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"The one thing in my control was my leadership approach and the culture it created," commented Abrashoff. "If things were going to change on the ship, the change needed to start with me." Beginning with the crew, he interviewed them all, one by one, as quickly as possible. "They're the workforce of the ship - the technicians, the sonar specialists, the laborers," he added. "I got to know them, learned why they joined the Navy, and what they wanted to accomplish." Each crew member was asked the same three questions: 1- What do you like most about the USS Benfold? 2- What do you like least? 3- What's one thing you would change if you could, and that answer couldn't be the captain! Through the interviews, Abrashoff discovered that they had talent, but lacked engagement, inspiration and motivation. These interviews allowed him to view the organization through the eyes of his workforce. Retention was also low. Sailors weren't re-enlisting, and Abrashoff wanted, and needed, to change that position. He believed that if he could retain one sailor a month, then he could effect change, one sailor at a time. Because salaries are set by the government, and promotion opportunities were all regulated by a strict schedule, he couldn't pay them more. So Abrashoff sought other ways to engage, inspire and motivate them. Keeping them safe was the most important. He had to have the trust of his sailors to keep them safe. His motto, "You will never go wrong doing the right thing." There's a direct connection between leadership and performance, and leadership is the toughest part of the business. He encouraged his crew to take ownership of their work because taking ownership produces results. At one of his first meetings with the crew, he told them that if they had an idea on how to do something better, then speak up. "They could come to work every day and challenge every process, every procedure, every tradition, every custom," Abrashoff stressed. "The only rule was that it couldn't cost more money." Ultimately, he said, if it's a good idea, he'd implement it, and he did. Abrashoff shared a story of when the ship was deployed to the Persian Gulf, performing exercises in anticipation of exchange with other militaries in the region. The folks in Washington told them they'd have two hours to deploy some missiles. When they ran the drills, it always took them two and a half hours. That night, a determined sailor stayed up all night, tracing every step of procedure and protocol. When he discovered they were using guidelines that were written for an outdated missile defense palletcentral.com PalletCentral • March-April 2018 31 When people do great work, recognize and reward them. There are ways to validate workers without giving them more money. Sometimes, a pat on the back is all people want.