Thursday, March 28, 2019

“Harry Truman’s activities during [World War I] were far more interesting and complex than previously realized, and second, the man who later ordered the invasion of Japan in the face of massive casualty estimates understood exactly what he was asking of our soldiers, sailors, and marines, and understood it…as only one who had lived and fought for six days in a ‘cemetery of unburied dead’ could.”
– D. M. Giangreco, The Soldier from Independence –

On September 26, 1918, during WWI’s Meuse-Argonne offensive, Captain Harry S. Truman “ordered an artillery barrage that destroyed a German battery preparing to strike at a U.S. infantry formation.” His action saved the lives of many U.S. soldiers, yet Truman was severely reprimanded for this decision as it violated standing orders. This story begs the question When people do break the rules, do you examine the result of their actions or reprimand them for deviating from your script?

Click here to read more about Truman’s military service and remember that process, procedure and protocol exist to serve your people in furthering your organization’s goals – not the other way around.