| An eye-opening experience - | | | | ship is being made ready?" His answer: "Prepare." |
| No, this Wisdom is not going to discuss military | | | | We learned that CDR Slocumb, along with his core |
| slogans or marketing strategies. This is about | | | | leaders, will write the rules for the ship. This process |
| processes. This is about systems of "How we do it | | | | alone will take several months. This is the detailed |
| here." This is about preparation and planning and | | | | road map that the three-hundred-plus sailors will live |
| putting your box together right. I had the privilege to | | | | by. Do you think this document is crucial? The crew |
| meet Commander Calvin Slocumb of the USS Green | | | | will arrive six months before the ship launches to |
| Bay. The ship is an LPD 20. LPD means "Large | | | | learn the rules and train on other military vessels |
| Pscarry (the ?p' is silent) Dboat" (the ?d' also is silent). | | | | which are similar to the LPD 20. |
| Ok, just kidding, it really means "Landing Platform | | | | The correlation to business is extraordinarily relevant. |
| Dock," but where's the fun in that? Regardless of | | | | If business owners took the time to get their |
| what you call it, at over 600 feet long and more than | | | | businesses organized with strict systems in place for |
| 125 feet wide, it's too big to fit into Lambeau Field, | | | | associates to follow, just imagine how many more |
| and you won't run into it in the waters of Green Bay. | | | | successful companies there would be operating |
| The military is doing one heck of a PR campaign by | | | | today. |
| flying the top five or six officers of the USS Green | | | | The problem is most entrepreneurs are technicians |
| Bay into the area to attend Rotary meetings and talk | | | | who have a skill that launched them into a new |
| to area school students in order to build a connection | | | | business venture. They focus on working the |
| between the USS Green Bay and the community it's | | | | technical side of the job and not the intellectual side |
| named for. I know it will be a completely different | | | | of the job. CDR Slocumb told us that a ship without |
| experience for me to hear any news about this ship | | | | a crew is nothing. It's the crew that brings the ship |
| now that I've met the core leaders. Commander | | | | to life. The same goes with your business. Remove all |
| Slocumb is a large gentle man who establishes | | | | the people and what will you see? Nothing! Take |
| authority and respect with people very quickly. | | | | serious time developing the way you do business and |
| In a couple of months Commander Slocumb will be | | | | teach, teach, teach your associates over and over |
| making the USS Green Bay his full time commitment; | | | | again. We call this B-E marketing or |
| however, the ship will not be ready until the Summer | | | | Business-to-Employee marketing and we can get you |
| of 2008. Naturally, he was asked, "Commander, what | | | | started! |
| will you do for the eighteen-plus months while the | | | | |