THEY GOT THE JOB DONE

member of a group military organization is simply a means to accomplish that end efficiently the basic purpose of professional Authority in the u.s. Navy therefore is to enable each man as part of a combination of men to defend himself and his country more effectively than he could through his own efforts alone [Music] what then is required of the commissioned officer carrying out the functions of authority in the Naval Service technical knowledge obviously basic but because the officer doesn't work with machines alone he needs something else the ability to get people to work together toward common objectives he needs to be a leader what does leadership make one think of immortalized heroes Jones Farragut Decatur the to perry's Mari douwe treble these men were all successful commanders let's see what kind of men they were impulsive deliberate religious forceful magnetic scholarly decisive humorous enthusiastic shy aggressive each was different in his own way what did they have in common one thing for sure they got the job done and since the job required men they got men to do the job and they got them to do it better in getting men to do jobs better we must recognize two essential requirements first the men must be able to do the job in this a man is like the machines he uses the better designed the machine the better it does its job the better a man's natural ability skill training and experience the better he can do his job if he wants to second then men must want to do the job like machines they need forces that can drive them to use their abilities to think to work to sweat to get the job done forces that drive us all to learn and to do what we must to get what we need men like machines are driven but there the similarity ends while any particular machine is driven by the one kind of power for which it was designed human beings are driven by a multitude of motivating forces baby wants food mother wants to feed him man wants a job boy wants to meet girl some people want service others want to serve all driven by this human motive power all seeking satisfaction for their special needs and aspirations some successfully some unsuccessfully yeah it's about time little Jughead give me a chance I want to go up for first class you know I can take these babies apart and put them together again in my sleep all I wanted to get off this tub I got a kid a year old I ain't even seen yet I want to go home these sailors have needs so as everyone else take this wardroom see double sixes hey Romeo it's your play you're still worried about that bother you sweating out that promotion both I want that other half stripe for a wedding present I've been overworked and underpaid long enough all I wanted to square myself with the old man after fouling up that gunnery shoot today come on fellas knock it off I want to qualify for underway deck watch I want to get this course in the I want in fact expresses each man's needs such are the ones the needs that power the human machine that influence human behavior let's take a man any man it's how any man's driving needs are satisfied that determines whether he is a happily balanced or sadly unbalanced personality a man's personality is the summation of all he has been all he now is and all he ever hopes to be his total ingredients for living and doing a job [Music] what these ingredients are and how they are integrated what kind of personality they produce we'll all have some bearing on the manner in which the individual can make an adjustment to the ever-changing circumstances and requirements of life to the environment in which he lives [Music] environment doesn't mean merely a farm in New England or a carrier at sea it means all of the circumstances to which the individual must react some make no difference [Music] some are favorable [Music] some are unfavorable take a day anything [Music] in the Navy the unfavorable circumstance might be an overheated classroom a cold wet night on the fo'c'sle a fouled up watch list an irritating shipmates complex working or fighting equipment a sick family an over solicitous mother or even a difficult senior officer these unfavorable circumstances are stresses everybody is constantly seeking a reduction in the tensions caused by the stresses when a man succeeds in reducing tensions when he gets what he needs or is satisfied with what he gets when he can handle the uncomfortable stresses he meets he is emotionally balanced adjusted the way a man's personality is able to adjust to the ever-changing stresses in his life minute to minute hour to hour day to day is the real measure of his emotional fitness if he cannot handle the stresses of his environment he is emotionally out of balance maladjusted all of us at times show evidence of maladjustment to some degree in the form of minor failures depressions errors of judgment inefficiency irritations and other deviations from ideal behavior we all swing between adjustment and mal adjustment at any point short of complete success we may give up reasonable attempts to adjust and resort to the unreasonable this might occur as a result of the environmental stresses becoming too tough for the personality or the personality becoming too weak for the environmental stresses when the Battle of adjustment becomes really tough we are frustrated and naturally try to escape but since physical flight is in most cases impossible we may seek escape psychologically through various flight reactions such as daydreams cocking off timidity sickness alcoholism in such flight reactions the personality suffers or frustration may result in fight reactions then the environment is made to suffer such reactions are seen in irritability and in destructive behavior sometimes it is possible to have a mixture of both the fight and the flight reactions such as a pugnacious drunk and in the Navy as anywhere else the fight reaction can also take the form of actual criminal offence irresponsible actions of any kind inevitably involve the professional interests not only of the line Officer but also of the medical officer because although disciplinary problems are the line officers responsibility the medical officer can help prevent bad behavior at its source bad behavior is a symptom of unsuccessful attempts to adjust to the naval environment but you've got to realize that unauthorized absence just can't be taken lightly the general nature of the charge in this case is desertion two-thirds of the members present at the time the vote was taken concurring sentence is you to be discharged from the Naval Service with a bad conduct discharge to form at all pay and allowances and to be confined at hard labor for eight months a man may lose his balance completely go away off course furthermore in the Navy a man whose needs are frustrated can't resign or change his job he can't gracefully escape a maladjusted sailor must either stick it out until his enlistment expires or get court-martialed or medically survey fortunately however this same exacting environment is a source of strong psychological support both for the officer and for the men under his command military discipline itself is a primary support because it enables the individual to fit into an orderly system being a member of an organized group belonging sharing the responsibilities and privileges of military life offers a basis for emotional stability to every man and the junior officer can give his men even further psychological support by recognizing them as individuals by trying to understand the driving needs and aspirations behind their behavior he can help them toward a successful adjustment to Navy life [Music] [Applause] but the officer who ignores his men's driving needs and problems of adjustment he is ignoring his own self-interest unsatisfied needs unresolved problems of adjustment will backfire in the form of transfer requests increased sick calls a WOL waste and inefficient performance of duty the common denominator in all our successful naval leaders has been they got the job done if you are going to be a successful naval leader your men must want to do the job they will if they achieve healthy emotional balance you can help them achieve this balance by your understanding of the adjustments necessary within the naval environment [Applause]