Nonverbal Imagery: What Does “Sapworth” Convey to You?
Take a look at the word Sapworth. What sorts of nonverbal images do you take from a word like that? It’s not very hearty or strong, is it? Admiral Elmo “Bud” Zumwalt, Jr., certainly knew the power an image can create in the minds of team members—even early in his career. Zumwalt was born in 1920, served in the U.S. Navy from 1939 to 1974, and was promoted on a fairly consistent basis until—as the youngest man ever to do so—he reached the rank of Chief of Naval Operations in 1970 (Zumwalt, 2006). So powerful and positive was his influence—in part due to his excellent communication skills—that the Navy has named a ship after him (The Waterline, 2006). Earlier in his career, upon taking command of the Arnold J. Isbell, Zumwalt learned that the crew’s morale was considerably lower than that of other ships’ crews. In addition to various other communication issues, he discovered that the voice call sign, a sort of nickname for naval ships, was “Sapworth.” In his own words, “When in company with such stalwarts as ‘FIREBALL,’ ‘VIPER,’ and others, it is somewhat embarrassing and completely out of keeping with the quality of the sailormen aboard to be identified by the relatively ignominious title "SAPWORTH" (Zumwalt, 1976, p. 187). So, realizing that Sapworth did not make for an exciting T-shirt and recognizing the nonverbal effects on his crew, Zumwalt decided to make a change. No longer would the Isbell be subject to the scorn—real or imagined—associated with Sapworth, for the ship would now be called “Hellcat.”

Though a small word change, Zumwalt’s use of the Hellcat image proved successful. “Arnold J. Isbell’s officers and men proudly wore sleeve patches and baseball cap patches showing a black cat with a forked tail stepping out of the flames of hell and breaking a submarine with its paws. The impact on morale was remarkable” (Zumwalt, 1976, p. 189). Nonverbal communication expressed by his crew gave him exactly the results he wanted, and all because of a simple switch in image.

Now that you’ve read the article, answer the following questions in a word processing document and upload them here using the "submission" button below:

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Discuss why the Isbell’s sailors with the new call name might be perceived by others and even themselves as more aggressive and dangerous.