Carl Prine interviews Don Vandergriff
Investigative reporter, Iraq veteran and Military.com columnist/blogger Carl Prine has an excellent interview with blogfriend Don Vandergriff at Prine’s Line of Departure:
….DON VANDERGRIFF: Yeah. Well, it goes back to the competency approach – Leave No Child Behind.
It’s like training for the test or rote memorization. And that’s what PowerPoint is. It’s a tool of the competency theory
of education, if you think about it.
There’s no thought being put into it. It follows a format. People find out what the boss likes to see and they put it into that format. They depend on that. Because – as you and I know- if you really know what you’re talking about, they get up there and just tell it.
PRINE OF DEPARTURE: You and I have known each other for years. And we’ve been talking about “Careerists” and what they do to a military culture.
And the reason why I ask this is because there’s this young captain who I really respect. He’s one of the best young
captains I’ve ever met. And he asked me, “Carl, how do you define a ‘careerist?’ What is a ‘careerist?'”
DON VANDERGRIFF: A “Careerist” is a courtier. All he’s interested in doing is flattering the King. Courtiers form together and you get “groupthink.”
There are a lot of problems that come from Careerists. A Careerist is someone who puts self before service. A Careerist doesn’t understand that by making your subordinates better than you are, you’re actually making your entire organization better.
PRINE OF DEPARTURE: And you’re making yourself better.
DON VANDERGRIFF: Right.
DON VANDERGRIFF: To get to the bottom line, it’s selfish leadership….
Read the rest here.
April 6th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
"the enlisted ranks as they ape what they see"
Who ever said this should pull his head out of his ass.
April 6th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
LOL! Maybe Don or Carl will wander in here and respond.
April 6th, 2011 at 10:12 pm
For a real laugh try telling an old Gunnery Sergeant you think he is "aping" the behavior of the officers. When I was in, over 35 years ago, it would have been an insult. I suspect it still would be today.
April 7th, 2011 at 1:22 am
Awesome. Boyd would refer to this as ‘To be, or to do?"