Excellence in the Surface Navy

Abstract

Excellence in the Surface Navy is examined, first by interviewing twenty one senior naval officers and then by going aboard six ships identified by the senior officers as being the embodiment of excellence. Chapters 1 through 4 is a summary of the indicators of excellence on which the senior officers focused. Such topics as awards, ship cleanliness, and operational performance are discussed. Chapter 5 summarizes the views of these senior officers on the means used to achieve excellence. From the shipboard interviews, it is concluded that the excellent ships possess a common set of attributes that account for their excellence. The attributes are: good ships getting better; pride in evidence at all levels; teamwork, not just a concept but a way of life; the ship in automatic; high energy level/bias towards action; presence of a common vision and shared values; as the captain, so is the ship; sailors, our most important resource; and oh yes, task accomplishment. These attributes are discussed in Chapter 6 through 15. Recommendations are made for expanding analysis of excellence in the Surface Navy and other naval communities.