Here is a list of epigrammatic tips inspired by the most recent Red Bull Rising post. It's a mix of maxims regarding organizational analysis, knowledge management, and working in a tactical operations center ("TOC"). The TOC was described in yesterday’s blog. These were written by "Joe Sherpa" who is now retired and revealed his real name to be "Randy Brown."
What happens when you state as a certitude a platitude syntactically phrased like a Beatitude from a mentor nicknamed a "Sherpa"? You get Sherpatudes!
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Behold, The Sherpatudes
1. Continually ask: "Who else needs to know what I know?"
2. Continually ask: "Who else knows what I need to know?"
3. Never speak with complete authority regarding that which you lack direct knowledge, observation, and/or suppressive fires.
4. Never pull rank over a radio net.
5. Let the boss decide how he/she wants to learn.
6. Let the boss decide how he/she wants to communicate.
7. "I am responsible for everything my commander's organization knows and fails to know, learns and fails to learn."
8. Know when to wake up the Old Man. Also, know how to wake him up without getting punched, shot, or fired.
9. The three most important things in the TOC are: Track the battle. Track the battle. Track the battle.
10. Digital trumps analog, until you run out of batteries.
11. Always have ready at least two methods of communication to any point or person on the map.
12. Rank has its privileges. It also has its limitations.
13. Let Joe surprise you.
14. Don't let Joe surprise you.
15. The first report is always wrong. Except when it isn't.
16. The problem is always at the distant end. Except when it isn't.
17. Exercise digital/tactical patience. Communications works at the speed of light. People do not.
18. Your trigger finger is your safety. Keep it away from the CAPS LOCK, reply all and flash override buttons.
19. The warfighter is your customer, and the customer is always right.
20. Bullets don't kill people. Logistics kills people.
21. Knowing how it works is more powerful than knowing how it's supposed to work.
22. Cite sources on demand. State opinions when asked.
23. Work by, with and through others. It's all about empowerment.
24. Do not seek the spotlight, Ranger. Let the spotlight find you. Then, make sure to share it with others.
25. Both the Bible and "The Art of War" make this point: It's never a mistake to put oneself in someone else's boots.
26. Humor is a combat multiplier. Except when it isn't.
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The Universal Sherpatudes
The blog author has taken these 26 conventions and found 11 of them to be true universally (a few with minor edits). Here they are:
- Continually ask: "Who else needs to know what I know?"
3. Never pull rank during a teleconference or remote link.
4. Let the boss decide how he/she wants to learn.
5. Digital trumps analog, until you run out of batteries.
6. Always have ready at least two methods of communication to any point or person involved in the
project or ongoing joint effort.
7. Knowing how it works is more powerful than knowing how it's supposed to work.
8. Cite sources immediately when asked. State opinions only when asked by a superior.
9. Work by, with and through others. It's all about empowerment.
10. Do not seek the spotlight. Let the spotlight find you. Then, make sure to share it with others.
11. Both the Bible and The Art of War make this point: It's never a mistake to put oneself in someone
else's boots.
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