| When we think of military training, sometimes we | | | | and error through simulation. The drill sergeant in boot |
| think of a drill sergeant screaming in the face of a | | | | camp, for example, takes recruits through an |
| new recruit. Although this does happen, the branches | | | | obstacle course to explain it and set expectations. It's |
| of the U.S. Military utilize some of the same | | | | then up to the recruits to figure out how to |
| techniques we use in corporate training - except the | | | | overcome their obstacles - and failure may occur |
| delivery is different. This delivery creates the | | | | more than once. |
| extraordinary members of the U.S. military. | | | | As a person makes his or her way through the |
| Many corporate organizations refer to their new hire | | | | ranks, commanding officers look for natural leaders |
| programs as "boot camps" - it's an appropriate | | | | and leaders that step up to say "I'm capable". |
| nickname, but in theory only. A military boot camp, as | | | | Leadership training is conducted in various |
| well as a corporate one, uses accelerated learning | | | | combinations, including basic, tactical, and |
| techniques. A great deal of knowledge is crunched | | | | developmental. All military training comes with a |
| into a short period of time, but that's where the | | | | combination of lecture, proficiency testing, simulation, |
| similarities end. Military boot camps use shock value | | | | and evaluation. Many of these techniques are used in |
| and "break down" techniques as a way to mold a | | | | corporate environments, but how does the military |
| recruit into someone else, while leaving the best | | | | produce such extraordinary members? |
| characteristics of the person intact. According to one | | | | Consider the method in which training is delivered - |
| former member of the U.S. Navy, the boot camp | | | | through a shock and break down technique. |
| formula is break down, instruction, and reinforcement | | | | Participants are given an explanation of what can |
| - both negative and positive. The other element of | | | | happen to them in the real world if they don't follow |
| training is adaptation - the military consistently adapts | | | | particular procedures - and punishments for being |
| the training recruits receive in step with changes in | | | | caught outside of procedures in training. Boot camp |
| the world. Perhaps that's a page corporate training | | | | training adapts to constantly changing world |
| can take to heart. | | | | conditions - do we adapt our training regularly as our |
| There is a classroom element to military training in | | | | businesses change? Decision making is a great skill, |
| addition to simulation. In the classroom, recruits learn | | | | but the military puts it into a time frame - you must |
| decision making, change management, and even | | | | make a decision, hopefully the right one, within a |
| history. The idea behind formal classrooms is to | | | | very short time period. Only if you prove your |
| enforce decision making after knowledge. In fact, | | | | willingness and ability to lead are you tapped for |
| recruits are subjected to decision making simulations | | | | advanced leadership study. The U.S. military takes |
| in which they must make the decision within a given | | | | normal training tactics and adapts them in order to |
| time limit, taking into account what they already | | | | squeeze out a person's marginal qualities and leave |
| know, the needs of the team, and the needs of the | | | | the person's best characteristics. Through constant |
| individual. If we civilians look at this, we can see that | | | | simulation, evaluation, and testing, the military takes |
| knowledge is viewed as a potential weapon - another | | | | people and turns them into extraordinary soldiers - |
| aspect that corporate training departments could put | | | | and leaders. |
| into use. Decision making is also enforced with trial | | | | |