I find, make and train happy, committed, successful people, no matter what their life path. http://NoMoreHoldingBack.com
*** ***
Yeah, more stuff about the Marine Educator Workshop. There was gold in that adventure, especially if you are someone who is building a sales, networking or any kind of organization. And one point was driven home particularly well by Sgt. Torres. Keep reading this if your goals depend on building a large, strong group of people working with you.
During one of the Q. & A. sessions a panel of Marine sergeants was asked something about the recruiting process. I liked these sessions quite a bit…despite the indoctrination the Marines go through, they have differing opinions about a lot of things once they’ve been in for a while. They don’t actually beat the thinking process or individuality out of them.
Sgt. Torres came up with a profound statement. He said one of the ways Marines can be grouped was into three categories: Finders, Makers and Trainers.
The Finders are the recruiters…the men and women in the local recruiting offices, who visit the high schools, hang out at the shopping mall parking lots, sit down with moms and dads, answer a thousand questions, and nurse 18 year olds through their last months of high school. They promote the Marine Corps career to thousands of young people with the expectation that a handful of the right ones will sign up.
The Makers are the drill instructors. They are the ones who take scared kids with habits and patterns built up over lifetimes, strip them down to bare flesh, bone and reaction, and build them up into people (yes, Marines are people) who will think, act and respond in ways the organization needs. They fill them with confidence and commitment to the Corps.
The Trainers? That’s everyone else. The Marine who graduates basic training comes out a Private (or Private First Class) and is subordinate to nearly everyone around them. There are thousands of role models, and the new Marine is constantly looking around to see how to think and behave. Some of the training is formal, especially when the new Marine enters his/her M.O.S. (military occupational specialty).
But much more of the training is acquiring the culture of the Marine lifestyle. After basic training is over and the new Marine isn’t told what to do 24 hours a day, they still look to those around them for cues. And the training they receive is largely the training they will pass on to the new Marines who come after them.
And say what you will about the nature of the Marine Corps, but I challenge you to find a group more committed to its own traditions, culture and mission. Ask a veteran: once a Marine, always a Marine.
*** ***
No, this is not an advertisement to sign up for the Marines. But it is an invitation to look at your organization, if you’re building one. What are its strengths and weaknesses? How are you as a recruiter, and maker and trainer? What resources do you have to plug people into? How can you improve your own skills in these areas?
Your Pal,
Larry
P.S. All of this finding, making and training means you are working - and playing - with the right people, and that you are in alignment with your true nature and purpose. Don’t do another thing until that’s happened, and if you need help there, sign up for the free Pad Your Paycheck Newsletter
Thanks Larry,
I always get so much from your posts. Very insightful & motovational!