The Biggest Advantage and Obstacle for Veterans
The Biggest Advantage and Obstacle for Veterans
Transcript
Taking care of each other is, I think, the biggest advantage and obstacle that any veteran will face. When you're in the service, it's kind of built in. You work together. You travel together. It's like it's just there all the time. You're in squads and groups. And you have names for all of the different sizes of-- which is not the case in the private sector. They have teams and divisions, but they aren't so neatly organized.
And one of the things that made a service member successful in the service was the fact that they were in a group. They were an individual, but they're also a member of a group. And when you get thrust into the private sector, all of a sudden, that group is lost. And it's really you're just an individual.
And I know the one thing that a lot of vets miss more than anything else is the camaraderie. And you'll probably never get it get it back. There are few companies, very few, precious few-- some of the ones that I write about-- that you will get it back. But that's not the norm, unfortunately. And I hope that for the vets that do become leaders in their organizations, they actually work to build the culture so that that sense of camaraderie can exist again in the private sector, because it can.
And so it makes life very difficult, because it makes you feel lonely. And it makes you feel like you're on your own. And it makes you feel by yourself. And so I can't stress enough the importance of going out of your way to reclaim community, either with new people or just with vets.
I'm a great believer in sort of-- have a monthly dinner with a bunch of guys or girls you used to serve with, or new ones. Make a community of vets, for no other reason than it it'll make you feel not alone, because you'll all joke around. You'll joke about it. You'll tell stories from the past. It's a group of people who can relate to you. You can relate to them. You're all going through the same [? nonsense. ?] Some of you will be ahead, and some of you will be behind, but you're all going through the same journey. You can push and pull each other. You know?
But I think to make a commitment to form those communities is essential-- your monthly or quarterly vets dinner of your own friends and new friends, only vets allowed kind of thing.
It's a big deal. And it goes a long way. So that would be the one thing, I would say. And by the way, the person that forms that group and makes sure that the group continues and makes sure that it gets scheduled and who's coming, that person is the leader.
And one of the things that made a service member successful in the service was the fact that they were in a group. They were an individual, but they're also a member of a group. And when you get thrust into the private sector, all of a sudden, that group is lost. And it's really you're just an individual.
And I know the one thing that a lot of vets miss more than anything else is the camaraderie. And you'll probably never get it get it back. There are few companies, very few, precious few-- some of the ones that I write about-- that you will get it back. But that's not the norm, unfortunately. And I hope that for the vets that do become leaders in their organizations, they actually work to build the culture so that that sense of camaraderie can exist again in the private sector, because it can.
And so it makes life very difficult, because it makes you feel lonely. And it makes you feel like you're on your own. And it makes you feel by yourself. And so I can't stress enough the importance of going out of your way to reclaim community, either with new people or just with vets.
I'm a great believer in sort of-- have a monthly dinner with a bunch of guys or girls you used to serve with, or new ones. Make a community of vets, for no other reason than it it'll make you feel not alone, because you'll all joke around. You'll joke about it. You'll tell stories from the past. It's a group of people who can relate to you. You can relate to them. You're all going through the same [? nonsense. ?] Some of you will be ahead, and some of you will be behind, but you're all going through the same journey. You can push and pull each other. You know?
But I think to make a commitment to form those communities is essential-- your monthly or quarterly vets dinner of your own friends and new friends, only vets allowed kind of thing.
It's a big deal. And it goes a long way. So that would be the one thing, I would say. And by the way, the person that forms that group and makes sure that the group continues and makes sure that it gets scheduled and who's coming, that person is the leader.