22 September 2020
| PLAN YOUR DIVE, DIVE YOUR PLAN! Last week we talked about Plan, Prepare and Execute. So, this week lets discuss a common issue of why the execution stage doesn’t always go off so well. Most assume SEALs are master divers. We are not. We know enough to be dangerous because we typically only dive for one reason. To get from A to B without being detected, and doing it underwater makes it real hard for people to detect you. If we are masters of anything diving, it would be navigating underwater against tides and currents. But even that’s using the word “Masters” liberally. Unlike them sweet commercials showing footprints on the beach, only to be erased by the sweeping waves, SEAL operations never go that smooth. If that commercial was an accurate depiction, you’d see an inflatable boat flipped over on the beach pinning at least two dudes under it, a guy in the surf fighting with kelp wrapped around his neck and caught in his night vision goggles, and the rest of the survivors chasing all our gear around the beach that flew out when the boat flipped in the surf zone. Yep, that happens… a lot! Sometimes our worst enemy is actually OURSELVES. Plan your Dive and Dive your Plan comes from a very common occurrence for combat divers. We spend hours planning our dives in a controlled environment meticulously calculating distances, currents and tides. Then we enter the water, and $h!t. Gets. Weird. When you’re navigating underwater, tiny bio-luminescence particles flow past your mask. As they drift by, they give a sensation that you’re turning in the wrong direction, even though you are locked onto a compass following a bearing you know to be correct. But for some strange reason and against any logical thought, a diver will course correct because they second-guess their hours of prep. Guess where that diver ends up. NOT ON TARGET! All based on the fear of uncertainty. Here are three steps to stay on-course. Step 1: Have a Strategic Anchor – This is your why. It’s the bigger picture and will guide your decision process. Step 2: Contingency Plan – No plan survives first contact. Know that the wheels are going to come off at some point and have a plan to counter and get them back on. Step 3: Clarity – Make sure everyone is clear on the plan, their roles, and the Strategic Anchors. Fear and uncertainty are normal. We have no shortage of them these days. These three simple steps can guide you through rough waters, but you have to trust the process, trust your teammates, and trust yourself. Remember, THE WORLD NEEDS HITTERS! |
| Quote of the Day “The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus” ~Bruce Lee |
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