The Real Thing

Episode 40:  Henry In Love

Henry:     [on the phone to his wife]  Lorraine, honey?   Send me the cheque stubs.  I’ll straighten it out.  Goodbye darling.

Henry:      What do you guys want?

Trapper:    We just wanted to say good night, Henry.

Henry:     Remember I said I found a girl who was the real thing?  Well, she’s $68 overdrawn… Radar?  My wife was very grateful that I called her…makes me wish I had.

Radar:    Well, I figured since you didn’t have time to answer her letters…

Henry:      Goodnight Radar.  See you at breakfast.

Henry falls ‘puppy dog’ in love with a young woman in Tokyo and invites her back to the 4077 to meet the gang.  He discovers that she not only has eyes for him, but for everyone else in camp and realises that his relationship with his wife is the real thing.

The relationships that matter most in my life and that have the most impact are those that are characterised by authenticity and vulnerability.  This is as true for my professional life as for my personal life.  It is only when relationships are real, reflecting who we really are in every arena of life, that they withstand the challenges of leadership and make any real impact on those we lead.  Leadership author Bill George of “True North” affirms the value of an integrated life in our relationships: “To lead an integrated life, you need to bring together the major elements of your personal life and professional life, including work, family, community, and friends, so that you can be the same person in each environment.”  People intuitively know when we are real with them and not just using relationships as a means to an ends.

Equality v's Superiority

Episode 39:  Officers Only

Hawkeye:     Hey, Henry!  Bone-picking time…What about the 

            officers’ club?

Trapper:    Henry, the place is restricted.

Henry:       That’s not true.  Any officer, regardless of race, 

            colour or creed can go there and get bombed out of 

            his skull.

Hawkeye:    Come on Henry, it’s not fair.  All the enlisted  guys are very disgruntled.

Henry:    Look, I can’t be responsible for anybody’s “gruntlement.”  General Mitchell, out of the kindness of his gratitude, gave us this marvellous club…

Trapper:   That place is so un-us…Henry look, if we can get  enough officers to agree with us, will you throw the club open for everybody?

Henry:      Yeah, sure.  If you can swing it, fine. Ok?

General Mitchell visits the 4077 and rewards them with a new Officers’ Club in appreciation for their care of his son.  When the Officers’ Club creates dissention in the camp among the enlisted men who are excluded, Hawkeye and Trapper devise a plan to lift the restriction.

There is something embedded deep within the Australian psyche that rebels against inequality in society.  While we understand lines of authority in the work place we don’t like being treated unfairly and have little tolerance for leaders and managers who exist in ivory towers.  Whether this cultural value is fundamentally driven by a love of justice or a hatred of superiority is open for debate.  It is, however, reflective of a biblical value taught by Paul who addresses religious superiority in the church – “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).  Leaders who wield their power lightly, treat their followers fairly and engage in authentic relationships earn the trust and respect of those they seek to lead.

Married To The Job

Episode 38:  Hot Lips And Empty Arms

Margaret:   I married the army.  And what have I got to show for it? Rotten living conditions, no social life, surrounded by insolent doctors and nurses who don’t give me an ounce of respect.

Frank:     Darling…it’s only the people who know you that don’t give you any respect.  And that’s because you hide all your goodness.

Margaret:   I have nothing.  Nothing…

Frank:     Margaret you’re serving your country in the most noble way a woman can, in the finest tradition of nursing.  You have your commission…

Margaret:   War can’t last forever Frank.  They’ll declare peace, and then where will I be?

Margaret receives a letter from a friend who has the life that Margaret feels she has missed out on because of her career in the Army.  This prompts her to impulsively request a transfer to escape her feeling of being undervalued and of an unfulfilled life.

There is much to be said about work taking over a disproportionate amount of our lives; when what we do becomes more important than whom we are or those closest to us.  When work robs us from life, then maybe there is an imbalance that needs to be addressed.  However, if work fulfills our lives and adds value to the lives of others around us, then maybe there is an alignment between work and life that becomes our defining purpose.  I am in a unique place in life where what I do flows directly out of who I am.  I am completely fulfilled by a calling that has led me into a role that aligns with who I am as a person.  In a way, it can be said that I am ‘married to the job’ in the sense that my life and calling have become one.  Are there dangers in such a “marriage”?  Absolutely!  I think they are self evident.  But there is an enormous sense of fulfillment knowing that what I do and who I am leave me feeling completed instead of depleted.

Volunteer Army

Episode 37:  Deal Me Out

Frank:   It’s against regulations to gamble with an enlisted man.

Hawkeye: You never enlisted, did you, Klinger?

Klinger: When they came for me, I ran like a thief right into 

         Grand Central Station. They trapped me in a pay toilet. 

         Cost ‘em four dollars in nickels to get me out.

Hawkeye: I love a volunteer.

While the officers meet for their weekly poker game, AKA the “conference”, they are interrupted by a number of medical emergencies.  Frank is one of those interruptions, giving Klinger a hard time for playing cards with the officers.

Australian culture prides itself on the strength of its volunteer base that forms the foundation of community, charity and service organizations.  Whether it is our life guards, country fire fighters, meals on wheels, sporting clubs, welfare agencies, churches or event organisers, our volunteers are an essential compliment to the paid workforce.  Without volunteers many of these groups would grind to a halt.  Business management expert Peter Drucker understood the importance of effectively attracting and retaining competent volunteers - “If non-profit organizations want to attract and hold them, they have to put their competence and knowledge to work.”  Volunteers commit to a purpose not a pay packet, they embrace a cause not a career, and they are motivated by a vision that is driven by internal rather than external rewards.

Creative Solutions

Episode 36: The Incubator

Capt. Sloan:  Now, the business at hand is an incubator…”Device 
              for developing bacterial cultures at constant  
              suitable temperatures.” Uh-huh, I see. That 
              certainly makes sense. You can’t have one.
Hawkeye:      Beg your pardon?
Capt. Sloan:  I checked your BEL (Basic Equipment List). This 
              unit has everything it’s supposed to have;
              you’re not entitled to an incubator. That would 
              be…a luxury.
Hawkeye:      We’re not asking for a jukebox or a pizza oven.
Capt. Sloan:  Oh, those I can let you have.  

Hawkeye and Trapper challenge Army bureaucracy to try and obtain an essential piece of medical equipment. When all efforts fail, they gate crash a press conference to pressure the general in giving their unit an incubator. 

There is a perpetual frustration faced by leaders in organizations where red tape or bureaucracy gets in the way of common sense. While we all recognise the need for effective systems and structures, there are times when they become the master and not the servant of mission. I have found during these times that I have fundamentally three choices: Stay frustrated, fight the system or find creative solutions. I am rarely satisfied with “it can’t be done” or “that’s just the way it is” and will constantly endeavour to be a part of the solution, rather than feeding or fighting the problem. I think the most effective way to deal with bureaucratic red tape is not giving into what is, but discovering creative solutions and working towards what could be.