Members exceed standards

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Curt Brennan
  • Defense courier Service, station chief
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  It usually happens when we're faced with a task for which we're completely unprepared.

We knew it was coming for a while, but because it's something we either know little about or simply procrastinated over, we wound up asking ourselves, "What's the minimum I need to do to complete this task?"

Package it how you want but at that point, we accepted mediocrity and decided to put forth the least amount of effort needed to just get by. Afterwards, if we were fortunate enough to pass or finish above the required mark, we considered this event a success.

In very limited cases, somewhere outside our military culture, this might be acceptable. In our world though, just meeting the standard is to barely reach the point beyond failure.

When we show up for work on time, return from lunch on time, stay until the end of our prescribed day and complete the required amount of whatever we're required to do, we meet standards. We do the minimum. We do exactly as the boss tells us and sometimes even half-heartedly get involved with that office project no one's really claimed. Until 4:31 p.m. that is, when we drop everything we're doing and sprint out the door.

"Hey, I've done enough. An honest day's work for an honest day's pay, right?" Unfortunately, our do-more-with-less culture says otherwise and this type of thinking is no longer accepted. This just isn't enough.

Let's not confuse the issue though. I recently worked for someone who'd walk the building around 4:45 p.m. every day saying he just wanted to see who was exceeding standards by working late. He didn't seem overly concerned about what work was actually taking place only that his people were still glued to their computer screens.

This is not a good example of the point I'm trying to make. Exceeding standards doesn't mean arriving early and leaving late just for the sake of doing so. Remaining behind until 5 p.m. to wait on your spouse or buddy you carpooled with this morning doesn't necessarily count, especially if you're balancing your checkbook or e-mailing your friends in Germany.

This may be good for impressing my previous boss, but it's as superficial as the person in the unit who talks a big game with the crisp uniform but can't perform the simplest of tasks.

Again, this is not how to exceed standards. If you're at work, be productive. If you finish early, look beyond your personal responsibilities and help a co-worker with theirs. "One team, one fight," right?

What it comes down to is this. If you know something needs to be done tomorrow and you can make time today, do it today. Take the initiative and answer the ringing phone when you're on your way out the door for lunch. Listen to the caller, take notes and actually help them if you can. Don't pass them from section to section or tell them to send you an e-mail explaining everything they just explained.

Fortunately, our military services are comprised of professionals who refuse to be average by just meeting standards. They don't react to tasks but seek them out. They choose to own their processes and not just manage them. They understand inspection preparation doesn't begin, it never ends. They not only exceed standards, they routinely raise the bar and set new ones.