“Hit the ground running” is probably one of the most overused idioms in the military. From my time as a junior leader through multiple deployments and countless jobs, the phrase was the go-to euphemism for starting something fast and building momentum with enthusiastic fervor. Over the years, I saw more people than I could count arrive at a new duty station or take on a newly assigned task with that same deer-in-the-headlights look. “Lost in the sauce,” others would say.
That was never going to be me. I would hit the ground running. Every new assignment. Every new job. Every new task. I never hesitated. I would immediately dig in and start working. “Time,” the fictional character Khan Noonien Singh once said, “is a luxury you don’t have.”
For the better part of thirty years, that was my modus operandi. I hit the ground running and outworked, outthought, and outmaneuvered the competition. Then I threw my boots over the wire and started over.
THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
Starting a second career isn’t quite the same as launching into a new assignment. Your reputation isn’t as established. You can’t always rely on your past accomplishments to pave the way forward. All the awards and accolades earned in your former profession are now just moderately interesting office decorations. You’re the new kid on the block. And you’re probably not a kid, anymore.
The difference is that you’ve got experience behind you to prepare you for this. We’ve all looked back on those early days and thought about the things we’d do differently if we had a second chance, or the advice we’d give a younger version of ourselves. “If only I’d known then what I know now…” Well, now you have that chance.
On time, on task
Show up on time – probably a little early, like you always have – and be ready. Notebook in hand and ready to go.
Listen up
The adage, “you can’t hear when you’re talking” applies from Day 1. Listen to what’s being said, and by whom. This is where learning begins.
Ask questions
Learn the lay of the land. Figure out the organizational hierarchy, identify the key players and influencers. See how things are done and don’t be afraid to ask why something is done the way it is.
Watch and learn
Watch your leadership to see how they lead, how they conduct themselves. Learn from others, both the good and the bad. Watch your peers to see what they’re doing, what works and doesn’t work.
The little things
The operative military phrase is “gnat’s ass detail.” When you’re starting a second career, no detail is too mundane, too minute. The little things matter. They always come back to haunt you later.
And remember to take copious notes along the way.
BE ALL YOU CAN BE
As much as transition requires you to adapt to a new post-military reality, success following that transition depends largely on your ability to play to the strengths developed during your years in uniform. The same knowledge, skills, and abilities that drove your success while serving will prove crucial to your ability to hit the ground running once you’ve embarked on a second career.
Leadership
Leadership is our bread and butter. It’s what we do. Our entire culture was forged around the ability to lead, make tough decisions, and take care of others. Surprisingly – or maybe not – those skills are often as rare as they are in high demand. Once you show a willingness to lend your leadership experience when it matters most, people will take note. Be a leader.
Planning
We have a near obsession for planning. Almost by default, we resort to a level of analytical thinking that is uncommon in most circles. Leverage this experience to advantage. See “the big picture” where others don’t; see patterns, relationships, and consequences; and anticipate what’s “over the horizon.”
Work ethic
Some of us are old enough to remember the old recruiting slogan, “In the Army, we do more before 9:00 a.m. than most people do all day.” It’s true. We have an ingrained ability to get up, get out, and get going before the first light of day. Be the person known for hard work and dedication, the new kid on the block who shows up ready to roll and doesn’t know the meaning of the word quit.
Entrepreneurial spirit
If you spent any time in uniform, you had more than one opportunity to pull a rabbit out of your hat. Entrepreneurism is cemented into our psyche. Be that creative thinker who is ready to roll up their sleeves and prove that the road less traveled might be the best way to go.
Values
We come from a values-based profession, where we swear an oath to support and defend the tenets from which our nation was forged. In your second career, you may be the only veteran your co-workers have ever encountered. Be someone others respect, admire, and look to for ethical direction.
You’re Farther Ahead Than You Realize
What you’ll learn at some point in the post-transition world is that you were far better prepared for a second career than you could have imagined. The key to a smooth transition is to relax and be yourself. In a new career, a new environment, surrounded by new faces, you won’t be comfortable unless you’re being your true self. In everything you do, be yourself.
