USA: Master Chief Petty Officer of Navy Visits Mayport

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON)(AW/NAC) Mike D. Stevens visited Naval Station Mayport, Fla., Nov. 8-10, to discuss his ‘Zeroing in on Excellence’ initiative.

MCPON met with area chiefs to discuss his initiative that he released in four letters to the Chiefs’ Mess Nov. 6, and used this trip as his first opportunity to assess communication success.

“If you have seen, read or heard of the initiative that I recently sent out called ‘Zeroing in on Excellence’ raise your hand,” said Stevens. Three quarters of the approximately 150 chief petty officers raised their hand. MCPON discussed the basics of the idea behind the initiative and the three focus areas of: developing leaders, good order and discipline, and controlling what we own.

“What the ‘Zeroing in on Excellence’ initiative provides you is the framework within which you can work,” said Stevens. “It’s my charge to every chief petty officer in the Navy to look at it, especially the leaders within the mess, and ask themselves, ‘What is it we can do to support this and sustain it?’ I’m not interested in a flash in the pan, here-now-gone-tomorrow effort.”

MCPON explained that if a leader is ineffective, then the command is ineffective.

MCPON also visited commands and Sailors throughout the base including USS Philippine Sea (CG 58). While there, a Sailor asked MCPON for advice on becoming MCPON.

“I have been in the Navy for 30 years,” said Stevens. “After all that time, here is what I can tell you about being successful; work hard, stay out of trouble and be a good and decent person. If you do those things, you will be a success in anything that you do.”

While visiting USS De Wert (FFG 45), MCPON met with the Chiefs’ Mess and to discuss his initiative and and team cohesion.

“I’m asking you, as chief petty officers, to be strategically smart,” said Stevens. “Recognize where the world is at, where our economy is at, to recognize where the Navy is at and where we are going. You have to be smart. Think about the things you personally own in your organization that will ultimately impact those strategic decisions when we come together collectively as a Chiefs’ Mess.”

Fleet engagements are intended to provide senior leadership with a frontline assessment of Sailors and what they are doing in the fleet.

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Naval Today Staff,November 14, 2012; Image: US Navy