Consistency Breeds Accuracy
Introduction
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle PHILOSOPHER
“Firer ready!” He whispered on the natural breathing pause as the crosshairs settled on the point of aim.
“Spotter ready! Hold, hold, hold…” came the barely audible reply whilst assessing the conditions and the target. The shooter, thankful for the hours of repetitive training remained calm, waiting for the spotters command; eventually it came.
“Fire when ready.” The forefinger squeezed the remaining pressure on the hair trigger.
For over 24 hrs the pair had remained still and perfectly camouflaged to their surroundings. Reporting back on their target after a gruelling foot insertion. Once in position a panoramic was produced, targets indexed and prioritised. The sniper pair had endured the cold night, heat of the day and the constant nerve biting threat of being discovered by the enemy, with the same stoic resolve. Sustaining themselves on cold rations and water. Whilst they in turn provided a meal for what seemed like every biting insect in the area.
Sniping is not glamourous. It’s a skill that is mastered and maintained only by weeks, months and years of repetitive and continuous training. Carried out by people who understand the importance of turning up and going about the daily grind, learning and the unrelenting pursuit of excellence. Whilst knowing they will never achieve it, as there’s always some way to be better!
The Consistency Breeds Accuracy Series is a group of short essays that examine this mindset. Using the authors experience of being a Sniper as a metaphor and a handrail.
They are not about being a military Sniper. There are many others, who have better stories who could fill a book with their sniping exploits. I have been lucky enough to know many of these individuals. To have trained with, lived amongst, served on operations and learned from this community of dedicated military professionals from the early years of my service as a Royal Marines Commando. Becoming a Sniper made me a highly capable professional soldier and an asset on the battlefield. Gave me a career full of opportunities and adventure. The skills, the discipline and the mental attitude required became a habit and therefore characteristic of how I approached different aspects and challenges throughout my adult life; both inside the military and as a civilian.
It is this mind set, this approach to living that I want to share with you. Sniper training has many transferable skills. The principles can be applied to different aspects of life. They can be learned, practiced and applied to your life and help you hit the targets you’re aiming for!
At this juncture it is worth understanding that a Sniper is more than an individual that is capable of producing long range precision fire onto high value targets. Firstly a lone shooter is usually classified as a Designated Marksman. A talented shot fulfilling a specific role within a team of specialist. Snipers work in teams. These teams can vary in size dependant on the task but always a minimum of a pair; a shooter and a spotter.
In addition to long range precision fire, snipers are part of the information gathering function for commanders. They inform others to achieve effect in line with the overarching intent. Often assisting in directing assets that are better suited to the required task to efficiently achieve mission success. In order to do this snipers need to prepare, operate and report to the senior leadership team and understand the wider situation. Often at a level considerably above their position within the organisation.
To put a round (a bullet) through exactly the same hole is practically impossible. The more realistic, but still difficult, achievement is the point of impact of each round touching each other, known as key holing. Even to do this the sniper must make every shot exactly the same. Some of these conditions the sniper controls, others they don’t. To achieve accuracy the sniper pair has to consistently do the same thing with what they do control until it becomes intuitive and keeping the uncontrollable influences as similar as possible. To maintain that standard they need to continually practice and develop productive habits.
The principle of achieving a mission within set timelines and constrained resources is not the sole reserve of a military battle field. It is true of business. The mindset to master and maintain the skills required of a sniper is also an approach that is transferable to other activities and aspects of life. It is this mindset and transferable skills that the series will aim to unpack. To assist the reader to continually improve in their chosen field of endeavour.
コメント