I wish I could claim this as my own. Good gouge for the JOs.
Staff,
We need to talk about Monkeys for a minute. The essence of the below was provided to be by a former boss (a wise old Marine Colonel) a number of years ago and its been in my "tool chest" ever since - especially when I'm about to go see my current boss.
In my view, this logic is as much or more pertinent to ALL of us as staff officers as any place I've ever worked.
From my short time here in MAG-14, my view is that we are typical of most organizations - some staff members are great at killing their monkeys while others are not.
Please read the below analogy, give it due consideration, and apply it whenever possible.
I don 't claim to know all the specifics - don't even want to - but in the civilian world, in management circles, and in some military circles, there is - or used to be - a lot of talk about Monkeys. A Monkey is the name they give to a problem, an issue, a task, or anything else you have to accomplish. There are four main problems with Monkeys:
1) they are heavy (and therefore some people like to get rid of them)
2) they often stink (another reason people like to get rid of Them)
3) they like to jump around
4) they like to jump on the BOSS
Now, as staff officers, or troops, or Marines for that matter, your job is to KILL MONKEYS! You don't pass the Monkey off to the boss, you don't feed and nurture it, YOU KILL IT.
If it is a normal Monkey, you just kill it - quickly and efficiently. The boss may not even need to know about it.
If it is a BIG Monkey, you don't take that smelly thing into the boss and let it jump on him. It's your job to beat the hell out of it, give it a bath, get it organized, presentable and well behaved. Then you take it in to the boss. You'll be amazed at how, once that is done, most of the Monkeys become more manageable - the boss can usually just slap it a bit, make it docile, and then you can take it back outside and kill it.
Now, if it is a REALLY BIG Monkey - we're talking a Gorilla here - then that is when you need the boss' help. That's what he gets paid for. He is a Gorilla killer. You take the Gorilla in to him and let him do a head-shot on it. When bosses do that, the Gorillas magically transform into Monkeys - and then you take them out and kill them.
The point is - you take the Monkey back with you and you kill it!
Frequently Asked Questions about Monkeys and their handling:
Where do Monkeys come from? Monkeys come from many places. Sometimes you find them. Some times they find you. These days, with our doctrine of "Top Down guidance," the boss often tells you what monkey is yours, where to find it, and maybe even how to kill it. But it is your job, once gain, to kill it!
How do you get rid of Monkeys? Good staff officers kill them. Lesser staff officers let them jump onto the boss or some other, unsuspecting person.
How does a Monkey jump? There are many ways ... Here are some examples:
A staff officer walks into the boss and says I've got a problem. I've tried getting this message out and something is wrong: The boss, being tired from fighting his own Gorillas all day, says without thinking, something like: "OK, leave it here and I'll have admin get on it in the morning." That Monkey jumped right onto the boss' back, and the staff officer walks out free of his Monkey.
Another common one is the staff officer will bring his Monkey in to the boss and say, "Sir, here is the issue and here are the source documents. What's your decision?" The boss looks at The Monkey and that is all he has -an issue and a pile of source documents. There has been no grooming of this one. No paper summarizing all of the action, no recommendation, just the pile. Once again, the staff officer walks out without the Monkey, and the boss is in doing battle with yet another one.
Sometimes we get rid of our Monkeys without even realizing it. The staff officer may innocently ask a question, or seek a little guidance, the boss (or another staff officer) may say that he'll take care of it, or make the call, or draft the letter, etc. Bottom line is that the Monkey did another jump.
How do you keep a Monkey from jumping? If you are a staff officer, YOU deal with your Monkeys. If you are a boss, you make sure your staff officers take their Monkeys out with them.
How does this all fit in a teamwork-type situation like the Corps? Simple - Like a fire team in a fight in the jungle, everyone kills the Monkeys in their area. If one person gets too many attacking his position, his buddies can help. Once the rush is over, then everyone assumes his own sector of fire again. If it is a heavy attack, the leader's job is to shore up the line. We can't expect the leader to get in the foxhole and start shooting Monkeys. He is too busy coordinating the fight, using the big guns on the Gorillas, and keeping himself alive.
Basic Rules For Dealing With-Monkeys:
1) Kill your own Monkeys.
2) You can tell the boss about normal Monkeys, but don't let them jump on him.
3) You can show Big Monkeys to the boss once you have them cleaned up and under control, but make sure you leave with your Monkey,
4) If you get a Gorilla, take it to the boss ASAP and ask his help in doing a head-shot on it to change it into one or more smaller monkeys - then take all those Monkeys with you when you leave his office.
5) Finally, keep your own Monkeys - don't become a "Monkey Jumper."
S/F,
LtCol XXXXXX
MAG-14 XO
Staff,
We need to talk about Monkeys for a minute. The essence of the below was provided to be by a former boss (a wise old Marine Colonel) a number of years ago and its been in my "tool chest" ever since - especially when I'm about to go see my current boss.
In my view, this logic is as much or more pertinent to ALL of us as staff officers as any place I've ever worked.
From my short time here in MAG-14, my view is that we are typical of most organizations - some staff members are great at killing their monkeys while others are not.
Please read the below analogy, give it due consideration, and apply it whenever possible.
I don 't claim to know all the specifics - don't even want to - but in the civilian world, in management circles, and in some military circles, there is - or used to be - a lot of talk about Monkeys. A Monkey is the name they give to a problem, an issue, a task, or anything else you have to accomplish. There are four main problems with Monkeys:
1) they are heavy (and therefore some people like to get rid of them)
2) they often stink (another reason people like to get rid of Them)
3) they like to jump around
4) they like to jump on the BOSS
Now, as staff officers, or troops, or Marines for that matter, your job is to KILL MONKEYS! You don't pass the Monkey off to the boss, you don't feed and nurture it, YOU KILL IT.
If it is a normal Monkey, you just kill it - quickly and efficiently. The boss may not even need to know about it.
If it is a BIG Monkey, you don't take that smelly thing into the boss and let it jump on him. It's your job to beat the hell out of it, give it a bath, get it organized, presentable and well behaved. Then you take it in to the boss. You'll be amazed at how, once that is done, most of the Monkeys become more manageable - the boss can usually just slap it a bit, make it docile, and then you can take it back outside and kill it.
Now, if it is a REALLY BIG Monkey - we're talking a Gorilla here - then that is when you need the boss' help. That's what he gets paid for. He is a Gorilla killer. You take the Gorilla in to him and let him do a head-shot on it. When bosses do that, the Gorillas magically transform into Monkeys - and then you take them out and kill them.
The point is - you take the Monkey back with you and you kill it!
Frequently Asked Questions about Monkeys and their handling:
Where do Monkeys come from? Monkeys come from many places. Sometimes you find them. Some times they find you. These days, with our doctrine of "Top Down guidance," the boss often tells you what monkey is yours, where to find it, and maybe even how to kill it. But it is your job, once gain, to kill it!
How do you get rid of Monkeys? Good staff officers kill them. Lesser staff officers let them jump onto the boss or some other, unsuspecting person.
How does a Monkey jump? There are many ways ... Here are some examples:
A staff officer walks into the boss and says I've got a problem. I've tried getting this message out and something is wrong: The boss, being tired from fighting his own Gorillas all day, says without thinking, something like: "OK, leave it here and I'll have admin get on it in the morning." That Monkey jumped right onto the boss' back, and the staff officer walks out free of his Monkey.
Another common one is the staff officer will bring his Monkey in to the boss and say, "Sir, here is the issue and here are the source documents. What's your decision?" The boss looks at The Monkey and that is all he has -an issue and a pile of source documents. There has been no grooming of this one. No paper summarizing all of the action, no recommendation, just the pile. Once again, the staff officer walks out without the Monkey, and the boss is in doing battle with yet another one.
Sometimes we get rid of our Monkeys without even realizing it. The staff officer may innocently ask a question, or seek a little guidance, the boss (or another staff officer) may say that he'll take care of it, or make the call, or draft the letter, etc. Bottom line is that the Monkey did another jump.
How do you keep a Monkey from jumping? If you are a staff officer, YOU deal with your Monkeys. If you are a boss, you make sure your staff officers take their Monkeys out with them.
How does this all fit in a teamwork-type situation like the Corps? Simple - Like a fire team in a fight in the jungle, everyone kills the Monkeys in their area. If one person gets too many attacking his position, his buddies can help. Once the rush is over, then everyone assumes his own sector of fire again. If it is a heavy attack, the leader's job is to shore up the line. We can't expect the leader to get in the foxhole and start shooting Monkeys. He is too busy coordinating the fight, using the big guns on the Gorillas, and keeping himself alive.
Basic Rules For Dealing With-Monkeys:
1) Kill your own Monkeys.
2) You can tell the boss about normal Monkeys, but don't let them jump on him.
3) You can show Big Monkeys to the boss once you have them cleaned up and under control, but make sure you leave with your Monkey,
4) If you get a Gorilla, take it to the boss ASAP and ask his help in doing a head-shot on it to change it into one or more smaller monkeys - then take all those Monkeys with you when you leave his office.
5) Finally, keep your own Monkeys - don't become a "Monkey Jumper."
S/F,
LtCol XXXXXX
MAG-14 XO
