"When I Say Shoot . . . "

In Which I Cut My First Deal

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My first “deal” took me by surprise.  I wasn’t used to negotiation and quid pro quo was a term not yet in my vocabulary.  But it turned out to be an excellent win-win deal and its making illustrates the essence of the deal. It also illustrates nicely what is known as the Barnard-Simon theory of organization equilibrium, which has to do with the equitable exchange of contributions for inducements – but  that’s another story for another time.

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When I checked in at the USS Waddell’s pre-commissioning office in at Todd Shipyard in Seattle in March of 1964, I was greeted by the weapons officer, Lieutenant Harvey Lasko.  I was a first-class petty officer at the time, wearing dress blues and he could tell from my rating badge that I was a fire control techni­cian (FT).  He guessed that I was the one he was look­ing for.

"You must be Nickols," he said, extending his hand, "my new gunnery fire control technician."

"Yes, sir," I said, shaking the hand that had been offered me.

We chatted for a while and I learned that Lasko is an ex-enlisted man, an FT of all things, a guy from my own rating.  But he assured me that he had no intention of messing with matters techni­cal.  He had a different arrangement in mind.

Getting down to business, he said, "I'll make you a deal.”

"What kind of a deal?" I asked.

"When I say 'shoot,' I want the guns to go bang and I want the bullets to hit the target."

"That's easy enough," I replied.  “That’s my job.”

"Now what do you want?" he asked.

I was taken aback because it was the first time in my life anyone had ever offered anything in return for what they were asking from me.  The best I could do was to stammer, “Uh...uh...what do you mean?"

LT Lasko leaned back in his chair and said, "When I say 'shoot,' the guns go bang and the bullets hit the target, right?"

"Right," said I.

"Okay.  That's what I want from you.  Now what do you want from me?"

My mind in gear, now, I replied, "I want the plotting room off limits.  No one comes in without my permission."

Lasko laughed and said, "I can't keep the old man or the X.O. out, but other than them I’m the senior line officer aboard so I can keep everyone else out.  Is that okay?"

"Yes, sir, that's fine by me."

You've got a deal."

We shook hands for the second time in 15 minutes.

LT Harvey J. Lasko was true to his word.  For all the time we served together, the plotting room was off-limits to everyone except him, the skipper and the X.O. 

Most important, when Lasko said, “Shoot,” the guns went bang and the bullets hit the target.