From military policy to reality
Most managers share one of two origin stories. Some managers started from the bottom and paid their dues with time and sweat. Others inherited their position, forever distant from those they try to lead. Of the former, a small contingent quickly ascends the ranks, only to be thrown back to the starting line by circumstance. This summer, I found myself among the latter, the oddly privileged few. As with many college students, my summer began in an air-conditioned office in the District of Columbia. My morning commute started at 0715, work generally ran from 0830 to 1700, and I found myself back in my apartment by a humid 1830. I was on military time. Work at the Pentagon was strange, to say the least. My department, the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy (OSDP — the government loves its acronyms) included a mix of high-ranking military personnel, political appointees,...