Dear Bob ...Your first paragraph (in "More business archetypes," Keep the Joint Running, 10/1/2007) caught my eye. I think people who have never been in the military haven't a clue what it really like. Most people confuse the word 'militaristic' with 'authoritarian'.The most authoritarian organizations to which I have ever belonged were a package delivery service in Memphis, TN, and a chip design firm in Addison Dear Bob …Your first paragraph (in “More business archetypes,” Keep the Joint Running, 10/1/2007) caught my eye. I think people who have never been in the military haven’t a clue what it really like. Most people confuse the word ‘militaristic’ with ‘authoritarian’. The most authoritarian organizations to which I have ever belonged were a package delivery service in Memphis, TN, and a chip design firm in Addison, TX. The least authoritarian organization to which I’ve ever belonged was the U. S. Air Force.In the civilian organizations, mindless adherence to orders was lauded and expected. I have been told “when a director tells you to do something, you do it. I don’t care if it breaks every machine in the place, you do it.” On the contrary, when asked by a Full Bird Colonel what I thought of an idea, my response was “it sucks.” After telling me it was his idea, he asked me to explain to him why it sucked. I did and within five minutes, his idea was history and it affected the way maintenance was done on a large Air Force installation.I have found the military to be the most Demming-like organization for which I’ve ever worked. A close second was organizations run by ex-military officers. Sadly, many organizations tend to promote people who are very good at producing revenue for the company. In a chip design company, this means chip engineers. Often, the traits which make a good chip designer are anathema to being a “people person”. What you wind up with is a guy who has to interact with people who is happiest in a dark room behind a closed door with pizza slid under the door from time to time.On the contrary, I had a squadron commander in the Air Force. Col. White was his name. He made it a point to come into work on every shift at least once a month. He would chat with everyone in the place. Half the conversation would be about work, the other half about hobbies, family, and idle chatter. The next time he spoke to folks, typically a month later, he’d pick up the conversation exactly where he’d left off.Managers should never underestimate the power of such a practice. There is no clearer indication of “you matter” than such an exhibit of interest in the individual. However, if it lacks sincerity, it will backfire. This person came to the squadron as a major and left less than 18 months later with a promotion number to bird colonel. I learned a lot about management from Col. White. (And others in the military).– Air Force GuyDear Air Force Guy … I’ve lost track of the number of letters I’ve received over the years that cite military practice as justification for authoritarianism, all from armchair officers who I’m sure have less military experience than I have (two years contracting at the Naval Military Personnel Command).Which is why I was delighted to have the chance to clarify the point I’d made about the General archetype in the previous KJR (“Jung at heart,” 9/24/2007), and chagrined that it needed clarification.This is just my impression: Military leadership training before and during the Vietnam War was quite bad. Following the fiasco, the military figured out what it needed to do differently and implemented deep and substantive changes in how it trains officers. Those I met and worked with in the early 1980s exhibited a wide range of leadership qualities, from excellent to dreadful. Over the past fifteen years or so, I can’t think of one who wasn’t a first-rate leader. – BobPowered by ScribeFire. Technology Industry