Tognoli Time
What I learned being on a SUBMARINE...and how it prepared me for COVID-19
John is a buddy of mine, and he shared this with me last week. John is a graduate of the Naval Academy and served on submarines as an officer in the Navy prior to entering the private sector. He sent this to his team of 3,000 people at Facebook last week. Some really good stuff in here that can help all of us…check it out. Thanks for the share John!
This week I did a Q&A with ATX and I was asked about my military experience and how that helped me for this current pandemic. Honestly, I hadn’t thought much about it. But, yes, there are similarities.
In fact, when people often ask, what was it like on a submarine? I would answer, a lot like being in your house for 70 days and working really really hard. Well, GUESS WHAT!! Haha...
At the risk of sounding like I have this all figured out (I don’t), here are a few thoughts that come to mind.
Slow down in the crisis. On submarines, problems tend to compound...fast. A small fire leads to a bigger fire, which leads to loss of the electrical system, which leads to loss of propulsion, which can lead to lower ship-control, etc. Life on a submarine meant constantly fighting real, or simulated, crises. The trait most celebrated in teams and leaders was the ability to slow down as the problems got crazier. Pause. Breathe. Prioritize. Lower your voice. Send the signal to those around you that things are going to be okay. This has come to me several times in the past three weeks.
Fresh air matters. On a submarine, the environment is constantly monitored for the health of the crew. We would make our own oxygen, and also scrub and burn out the CO2 and CO constantly. Every so often, we would come to “periscope depth” (just below the surface) and ventilate the boat using fans and a snorkel mast. By either ventilating the ship, or by bleeding oxygen from the O2 banks, thus raising the partial pressure of O2 in the air, I was always amazed at how the mood of the crew would elevate. Everyone gets happier (like the casino). Point being, get fresh air!!
Take care of your shipmates. The best shipmates in the wardroom would make a point to stop by the bridge or the engine-room if they had a spare moment, and just check in on the officer who was standing watch (a 6-hour shift) and offer to give them a quick bio- or coffee-break. Each of us knew that we needed each other, and our spirits were served by showing our love for one another in small deeds.
Take care of yourself. Of about a million things I had to memorize at the Naval Academy, one was a very long poem called “The Laws of the Navy”. One stanza went: “On the strength of one link of the cable dependeth the might of the chain // Who knows when though mayeth be tested? So live that thou bearest the strain!”. I know we have a lot of “heros” in this organization, working 120% for the team -- and also for our families. Make sure you take care of yourself...even if that means only 110% for everyone else ;-).
Get creative in your exercise. I would come back from submarine patrol in really, really good condition. Every time I passed that one overhead pipe, I’d do 10 pull ups. Every time I passed that railing, I’d do 5 dips. And I would run back and forth down the missile compartment passageway, which is like doing laps in a small driveway. I could not have survived a patrol without these habits. Exercise and endorphins are good for your mind!--and being home is not an excuse to be lazy.
Always be learning. On a typical patrol, we used Tuesday and Thursdays as “Training Days”. Everyone on the crew was involved in someway raising their level of professional knowledge -- either attending training, delivering training, studying, or taking exams. If you have capacity, take advantage of the opportunity to learn. I will be asking our learning organization to think about, if/as things stabilize in this new model, how we can support our org in its learning.
Like I said, I don’t have this figured out. Just a few thoughts from the deep!!
