NFIB

Running a Tight Ship
10/ 02/ 2002

by Mardy Fones

When Capt. D. Michael Abrashoff took command of the U.S.S. Benfold in June 1992, morale among the ship's 300-plus crew was bad and retention was abysmal.

Not a pretty picture but Capt. Abrashoff believed his customers -- U.S. taxpayers and the Navy -- deserved better and he knew the Benfold crew could deliver. Abrashoff, now CEO of Grassroots Leadership, Inc. a Boston, Mass.-based consulting firm, turned his experiences into a book, It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy (Warner Books, 2002). It's his prescription for turning around a small business via a leadership style that focuses on the grassroots of an organization.

Abrashoff talked to MyBusiness about how management lessons learned in the middle of the ocean can apply to a land-locked small business owner.

Q: What's the difference between being a leader and being the boss?

A: Real leadership must be done by example, not precept. You teach your crew how to operate through every decision you make and every action you take; your people follow your example. They look to you for signals. If they see you fail to implement a policy, they may think they can do the same.

Q: What made you think you could turn around the Benfold crew since their last captain couldn't?

A: Up is not an easy direction. It defies gravity. Even so, the secret to lasting change is to implement processes that people will enjoy carrying out. Little gestures go a long way. Every Wednesday, I had lunch with the crew, and I stood in line with everyone else. On the day the schools in San Diego (where we were based) convened, I gave the crew the day off so they could be at parent-teacher conferences. My predecessor used the PA system to chew people out, I used it to praise people and good ideas. You don't play favorites but you take everyone's individual situations into account. That gained tremendous respect from the crew because everyone knew he or she would be treated fairly.

Q: As captain of the Benfold, you did personal interviews with every member of the crew. Some would say that was a waste of your energy and their time.

A: I decided that my job was to listen aggressively and to pick up every good idea the crew had. In the process, I learned each and every one of them was trying to make something meaningful of his or her life. Along the way, I came to respect them enormously and found many had excellent ideas for improving performance.

Q: What do you think is the most important element of leadership?

A: As a manager, the one steady signal you need to send to your people is how important they are to you. After all, they may have great ideas about how things can be done better.

They want to create great things. No one wants to come to work to be disciplined, or ignored or fired. Treat people well, and they won't disappoint you.

And if employees don't perform, instead of blaming them, ask yourself: "Did I clearly articulate the goals? Did I give them enough training to do the job properly? Did I give them the time and resources to do the job well?" I found that 80 percent of the time, I was the problem.

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This article originally appeared in the October/November 2002 issue of MyBusiness magazine.

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