Military Culture and Translating it to the Civilian Workplace

Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Muncy | Connecticut Army National Guard Specialist Luk B. Silk poses for a portrait between events at the Region One Best Warrior Competition on 26 April, 2017. Fourteen Soldiers are competing in the three-day event, April 25-27, 2017, which features timed events, including urban warfare simulations, a 12-mile ruck march, land navigation, and the Army Physical Fitness Test. The two winners will go on to compete in the 2017 Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition to be named the Army Guard's best-of-the-best and earn the title of the Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. The Best Warrior Competition recognizes Soldiers who demonstrate commitment to the Army values, embody the Warrior Ethos, and represent the Force of the Future. U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Muncy  

FORT KNOX, KY, UNITED STATES

06.13.2017

Story by Jenny Hale 

U.S. Army Human Resources Command

The military lifestyle is engrained into a Soldier from the day they arrive at basic training. The Army teaches its Soldiers how to become leaders, take charge, and make vital decisions. These are all attributes that make Army veterans highly valuable to civilian companies.

However, the transition to civilian life is not easy for all and there are many aspects of military culture that are not received the same in a corporate or civilian workplace setting.

In military culture, it is not uncommon to identify someone as sir or ma'am, Mr. or Mrs., or by rank. However, in the civilian corporate sector, using formal titles like these can make employees uncomfortable. Most civilians call coworkers, regardless of title, by their first name. In addition, depending on the company culture and location, these titles can be insulting. For example, in the north, it is more common to hear young to middle-aged women say "don't call me ma'am" versus that same comment in the south, due to cultural differences perceiving that title as for the older generation. Be aware of how military addressing can be received in the civilian sector.

In the civilian sector, curse words are often frowned upon and can insult fellow coworkers, resulting in negative personnel action. While this may be common in military life, swearing during a disagreement in the civilian sector is grounds for a call to human resources. Swearing off-handily can also be grounds for disciplinary discussions. Understand the environment being worked in, the personality of coworkers, and the culture of the organization before using certain language. It is always wise to keep all conversations professional.

Veterans have a unique language, as well as job experiences, compared to civilians. Army Soldiers speak in heavy acronyms, with sensitive or complex job descriptions, Military Occupational Specialties (MOS), and other jargon that civilian employees aren't able to relate to. As a result, when speaking with coworkers and writing emails, avoid using words like "roger," "V/r," and "break."

Email etiquette is also different in the civilian sector. The military writes in active voice, where email copy is very direct and to the point. While this is appreciated in business, it can also come off as being demanding, rude, or bossy. These attributes may not be well received in the civilian market, depending on a job holder’s position, making it important to ensure that words are chosen carefully with plenty of "please" and "thank yous." For new employees, it does not hurt to follow up emails with a phone call to better transfer voice tones to unfamiliar coworkers.

In the civilian sector, a veteran's rank doesn't matter. Most civilians don't understand what it means or the difference between an officer or enlisted Soldier, let alone the various ranks within each. Take off the rank when joining the civilian sector and work on being humble, asking questions, and understanding civilian culture. It is okay to be new at this and years of career and job experience in the military sector may take time to fully engrain into a civilian job.

To learn more about preparing for future careers in the civilian sector, visit the Soldier for Life - Transition Assistance Program (SFL-TAP). The program assists transitioning Soldiers, Family members, Army retirees, and Department of the Army Civilians with their transition career goals.

SFL-TAP Centers are located around the world and teach resume building, information about VA benefits, career skills, offer higher education application services, entrepreneurship training, as well as provide access to hiring events, opportunities to network with civilian companies looking to hire transitioning Soldiers, and more.

Visit www.sfl-tap.army.mil to learn more or find us online on Facebook at Soldier for Life - Transition Assistance Program, on LinkedIn at Soldier for Life - Transition Assistance Program Connection Group, and Twitter at @SFL-TAP.

• Date Taken: 06.13.2017
• Date Posted: 06.13.2017 08:16
• Story ID: 237637
• Location: FORT KNOX, KY, US