Pat Greene: From Jarhead to Egghead

7 Pages Posted: 17 Dec 2018 Last revised: 10 Nov 2021

See all articles by James Zegarelli

James Zegarelli

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

Rebecca Goldberg

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

Elizabeth A. Powell

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

Abstract

This case challenges the adage, “You can take a man out of the Marines, but you can't take the Marines out of the man.” Newly transitioning as a Marine officer into his first civilian job, Pat Greene will need to learn how to flex his leadership communication style to meet the demands of his new work culture. The case illustrates the contingent and situational nature of effective communication, or in other words, how a communication style that may be highly effective in one context can be a real misfit in another. This case is designed to introduce a model for communication strategy that takes into account the influence of context, work culture, and role expectations on leadership voice and style. The model can be used to (1) analyze how things got to where they are, and (2) coach Greene to modify his style intentionally for better results in the future. Key discussion points may include (1) contrasting communicating out of habit to communicating with awareness and intention; (2) the value of style flexing effectively across contexts, audiences, and situations; and (3) the pros and cons of “tell/sell” and “consult/join” approaches. This case is suitable for traditional MBA and executive audiences, particularly ones that include a significant number of transitioning military and/or “career switching” learners.

Excerpt

UVA-BC-0271

Rev. Dec. 1, 2020

Pat Greene: From Jarhead to Egghead

As Pat Greene climbed into his car, he smiled wryly to himself. Only a moment before, his wife had playfully reminded him: “You know, Pat, today you go from being a jarhead to an egghead. I know you can do it. Good luck today!” With that she had given him a big kiss, and he was on his way.

Today, in late September 2016, would be Greene's first day as director of content development at DoDApps, a small start-up in Tyson's Corner, Virginia, that contracted with the US Department of Defense (DoD). “So much change at once,” he thought to himself. “Business school, separating from the Marines, and now a new job, all in a matter of months.” And Stacy's baby bump was just starting to show; in five more months, he would be a new dad.

In his driveway in Ashburn, Virginia, Greene studied alternate routes on his car's GPS. Normally, he would want to choose the fastest route to work. Today, however, he wanted to give himself plenty of time. Washington metro traffic was notoriously hard to predict. But more importantly, he wanted to use his drive time for putting on his game face. He'd heard stories from other transitioning military members, so he knew leading in the civilian world would be different. But just how different remained to be seen.

. . .

Keywords: communication strategy, communication style, work culture and context, rhetorical style, communicating with awareness and intent, leadership voice and style, military culture, career switchers

Suggested Citation

Zegarelli, James and Goldberg, Rebecca and Powell, Elizabeth A., Pat Greene: From Jarhead to Egghead. Darden Case No. UVA-BC-0271, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3301935 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3301935

James Zegarelli

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
United States

Rebecca Goldberg

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business ( email )

P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
United States

Elizabeth A. Powell (Contact Author)

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business ( email )

P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
United States
434-982-2730 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.darden.edu/faculty/Powell.htm

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