Job Craig Plain 1y
- P 2 X | Power to X Charley Rattan 11mo
- Mistakes Shouldn’t Be Found In Your Company Dictionary Bob Chapman 8y
- Building and Leading Cross Functional Teams – A Navy Boot Camp Instructor’s Perspective – Part 1 Anne Loehr (she/her/hers) 4y
- What I learned in the Marine Corps that you wont learn in college Brad Dain 6mo
- What I learned in the military: Part 2 Matt Leiv 🔴 ⚪️ 🔵 8y
- 3 Key Lessons From the Military That Can Help You Succeed in Life Kyle Daniels 1y
- How do YOU learn? Carl Dierschow 2y
- "I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples." -Mother Teresa Erica Ballesteros 5y
Explore topics
- Sales
- Marketing
- IT Services
- Business Administration
- HR Management
- Engineering
- Soft Skills
- See All