A Can of Kiwi: Developing Attention to Detail

Every recruit was laser focused on him. When our drill sergeant spoke, we listened. “When you’re done, they should look like this,” he said. Then he slowly removed the white T-shirt that had been draped over them. Sitting ceremoniously atop a couple of MRE* boxes, they glistened under the lights of the hallway where we sat. To a man, we were in awe. Those were the shiniest shoes any of us had ever seen. But then our feelings of awe turned to thoughts of despair. “I will never be able to get my shoes to look like that,” I thought.

It took me several months to realize it, but I finally did. “Good grief,” I thought as I stood staring at them in the shoe section of our base’s clothing sales store. “They were patent leather!”

Well, he did also say, “If you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’.” So, I got over it. After all, the lesson in shining my shoes was still a valuable one. And I’m proud to say, I learned to shine my shoes to that same degree of high shine. I took pride in it too. To accomplish it only required a few things. First, a can of black Kiwi brand shoe polish. Second, clean cold water. Third, a white cotton t-shirt. Last, and most important, attention to detail. Minus attention to detail, no amount of Kiwi would ever make a pair of jump boots or “low quarters” shine.

Spit-shining boots and shoes takes a while. Especially to get them done right. Fortunately, we didn’t have do it every night. We did, however, still need to brush shine our boots each night. But over the years, as things tend to do, things changed. Most changes were for the better. Our boots, for example, improved beyond belief. Gone forever were the heavy leather, hard-rubber soled combat boots. Gone too was the need to shine them. Not only were our new boots lighter weight and more comfortable, but they were also made of suede leather. The time spent each night or morning shining boots was now given back to soldiers.

Given back was time, but it came with a cost. Taken away was the daily opportunity to instill attention to detail. Over the years, as things tend to do, things changed. Not the least of which, as I observed, was a decrease in the average soldier’s ability to apply attention to detail.

You find it in the little things. You know the little things I’m referring to. The ones that make or break you. It’s always the little things. In fact, during my time as a young enlisted soldier, I never failed an inspection because of the big things. It was easy to clean my room or hang my uniforms correctly in my wall locker. No, it was always the little things that got me. And in my effort to do better the next time, I got better. My attention to detail sharpened. And later, in moments that mattered, moments in which lives were on the line, attention to detail ruled the day. It’s in the little things, but attention to detail itself is no small thing. Unlike a topic that can be taught, attention to detail is a skill that can only be developed through repetition. Development takes time and effort.

If you’ve read this far, I suspect you operate in a competitive environment. You might even lead others and are responsible for the team’s outcomes. Regardless, you operate in an environment where every member of your team, yourself included, needs the ability to apply to detail. Take some time to consider how you’re developing it in yourself and your people. Remember, it can’t be taught, it can only be instilled. So, what’s your can of Kiwi?

*Meal, Ready to Eat (the name given to shelf-stable, packaged US military rations)