In one way or another, your organization has already given each member a permission slip, empowering them to take action, support the mission, and protect America.
Here’s a little secret: some members’ permission slips, or ID badges, shine brighter than others.
These are the hyper-empowered personalities, the folks who have embraced the organization’s culture and spread it with vigor. And they drag their colleagues along them up the path to enlightenment. They carry “organizational culture” soapboxes in their back pockets so they can hop on and spread the word.
In a world where everyone is talking about the organization’s aspirational culture, the folks with shiny permission slips are whom everyone aspires to become.
You don’t need to be a member of the inner circle, or have a senior rank, or fall into a certain category, to carry a shiny permission slip. You can’t be given special access or recognition because it’s ours for the taking. We can polish our own permission slips.
It’s a choice, our own choice, to get fired up about the mission, to seek and accept empowerment, and to solve problems that need solving.
People will look at you in awe. “How come you get to speak up like that? Who said you could solve those problems? Why do you have such access to the commander.” Here’s the good news, buddy: you can too, just buff up your permission slip and enter the arena.
You’re the organization’s chief communicator. If anyone can use a permission slip like this, it’s you. Even more important: where are the like-minded, hyper empowered members of our organization? Find them, build your network and support one another.
Your organization’s culture depends on it.
(Photo by Petter Officer 3rd Class Roland John, DVIDS)
