When we were working, we had to clean up the shop and get everything in order for one of these fast-walk inspections, taking at least two hours’ time and knocking about a half day’s work out of production. We really hated that, and for a couple of days after one of those exhibitions no one felt like working, feeling that there was really no point in extending ourselves if the officers could waste our time.
That management lesson might apply more generally.
This is an observation so basic that I think you can find it anywhere that humans do hierarchical organization.
Leader engagement is crucial to making things work, but how you do it is critical. The senior leader who blows by an operation or sub-organization like some kind of passing tornado is not actually accomplishing much, and this kind of “inspection” must be managed and conducted very carefully, or it’s going to do more actual damage than good. You announce an inspection ahead of time, give the sub-unit time to prepare for it, and what you’re actually going to do nine times out of ten, is disrupt the ever-loving hell out of what they’re doing, to no real effect or purpose. It’s even more damaging when the asshole senior leader announces an inspection, and then never shows up or just does a perfunctory “drive-by”, or doesn’t really engage with the troops, because that just destroys morale. If you’re gonna announce, then you’d damn well better “do”…
It’s better for a leader at any level to just show the hell up, out of the blue, and informally. You’re going to learn more, and oh-by-the-way, you’re going to put the literal Fear of God into all of your subordinate leaders between you and the lowest echelons. We had a Deputy Chief of Staff at 9th ID when I was a lowly Sergeant, acting as a Squad Leader on occasion, and this guy was like this nightmare ghost who’d suddenly turn up, entirely unannounced, in the middle of what you were doing, literally at your elbow, inquiring of you “How’s it going, Sergeant…?”. I swear to God, this one-star was the bane of every slacker leader on the post, and had the reputation of always finding the half-assery that was going on, seemingly by instinct. He’d never announce where he was going, or what he was doing–You’d just turn to grab something for the training you were doing, or whatever maintenance you were working on, and there he’d be, like some kind of demented Jack-in-the-Box wearing a star, smiling like a deranged Rottweiler if you weren’t doing the right thing. I swear to God, this guy caused nervous breakdowns in mid-level leaders. My boss sent me out to lay mines one time, a task requiring a squad. Thing was, the squad was all tasked out or at the dentist, and it was just me and my driver. To lay a row minefield. Did I mention that the minefield was supposed to be being laid in a lake, ‘cos someone pissed off the Operations NCO by not submitting proper information in a timely manner, and he’d just pulled crap out of his ass to make the submittal deadlines for the training schedule…?
Yeah; “…and, there I was…” sitting at the lakeshore, in the rain, showing my driver how to fill out a minefield report when that nightmare one-star showed up, smiling and all solicitous, inquiring how my training event was going… I’m like “Uh…”, and tried tap-dancing around the fact that I was missing a couple of key things, like, for one, troops to actually be training on the task, and that I obviously wasn’t gonna be laying a row minefield in a lake… He listened to me for about five minutes, asked me what was really going on, and I told him. Also tried covering for my bosses by showing him what I was doing, which was training my driver on how to record a minefield properly, which wasn’t an entire waste of time, but probably shouldn’t have been happening in the rain on a lakeshore…
Upshot? He told me to take my driver and equipment back to garrison, and do something worthwhile with the rest of the day, as opposed to filling out paperwork. On my way back to the motor pool, I noted that his vehicle was parked outside the company command building, which I made a point of avoiding for a few hours… Turns out he left my site, drove to find my company commander, and basically nuked his ass from orbit.
Good times, good times. I will point out that this all occurred well before the “computer revolution”, and that, these days, leaders at his level rarely, if ever, leave their bloody offices, mostly managing via email… Another issue for another day, I’m afraid.
What is the quote? “No combat unit ever passes inspection, and no inspection ready unit ever passes combat”. Or something like that.
Same-same with parades and dog-and-pony shows. I love parades and bands and so on, but the absolute worst thing is protracted change of command parades with protracted “motivational” speeches. Even worse was unit sporting events, “morale boosting” events and so on.
In my experience, troops love the occasional parade, if they don’t have to work too hard or rehearse too much. The best was Remembrance Day (Veteran’s Day for American readers). You got to have an emotional and professionally satisfying commemoration, and then go drinking with the Vets at the Legion (VFW hall for Americans). On the other hand, VIP inspections and parades were just a pain in the arse. You worked like a slave cleaning and painting and rehearsing, knowing that The VIP was unlikely to even notice, much less appreciate the work that went in.
Troops LOVE good realistic training, and especially, live fire, and hate “Make work”. I early on learned that, if good, realistic training opportunities were NOT available for whatever reason, that simply giving troops the afternoon off did way more for morale and efficiency than trying to fill the time with bullshit.