On a day-to-day basis, you probably don’t think you have much in common with Navy SEALs. If you’re currently managing an office, it’s likely that you’re not thinking about how similar you are to a Navy SEAL – they’re in the trenches every day, while you’re just sending out reports and requesting information from your employees. However, some of the same tips Navy SEALs use might be perfect for your needs. Here are a few management tips that line up with those from Navy SEALs.
1. There Are No Bad Teams, Only Bad Leaders
Among Navy SEALs, leadership is considered one of the most important elements of success. Some low-performing SEAL teams ended up improving when their leader simply changed. If your team is underperforming, the first thing you think should be, “What can I do better to improve my team’s success rate?”
2. Simplicity Should Be a Guiding Measure
If you don’t need to complicate something, don’t complicate it. A team works best if everyone is on the same page, and having a team member – or worse, multiple team members – misunderstand the goal can be damaging. Remember to keep things as simple as possible so everyone can stay on the same playing field.
3. Not Deciding Is Its Own Decision
It can feel like a good idea to hold off on a decision, but when you don’t make a decision, that itself is a decision. When you delay a business decision, it could end up worsening your prospects. Instead, be decisive. Your company and your employees will thank you for it.
4. The Ability to Prioritize Is a Gift
Prioritization is one of the things that you probably don’t think about until you really need to. Sure, ideally, your employees would be able to manage everything and anything that you assign them to. However, in reality, there are going to be times when your employees aren’t able to do everything. In these situations, you need to be able to tell them what to focus on and what to put on the back burner.
5. Training Prepares You for Important Work
Investment in training for your employees is crucial. Sure, it might feel like you’re paying into the training process for nothing, but when your employees are able to execute their jobs more effectively over the long term, you’re going to be grateful that you put in the time and money to give them that training. It might be a subtle difference, but it’s a difference nonetheless.
Conclusion
Even if you’re not out in the field doing training exercises, that doesn’t mean you’re completely different from Navy SEALs. At their core, Navy SEALs are simply a team that needs to work together. Just because your team is doing something different, that doesn’t mean you have to completely change the way you work with your team. Take these tips and tricks and apply them to your management strategy; the impact of the change is sure to amaze you.
