The James Dicks Blog

When I was in the Marine Corps, a lot of emphasis was placed on leadership skills and how these extraordinary qualities help to make the Corps a solid and dependable organization; focused on teamwork and the mission. Without the team the mission was never accomplished and so it is in today’s business community. I want to share with you a few of the leadership traits that the Marine Corps used to build its foundation upon, one that has served it well for more than 234 years.

I believe that one of the most important qualities that any of us can possess is integrity. Without an honest approach to life and to everyone we come into contact with, our lives are meaningless. Honesty and a sense of duty should be the number one issue in our daily lives and always remember to stand up for what you believe is the right thing, even if it’s not the popular thing to do.

You must always place other’s needs ahead of your own with a sense of unselfishness. Make certain that you, as the manager; never take advantage of any situation because you’re in charge. Never take credit for something that a subordinate has accomplished but always give credit where the credit is due. Those you are in charge of leading should never take a back seat based on your status as a manager/supervisor. As the Marine Corps states, be considerate of others.

Make sure that you get up every morning with a fair amount of enthusiasm and share it with the team. This can be translated as a positive attitude that creates a sincere interest in the performance of all your duties. If you show enthusiasm, others will soon do the same in accepting their own challenges within the organization. Smile, be understanding of others, enthusiastic about the job and willing to accept anything that is required of you and the team.

Also be as dependable as you possibly can to yourself and to others. If you are late to work, how can you expect others to make it there on time? Dependability also fosters a degree of trust among the staff members and develops an effort to try and attain the highest standards possible. Being dependable also means standing up for your actions and never making excuses. Get into the habit of successfully accomplishing a task whether you like it or agree with it. If required by the organization, do it to the best of your abilities.

The courage to do what isn’t popular or might be hazardous is something you’ll have to develop. It’s a very personal trait. Any bravery “under fire” (whether on the battlefield or in the boardroom) allows you to stay calm in situations that require you to remain under control. Your moral courage is also something that must never be neglected in order for you to develop the necessary strength to stand up for what is morally right. Your moral courage also forces you to accept fault when you are to blame. This is something that our drill instructor tried to instill in us right from the start by answering with the statement “No excuse, sir” when asked about our involvement in certain situations. Take the responsibility and the blame when required. It’s all about honor and making sure the team is never placed in jeopardy. Admit your mistake and move forward. It is that important.

Endurance is the final trait I want to share with you because it’s an extremely important quality to have, especially in today’s business world. When you feel like quitting, tell yourself to keep going. Understand internally that you have the ability to withstand the pain involved (whether physical, emotional, or financial), and can handle the stress, exhaustion and the hardships you’ll most likely endure.

If you simply decide to quit, then you will have achieved nothing. But if you hang in there and get the job done, even when you don’t think you can travel one step further, you will have succeeded.

JamesDicks General financial growth, financial responsibility, forex, goals, investing, james dicks, job, leadership, military, saving money, success

Today’s world is extremely challenging. We are fighting wars on multiple fronts and the need for more troops is becoming an ever-growing reality. National Guard and Reserve forces are being used more and more to not only fill in the gaps, but also, in many cases, to become the primary source of personnel in the field. This leaves American business with less manpower to get the job done in an extremely weak economy. Both sides have important issues to confront and many times its difficult to deal with them equitably.

There’s an organization that I’d like to introduce you to whose mission it is to support American business’ challenge of coping with the current mission of our National Guard and Reserve forces. It’s called the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) and as their mission statement says, they are charged with developing and promoting “employer support for Guard and Reserve service by advocating relevant initiatives, recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of applicable laws, and resolving conflict between employers and service members.” In other words, ESGR helps American business to understand how to best support these gallant military members while on active duty while making sure they understand the laws protecting their jobs once they return.

ESGR is a Department of Defense organization and is a staff group within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, which is in itself a part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In our current economic and wartime environment, the Department of Defense recognizes that civilian employers play a critical role in the defense of the nation by complying with existing employment laws protecting the rights of workers who serve in the Reserve component.

ESGR does this through the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), which is a federal law that is intended to ensure that persons who serve in the Guard or Reserve are not deprived in their civilian careers because of their service and are quickly reemployed in their civilian jobs upon their return from duty without discrimination. If there is a problem or dispute, ESGR is there to help at the business or service member’s request. ESGR has trained ombudsmen who can help negotiate a solution between the parties concerned.

Many business have voluntarily signed ESGR Statements of Support to help ESGR in promoting understanding of the Guard and Reserve members who work for these companies, to develop human resources policies that support employer participation in Guard and Reserve programs, and to voluntarily comply with USERRA which enforces the rights of those called to active duty in time of war or emergency.

It’s tough for everyone – the military service member, the family that is left behind when their loved ones are deployed but it’s also tough for a business that must keep producing with less manpower. ESGR is there to help.
ESGR was established in 1972 and today, operates through a network of thousands of volunteers throughout the United States and Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. If your business would like more information about ESGR, call 800-336-4590 or email USERRA@osd.mil.

JamesDicks General business, defense, economy, employ, ESGR, forex, government, guard, james dicks, military, national, reserves, unemployed

As a former U.S. Marine, I am extremely proud of my military background. Many of the men and women who are responsible for protecting our country are now being placed in a position of searching for their next career. Some of them have been fortunate enough to come back home to a job after a stint of active duty but many others have nothing but hope and anticipation to come home to once they are separated from the military.

In my own company, I have personally hired former Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard personnel to assume the management and technical responsibilities of my company and for good reason. Military people understand the importance of the mission. They have a keen sense of loyalty and are technically competent to handle just about any situation thrown at them. If they don’t know how, they quickly adapt and accomplish the job professionally.

As the economy starts to recover and companies are looking to hire again, I urge you to consider hiring the skilled veterans from all branches of the military. Last year the U.S. Army Reserve created the Employer Partnership Office, a public-private venture that encourages companies to hire the nation’s one million current and former Reserve Soldiers, and assists in the process. According to military sources, more than 800 organizations have already joined this group. According to reports, Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, retailers, local police departments and hospitals have signed on as associates in this pioneering partnership designed to satisfy personnel staffing needs in all 50 states.

I am one who always practices what he preaches. Recently I became a committee member of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense organization started in 1972 to promote cooperation between Reserve component members and civilian employers. Through this important role, the ESGR increases public awareness of the role of the employer, and works to develop a dialogue among employers, the ESGR Committees, and local National Guard and Reserve unit commanders and service members. The organization is the lead advocate within the Department of Defense for Reserve Component employers.

As you can see, the military puts a huge importance on taking care of the well being of their personnel, both while they are actively serving, as well as upon their departure. Now we need more HR Professionals and corporate management teams to understand the urgent need, as well as the benefits of hiring qualified military veterans. Military members have learned how to easily assimilate themselves into any situation; they’re always willing to do more than is required of them and do so without complaint. It’s just part of their character. They are accustomed to sacrificing for the good of the unit and usually bring that characteristic along with them when they enter the corporate community.

Recently, Major General James Sholar, Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Reserve Command wrote in an article supporting the Employer Partnership Office. He said, “As our economy grows strong again – and signs of a rebound in hiring are emerging more sharply month by month – more employers should join our efforts to find jobs and build careers for Soldiers and veterans. Beyond being good business, it serves a higher purpose. It lends stability to our families and strengthens our communities. It’s a smart, patriotic investment in our country for 2010. Above all, it gives us a chance to express the gratitude we all feel.” I couldn’t have said it better. Those individuals, who served and sacrificed for our country, deserve our gratitude and support. Contact the Employer Partnership Office at (703) 601-0898 or the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve at 1-800-336-4590.

If you are in a position to help, I urge you to do so.

JamesDicks General Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Department of Defense, economy, employment, financial responsibiity, forex, HR Professionals, james dicks, Marines, military, national guard, Navy, personnel staffing, premieretrade, reserve, United States, veterans

It was on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, during the 11th month of 1918 when peace was finally declared in “the war to end all wars.”  It was pronounced as Armistice Day.  In 1938, Armistice Day was enacted as an official American holiday but eventually, after World War II, citizens felt that the veterans of all wars should be recognized, not just those of World War I.  So, in 1954 Congress changed the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day and today the anniversary celebrates all U.S. military veterans with parades and ceremonies from coast-to-coast.

While we honor the nation’s military heroes who died during wartime on Memorial Day, Veterans Day is set aside to honor those gallant men and women who fought for our nation and survived the horrors of war only to return home with a variety of scars, both physically and mentally.  Today, Veterans Day is also poignant because our nation is at war in foreign lands that threaten our sons and daughters.  These young men and women are actively fighting for the national freedom of not only our nation but of nations who are depending on us for their very survival.

Today and every day, think of these extraordinary people who are deployed in “harm’s way” on the battlefields of Iraq or Afghanistan, or stationed at military installations around the world, far away from the one’s they love.  Think of our military men and women on Thanksgiving or during the holidays; each one of them must face the day away from the warmth and love of their own family and depend on their military brothers and sisters for support.  They do so because they feel a deep obligation to all of us to maintain the freedoms that their parents and grandparents defended during their own military tours of duty.  Whether they experienced battle at Verdun during World War I, Iwo Jima or the Battle of the Bulge at Ardennes in World War II, Pork Chop Hill in Korea, Khe Sanh in Vietnam, the Battle of Fallujah in Iraq or The Battle for Mazar-i Sharif in Afghanistan; veterans have laid their precious time and their very lives on the line in defense of freedom around the world.  They are to be honored, not just today but every day.

While not so much a custom today as it was in the past, you just might see people selling poppies in front of grocery stores and retails centers on Veterans Day.  It has always been traditional to sell poppies because these simple flowers grew over the grave sites on the Western Front in Europe after World War I and they soon became a symbol associated with Veterans. 

During the 1920’s, people began selling paper poppies made to look llike the rell poppy which financially helped ex-servicemen and their families.  Today, these donations help build housing for seniors and support groups such as Meals-on-Wheels.  People also buy them to show their support for our military members and their families.  So, if you see someone selling them on Veterans Day, help out if you can and wear your poppy proudly. 

If you are a military veteran, I thank you for your service.  If you should meet one of our military heroes on the street, take an extra moment to shake their hand and tell them they are appreciated for their sacrifices and the sacrifices of their families in the defense of freedom.  Observe Veterans Day with the proper perspective this year; proud of our military vets and proud of our unique nation; a nation that our military has kept free since its founding so many years ago.

Thank you to all our Veterans!

JamesDicks General Afghanistan, armistice day, Congress, Iraq, Korea, military, Veterans Day, Vietnam, war, World War I, World War II

JamesDicks General 233 years, Afghanistan, Congress, constitutional rights, Fourth of July, Freedom, Independence Day, Marine, military, Obama, Patriotism, sacrifice, troops, USO