Gravity

The force that attracts a body to another body with mass or energy (paraphrasing of course).

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had some pretty intense and revealing conversations with current service members regarding a major topic: separation from the force (at least in an active duty context).

A major theme discussed has been this feeling of inertia (the tendency to do nothing or remain unchanged) that surrounds their decision to either accept the next set of orders or “get out”.  Several admit that they are no longer having fun, or are satisfied on the job, but also that they don’t “know what else they’d do”.  Some are confident that they could find other sources of income, some are less confident, or are at least pacified by the relative comfort of being good at a job / comfortably compensated.  None of these observations break any new ground.  Most of us can relate, at least in some degree, to these feelings.  And these feelings aren’t completely unreasonable, though some of them are based on myth and folklore.  That may be another blog post.

When you have enough energy to escape an organization’s gravitational pull, it’ll be blatantly obvious to everyone around, especially clear to you.  It’ll be hard to deny it. That energy may be an attraction to another industry; it may be a new relationship or parenthood; it can come in as many different forms as there individuals.

This post is more for those that don’t feel that undeniable pull towards something else, but just a sense that their time on active duty needs to end.  My encouragement is to not deny the feeling and don’t spend too much time examining yourself.  Don’t spend too much time wondering what’s “wrong” with you for feeling that way, or scripting too specifically what your next steps will be.

Our time here is too precious for that.  These aren’t the musings of someone that’s had a near death experience or suffered great lost.  In fact, just the opposite.  I’m having more and more near-life experiences these days.  And I’m unemployed with a wife and small child!

The things that erk you about the military are real and they aren’t short-term.  They aren’t illusions.  They probably aren’t to the magnitude we’d all like to think, but they do exist.  The annoying drawbacks and bureaucracy exist in the private sector as well.  I’m not selling grass is greener.  I’m simply pointing out that our potential energy, shouldn’t remain potential. 

We should be placing ourselves in environments, or creating environments, that converts that potential to kinetic energy!  All my conversations were with HIGH POTENTIAL individuals.  These are patriots armed with invaluable experiences, skills and hearts that our world and country needs in the civilian sector.  Done are the days when I tell folks to “weigh the options”, make pro/con lists, etc.  Pragmatic advice perhaps, but steps that usually lead to a loss in the initiative.  To be clear, this tension between potential and kinectic, pragmatic and idealistic, continues long after the decision to separate from the service.  I’m standing side by side with veterans facing tough career choices following business school (see the post below).

On a more practical note, there are many reasons why I believe more and more each day that business schools is a great place for veterans to land, especially those that don’t feel a pull toward a specific industry or career field.  The MBA provides a diverse skill set that fits well with our generalist resumes.  Of course, an argument can be made for those veterans that want to launch ventures now to forgo the MBA, but that’s a longer rant.

For those that continue to serve, I thank you sincerely.  We need senior leadership that wrestled with the prospect of leaving the service and land on the conclusion that they should dedicate themselves to the profession of arms.  A lot of us on the outside are still on “retainer”, or what the military calls the Reserves.

I hope this finds you all well. 

Written by Ahron (ahron@MilitarytoBusiness.com), a transitioned Marine Officer in the HBS Class of 2015.