Now Hear This!
The Times They Are A-Changin'
Story by MCPO Ted Fuller, D7 Command Master Chief
MIAMI -- As I sit and think about what to write about in my first article for Coastline, I think about what I have read in the past from my mentors or Master Chiefs before me.
My first thought was I could give everyone some sound advice about some of the changes going on in the Coast Guard right now, such as, the development and implementation of the Commandants Intent Action Orders or CIAOs, and how they will affect our Coast Guard.
MCPO Ted Fuller, D7 Command Master Chief
Rather than go into each of them, I will talk about change itself, or the resistance to change, and the fact that change is inevitable. It helps us grow both as individuals and as an organization.
Let's first talk about change.
It seems that no matter who you talk to, or what you talk about, the common thread is that we live in an ever changing time. We usually talk about the post-911 world, the economy, politics or the weather. The reality is, times are changing, and that is good. Some people would like to live only in today, or even worse, YESTERDAY. The truth is, tomorrow is coming, and in order to prepare for it we must grow. We must learn today from yesterday's mistakes and adapt and change to live a better tomorrow. That holds true for a person, an organization or our government. Understanding change, embracing what we can learn and adopting changes are what moves us ahead.
The Coast Guard is changing to meet the missions and requirements of not only today but the future. The changes our Commandant plans to bring forward will help shape our service for the next decade in our ever-changing world of work.
Now, let's talk a little about our resistance to that change.
Honestly, change is sometimes a little painful; sometimes we have to learn new ways of doing our jobs. We must get out of our comfort zone and walk that tight rope we've always avoided. As a family, that might mean tightening the purse strings to get back within the budget. Professionally it might mean looking for new and innovative ways to prosecute law enforcement or SAR cases. It could mean changing the way we do logistics in order to get a better inventory of our assets.
To succeed we have to be willing to try new things, look to seize the initiative and find better ways to do our job. Whether that is balancing the family budget, fixing your aging cutter's power plant, or doing your travel claim - we have to learn from the past.
Now you might be asking, ‘How does this apply to me?' Each of us, whether you are the SK3 at a small boat station, the executive petty officer of a patrol boat, or a member of the logistic department at a Sector, has a job to do within the organization. Each of us is responsible for our world of work. We should look for ways to become more effective and more proficient at what we do. Then we must communicate to our supervisors what those possibly better ways of doing business are. Then we can adapt those changes to our SOP's.
We also must learn to embrace change and not resist it because the bottom line is that change is going to happen. It is better to get on board early and learn the new way than to fight change, only to be told later to "get on the train."
The way I see it, change is like getting in shape. You have heard the term "no pain, no gain." Well that might be a little drastic, but you understand. As an organization we have to adapt to meet the ever-changing environment we work in. Learn today from yesterday to get better for tomorrow!
As the Coast Guard adapts for the future it is important to remember that each and every one of us are stakeholders in our success. The success of our Coast Guard is based on the premise that we always do the right things, right.
One thing I know is that the men and women of the Seventh District are busy as ever doing the king's work every day. Please know that I see your successes and your challenges, and I am damn proud to be the Command Master Chief of your District.
Thank you for the hard work you do always.
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