100 Percent Responsibility, Zero Excuses

Sailors and contractors work side by side to prepare naval vessels for future deployments and missions at Newport News Shipyard, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, a maze of moving cranes, sparking welds and the buzz of industrial construction.

With thousands of Sailors and workers swarming around ships like the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), safety is paramount.

Throughout the shipyard, proper protective equipment is required. For most work, Sailors, shipyard workers and contractors wear a hardhat and safety goggles. On some of these hardhats is a small sticker with a simple message: “100/0.” It means 100 percent responsibility, zero excuses.

“This initiative was proposed from the management and development team, as part of Human Resources,” said Chuck Longacre, a shipyard contractor who helped develop the 100/0 concept. “One of the managers of the team, Vince Jordan, came across the initiative and liked it so much he brought it to the coaches. They grabbed hold of it, taught it and it just started flourishing throughout the whole organization.”

The 100/0 initiative is not limited to contractors in the shipyards; it has been implemented by Lincoln Sailors as well.

“Ideally you earn them,” said Longacre. “If I see Sailors or shipyard workers having a trend or representing their Navy or their business in a worthwhile manner, then I would give them one of these stickers saying you have 100 percent responsibility and you give zero excuses. You own your business or your area of responsibility. It’s concepts like the 100/0 used here that truly help make a difference.”

Contractors have had training on the 100/0 program to establish efficiency on the initiative.

“You see it on the ship and in the shipyard, those that are doing the right thing with 100 percent accountability and responsibility and zero excuses,” said Duane Hayes, a leadership developer. “Our president here at the company sponsors the program, so we will do training, we will bring people in, and they will talk about leadership.”

Since the start of the program in the shipyards, several positive changes have taken place. According to Hayes, 100/0 has influenced the safety program.

“If you look at last year’s numbers we had to take a turn on safety, and this program really got some legs under it,” said Hayes. “Last year we had some phenomenal results and are on track again this year to have even better results, less injuries and less lost days for injuries.”

With less injuries and improvements in safety, the command can move forward as planned with less obstacles to hold it back.

“The 100/0 program is all about accountability,” said Lt. Terry Johnson, Lincoln’s 3M officer. “With 100/0 we know what our job is and we own it. The attitude of being 100 percent committed to the success of the project with zero excuses is the best way to ensure that we are able to deliver Lincoln back to the fleet on time and ready to fight.”

Lincoln is currently undergoing a refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Lincoln is the fifth ship of the Nimitz-class to undergo a RCOH, a major life-cycle milestone. Once RCOH is complete, Lincoln will be one of the most modern and technologically advanced Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the fleet and will continue to be a vital part of the national defense.

[mappress]
Press Release, June 12, 2014; Image: Wikimedia