Learn Their Language

There are many words that my husband and I will never pronounce the same because of how our now adult children said them as toddlers, but that’s just a small example. From nicknames and private jokes to newly-invented words and phrases that outsiders wouldn’t “get,” family language has power to bind and create belonging.

In the journey of writing this issue’s cover story, I learned this is also true in the context of the military, which very much becomes the family of the soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine. Take some of the “insider” language of Marines, for example, found on Marines.com:

• Semper Fidelis – Latin for “always faithful.” It symbolizes the lifelong commitment held by every Marine for the Corps and America.
• Ooh-rah – A battle cry among Marines, ‘Ooh-rah’ is also used as a greeting, a term of affirmation, or as a way of expressing enthusiasm.
• Ductus Exemplo – A Latin term that means “lead by example.” The official motto of Officer Candidates School (OCS), it means that being a Marine isn’t about giving or receiving orders; it’s about behaving in a manner that inspires others.

Unfortunately, language can also create barriers. When a veteran has exited military life, they not only lose that sense of belonging and family-like community, they sometimes find themselves unequipped for the foreign language of the business world. Communicating in companies – with their own idioms, etiquette, and required pleasantries – can be tough for someone accustomed to being very direct and concise, and maybe even intense.

“The languages are quite different,” Ed Solis from WD-40 told me during our interview about ISA’s new Veterans Empowerment Network (VEN). “Part of the reason I went to business school was not because I was looking to transition . . . I literally wanted to learn the language, recognizing that my Marine Corps jargon was very different from ‘corporate speak.’”

But the barriers are worth bringing down. Distributors and suppliers in the industrial channel have access to an incredible talent pool, but only those who are ready to get in the water will succeed in acquiring what Solis calls the great intangibles a veteran can bring to an organization. They are the companies who will learn how to ask good questions and develop an ear for a vet’s experiences – and then parlay them into job positions for which they are abundantly qualified.

TAKE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Grasping the potential as well as the challenges, some companies have established internal veterans networks for employees and their families. It’s something you may want to look in to for your own business. Vallen, Brady, and 3M are a few examples, and the ISA VEN is now a good resource to assist you in creating your own group that fits your culture.

Finding good people is hard. Taking a step toward veterans is easy. Here’s a good place to start: https://www.isapartners.org/networks/veterans-empowerment/

Thanks for reading.