To launch this new idea, we invited Colonel (Retired) Mark Lisi to share his thoughts on the subject. COL Lisi and I were lieutenants stationed together in the same unit in the early 80s, he as an Infantry Officer and me as a Signal Corps Officer. In all those years, we’ve remained fast friends, even through the gaps in time where we didn't physically see each other from our travels around the globe. You can learn more about COL Lisi
here. Without further ado, we present his thoughts:
Ask a veteran about their background and they will surprise you. There is always a gap between the view of what military is and is not. Listen to them and you will find their stories are full of gems that will support your cause. The Armed Forces trains recruits to perform specific tasks and inserts them into performing organizations, and the veteran is the product. This service based paradigm seamlessly crosswalks into the civil work place.
The Nation has relied on the work of her veterans for 250 years. They have performed in jobs up to and including the Presidency of the country. The value of the veteran to the working pool of the nation cannot be overstated. Veterans will bring a more mature and concrete view of responsibility to your workplace. They know and understand the concept of service.
The veteran brings a sack of skills to the work place. They have experienced both good and bad leadership styles, put on three or four years of maturity, and learned individual responsibility.
In the main, the veteran has made a contract with the nation and completed the terms of that contract. Exactly “what” the veteran did in the Service, can only be found on his/her Discharge document. If you really want to know what they did in the Service, ask them directly. Many military skills were dangerous and performed under dangerous conditions. From infantry fighting positions to the danger of the carrier flight deck.
Employers should view veterans as savvy, reliable, and competent. Every task from punctuality to an orderly work space comes as part of the veteran package. The veteran has been trained to endure and perform during periods of duress. This skill set is beyond value to employers. Service members must get up, get in a uniform and go to work every day; it is not a choice. As an employer, your veterans give this to you every day.
Independent, reliable and resilient, veterans provide employers with a solid worker foundation. Trainable and committed, they bring a background of production that their civilian peers cannot match.
Veterans serve as the working foundation of their generation. This foundation can be built upon by employers and integrated into the business leadership architecture. National Service helps veterans shake off the yoke of generational cultural and breeds the independent thinker.
Employers need only watch how veterans who chose higher education as their post-service gateway perform. They understand that they are paying for the classroom seat, and they are in that seat every class period. They learn, they apply and make their own way forward.
Veterans are not the magic beans that Jack bought. They are the men and women that Norman Rockwell so accurately captures in the Americana of his paintings. Like those paintings, they exist in the culture, and the population. Learn to hire the veteran, train them and rely on them. There is no higher salute you can offer to those who bore the weight of freedom.
How can you bring the value of veterans to your organization? If you’re not sure,
we can help.
Lead Well!
