Publication:Sea Talk Summer 2003/Improve Navy's culture
By CMDR Hazel Smith,
Director Navy Organisational Culture
DCN (RADM Rowan Moffitt) launched the pilot booklet Serving in Australia's Navy. The booklet is the latest initiative in the Serving in Australia's Navy Program, which is an umbrella program for activities that use a values-based approach to improving Navy's organisational culture.
The Navy values of honour, honesty, courage, integrity and loyalty form an important part of Navy's leadership, management and personal development continuum for sailors and officers.
Why are Navy values important?
The Navy Values provide a basis for our personal and professional conduct and enable us to respond dynamically to new situations. They guide how we behave and how we treat each other. Our values determine what is important to us and they bind us together. Navy Values are a source of strength and moral courage.
Our shared values form the basis of our organisational culture. A strong, positive culture builds a sense of commitment and common purpose, making our teamwork more effective and helping us achieve our operational objectives.
This has a major impact on the pride we feel in serving in Australia's Navy, and the satisfaction we derive from our Navy careers. It also affects the standing we enjoy in the Australian community, which has historically held us in high esteem.
The Navy values have already been communicated to Navy people through the video Our Mission and the Navy Values posters. The booklet builds on this work to ensure that all Navy people understand the values and what they mean in terms of behaviour and beliefs.
The key messages of Serving in Australia's Navy are:
- The Navy values that we share are the heart of Navy's effectiveness as a fighting force.
- It is vital that we all take responsibility for our own actions and Navy's reputation, and in so doing maintain the trust and respect of the Australian community.
- Every person in the Navy has a responsibility to uphold the Navy values, on and off duty, at sea and ashore. Just being ashore does not mean we can do whatever we like.
- Navy values begin with the courtesy, respect and loyalty that we give to each other in everyday situations, at work and at play.
- Navy values are about how we act because of what we believe.
Why have we produced this booklet?
The focus of the book is on providing Navy people with a guide that defines the Navy values in a way that gives them meaning for our everyday work and behaviour towards each other. A wide variety of Navy people of all ranks, at sea and ashore, were involved in providing input and feedback on sections of the book as it was being written.
As well as a section defining and explaining each of the values, the book also contains anecdotes to illustrate what does, and does not, constitute living by Navy values. A conscious decision was made to use modern examples that Navy people can easily relate to rather then historical vignettes to help define the Navy values. This is in line with one of the book's key messages - that the Navy values are about the way we interact with each other every day, in every situation.
A final section contains hypothetical examples and a quiz to stimulate discussion and show how values-based problem solving is relevant to all of us in a wide variety of situations. No 'stock answers' are provided, because this section is designed to be used as a starting point for each person to reflect on how they would deal with each situation, or for group discussion in educational settings or Divisional meetings.
Feedback and follow-up
The publication of Serving in Australia's Navy will be supported by an education program, which will include Navy Values workshops at all parts of the leadership, management and personal development continuum for sailors and officers.
Constructive feedback on the pilot booklet is essential to ensure that the Navy Values message and expectations are communicated in the best possible way. If you feel that the booklet is missing the mark, please provide suggestions on how it could be done better.
If you are a supervisor, Divisional Officer or involved in training your thoughts on the usefullness of the book in helping groups explore the way values impact on attitudes and behaviour will be extremely useful.
To receive copies of the booklet, please contact CMDR Hazel Smith, Director Navy Organisational Culture on (02) 6265 6179. You can provide feedback on the form provided in the booklet, or by emailing CMDR Smith on hazel.smith@defence.gov.au
Your feedback will be incorporated into the full-colour first edition, to be published in the New Year.
