16 bloggers and a day on the USS Nimitz

(I previously wrote an intro and link post about the bloggers who went on the USS Nimitz.)

When
the Navy issued the invitation for 16 bloggers to spend a day on the
USS Nimitz, I thought there had to be string attached, or that the Navy
wanted to use us bloggers as propaganda spreaders. But hey, I’m used to
people pitching me and trusted myself to be able to figure out the real
story behind the Navy “story”.

But surprisingly, there were no
pre-conditions, no restrictions on access other than to safeguard our
well-being. The schedule was packed with organized tours to different
parts of the trip, but we were free to approach anyone and ask them
anything.

In fact, the only thing they would *not*
let us see was the nuclear reactor — but then again, nobody gets to
see them (there are two of them onboard). They also would not let us
video the operations room because of the sensitive strategic
information on the displays. But that was about it. 

After our
public affairs dropped us off in our staterooms, we were encouraged to
head back to the officer wardrooms or mess halls to talk with people
during midrash (midnight rations) when the final shift came off duty.
Most of us took up the opportunity, and then spread out around the
ship, from the top of conning tower to the fan tail. I personally got
completely lost and engaged several sailors in fun conversations on the
way back to my room. This is what I am still amazed by, that the Navy
gave us so much access.

Would you let 16 bloggers come
into your organization and have access to pretty much anything and
anybody? If not, why not – after all, what do you have to hide?

This
was the biggest take-away for me, the tremendous openness of the Navy.
Open to us asking any question, engaging us in debates, and at the same
time, steadfast in their belief of their mission, goals, and
responsibilities. With that openness also came exceptional
transparency, such as fighter pilots sharing their joy of flying, but
also their naked, raw fear about night landings on a carrier deck.

In
my conversations with organizations about social media, openness and
transparency is often what companies engaging in social media most fear
— it isn’t about the technologies that enable openness, but the
relationships that force companies to face their biggest insecurities
and flaws. 

So as an exercise, think about how *your*
organization would deal with and fare under the scrutiny of a 24 hour
visit by outsiders. Would you script each and every interaction with
talking points? Would you limit access only to departments and people
who showed the best side of you, and then escort the visitors to the
reception area?

Or would you trust that each and every person
understands their role in the organization? Do you trust that they can
and will speak with honesty but also respect “that which cannot be
spoken”, the secrets that if exposed, would be detrimental to the
organization?

It says a lot about an organization when its
leaders and executives can step back and be secure in the knowledge
that their people will do the right thing, up and down the hierarchical
chain. The photo at the top of this post is of a poster that hangs in
the library, right next to rows of computers where sailors can email
and post on Facebook and Twitter. It’s a reminder to keep “OPSEC”, or
operational security. Sailors are reminded to not disclose information
that would compromise operations, as such as their location and
mission.

And yes, the Navy has a social media policy,
that governs the use of Web 2.0 tools — basically, that anything goes
as long as it does not “compromise data confidentiality and integrity”.
And the Army just this week lifted a ban on social media sites.
The military realizes the opportunity for their service members to
“facilitate the dissemination of strategic, unclassified information.”
Yet in many organizations, executives are pondering whether to ban
access to Facebook and Twitter, rather than how these technologies can
foster collaboration between employees and also bring customers and
partners closer to the company.

To close out, here is a video
interview with Commander Charlie Brown on why the Navy invited bloggers
to visit the Nimitz, and how they will measure the success of the trip.
Highlights are included below.