Elon Musk’s 6 rules of productivity show a divide between military and civilian workplaces

No matter what you think of Elon Musk, there’s no denying that he’s one of America’s most visionary business leaders. He turned the electric car into a product that consumers actually wanted to buy, and in doing so, made Tesla one of the most valuable companies in the world.

Musk may not like conventions, but some are universal. One is productivity.

In a 2018 email that was leaked to the public, Tesla’s CEO made six recommendations to his employees to make the best use of their time.

The military will quickly understand that their units accept few, if any, of his recommendations.

While this isn’t the end of the world (and probably no surprise), due to the fact that the United States still has the most powerful military in the world, those who have spent their entire lives in service may want to take a break – especially if they make you transition.

Judging by Musk’s email, the military and civilian worlds are light years apart, and that’s something veterans entering the civilian workforce should be prepared for. Even Musk’s other company, SpaceX, is unlikely to bridge that gap anytime soon.

1. No big meetings

Sometimes the military needs a reunion or some other kind of general call. Unlike many large corporations, military units face life and death situations, which is actually a good reason to hold a large meeting. If it’s not that bad, Musk says, don’t have it.

“Excessive meetings are the bane of big business and almost always get worse over time,” he wrote. “Please get [rid] of all large meetings, unless you are sure that they add value to the entire audience. “

2. No long meetings

The military also has short, well-intentioned meetings. If Musk learned what a standing meeting is, he would likely implement the practice of not being able to sit down in all of his businesses. In the case of large meetings with an important message, he believes they should be very short. And they certainly shouldn’t be regular, writing:

“Also get rid of frequent meetings, unless you are dealing with an extremely urgent matter. The frequency of meetings should drop quickly once the urgent matter is resolved.”

3. Don’t be afraid to leave

The thought of leaving a meeting called by a senior officer or non-commissioned officer is anathema to all we know about the military. Try to leave when your squadron commander is talking to the unit and tell me how it’s going (please don’t do this). But Musk is fine with it, especially if the rest of this reunion isn’t about you.

“Leave a meeting or drop a call as soon as it’s obvious you’re not adding value,” he wrote. “It’s not rude to leave; it’s rude to let someone stay and waste their time.”

4. Do not use acronyms

If the military followed this policy, his whole world could come to a screeching halt. Acronyms in the military aren’t just part of a long-standing cultural tradition, they really help facilitate communication. Do you prefer to say “Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System” or “HERCULES”. Guess Musk could give the military a pass – but not Tesla.

For his business, he thinks buzzwords and acronyms are a hindrance.

“Don’t use acronyms or nonsense words for Tesla’s objects, software or processes,” the email states. “In general, anything that requires an explanation inhibits communication. We don’t want people to have to memorize a glossary just to function at Tesla.”

5. Communication is not subject to the chain of command

Somewhere an O-4’s head exploded while reading this. Unlike some companies, part of the functionality of the US military depends on managing situations at the lowest level of the chain of command, so the general does not have to sweat battlefield tactics or be tempted to override field officers closer to the action. It works for the military, but Musk doesn’t think it works for Tesla.

For him, communicating through a chain of command is just a giant “phone” game.

“Communication has to go through the shortest path necessary to get the job done, not through the chain of command,” Musk writes. “Any manager who attempts to enforce the chain of communication of command will soon find themselves working elsewhere.”

6. Use common sense.

In the military, we like to think that everything we do or do has been designed using common sense. But any veteran will tell you that common sense is not common and that the phrase “Charlie Foxtrot” exists for a reason. Musk agrees.

“If following a ‘corporate rule’ is obviously ridiculous in a particular situation, such that it would make a great Dilbert cartoon, then the rule should change,” he writes.

All veterans who have learned their own rules of productivity in the service should send them to Blake Stilwell at [email protected]. Or on Twitter @blakestilwell and on Facebook.

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