Musings, leadership tidbits and quotes posted by a retired Navy Captain (really just a high performing 2nd Class Petty Officer) who hung up his uniform a bit too early. He still wears his Navy service on his sleeve. He needs to get over that. "ADVANCE WARNING - NO ORIGINAL THOUGHT!" A "self-appointed" lead EVANGELIST for the "cryptologic community". Keeping CRYPTOLOGY alive-one day and Sailor at a time. 2015 is 80th Anniversary of the Naval Security Group.
Monday, September 22, 2014
How Do Your Flag Officers Measure Up? Are You Seeing These Things From Your Flags?
From the Navy's Leader Development Strategy. More details HERE.
From my perspective, there is not very much information being disseminated to those of us in the fleet. And believe me, it's not for a lack of trying. I'm thankful that folks like CAPT Lambert and CAPT Heritage are actively engaged in communication to the far corners of the community.
How interesting to see the CNO at my alma mater. I'm not sure where your quote came from but it seems to have precluded all mention of tactical and technical competency. (Greenert mentioned such a possibility in his chat) I suppose when we talk about flag officers these days we simply must accustom ourselves to such a reality. In other Navies they have a technical and a tactical path to flag. Only our navy seems to have diminished itself to the point where the only path to flag is found by rigidly adhering to doctrine, political correctness and staying within the lines of accepted leader practices. Deviate and you are gone. It's kind of sad. It wasn't like that when I graduated from Penn State and NROTC 31 years ago. On the other hand, the flags of my time were the ones that stuck to it and pulled the navy out of the terminal dive caused by the Vietnam War. They worked hard and they played hard and they had more tolerance in their little finger than exists in the entire admiralty today.
I always enjoy reading your blog when I have a moment to spare in my work day as it helps me to clear my mind and causes me to look at what ever I was doing prior from a different perspective.
To me Flag Officers are kind of like unicorns, often heard of and read about but never really seen or interact with.
Granted I am just a lowly 24 year LDO LT but it seems to me they are promoted based upon some magical formula and not upon any tactical proficiency. They seem to formulate these broad policies with out any input from the fleet.
I get it its the world we live in but it seems the world we live in is getting more and more dangerous how much longer till the Navy is involved in another conflict?
Today's Flag officers in the IDC have been so overcome with trying to make the IDC seem useful to the rest of the Navy that they leave a perception of a "me" vs "we" mentality to those they are charged to lead. They may mean well, but they simply don't communicate mission, vision, or goals to the workforce charged with conducting the mission. For IDC flags to fail so grandly in this manner it begs the question, what does it mean to lead the IDC across the Navy if those being led don't see the IDC providing value?
There is greatness in the IDC, but every day I see talented enlisted, officer, and civilian personnel get frustrated and leave for something they see as better because they are under valued, under invested in, and there are better options out there for them. Navy has traditionally, and remains, focuses on fill vs. fit when it comes to manpower and relys on lagging indicators to make change...in the IDC game this has rather large implications.
Was hopeful that the new FCC/C10F commander would change some of that, but there has been little to no communication since...other than an article or two that is vague at best.
Wow, the constant whining and need for reinforcement by many of you never ceases to amaze me. Over the past few years, the IDC has published an ID Roadmap (2013-2028), an IDC strategy, and multiple IDEAs. I’ve seen more communication out of the flag deck over the past 2 years than in my previous 20+ years of service (Officer and Enlisted). If you’re having trouble getting information, have you contacted your supervisor or ISIC and asked them to help you find out what you’re supposed to be doing? As an IW Community, we’ve fallen woefully behind in several of our core competencies (especially SIGINT, EW), so perhaps if you spent less time posting to blogs about your perceived lack of information and need for hugs, and spent more time in your workcenters training your under-performing Sailors in the art of EW / collection, then we’d all be better off. The Commander’s Intent you need is to READ THE CURRENT documentation and PUT IT TO ACTION! Move out, shipmate.
Well said! Very well said. I bet when your Sailors come your way asking to understand why we do what we do, or what our priorities are, you tell them to shut up and row. That is a great approach. Are you a SWO?
I have read the IDC roadmap -- a bunch of glossy photos, new acronyms, and a loosely put together strategy that seeks to gain us more money in 2025. Meh...
How about the here and now? What are the Commander's current priorities? What do we value? How can you contribute? That is what is lacking. Excuse us for point out a flaw, but it is our job to provide feedback, and even push back where necessary. Our leaders are good at this. They need to get better. That is all...
I used to write parts of OPLANS at various levels. I used to copy and paste the Commander's Intent from the highest "CINC" level plan as our "intent." I never actually rummaged around to find out what some 07 or 08's intent was but then I didn't see myself as some especial community who could divorce the actual Commander's Intent from some Admin ISIC's intent or whatever my TYCOM thought might be the intent.
I was happy to assume that the CINC's intent was our intent but then, that was back in the day writing in support of UNC'S or CENTCOM's plans. I suppose I was naive not to think first about how my 'community' felt about the Commander's Intent.
Yes, I think our leaders have been effective in their respective roles in displaying these traits and activities.
ReplyDeleteFrom my perspective, there is not very much information being disseminated to those of us in the fleet. And believe me, it's not for a lack of trying. I'm thankful that folks like CAPT Lambert and CAPT Heritage are actively engaged in communication to the far corners of the community.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see the FCC/C10F commander's intent or for that matter any of the CTF commanders' intents.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting to see the CNO at my alma mater. I'm not sure where your quote came from but it seems to have precluded all mention of tactical and technical competency. (Greenert mentioned such a possibility in his chat) I suppose when we talk about flag officers these days we simply must accustom ourselves to such a reality.
ReplyDeleteIn other Navies they have a technical and a tactical path to flag. Only our navy seems to have diminished itself to the point where the only path to flag is found by rigidly adhering to doctrine, political correctness and staying within the lines of accepted leader practices. Deviate and you are gone. It's kind of sad. It wasn't like that when I graduated from Penn State and NROTC 31 years ago.
On the other hand, the flags of my time were the ones that stuck to it and pulled the navy out of the terminal dive caused by the Vietnam War. They worked hard and they played hard and they had more tolerance in their little finger than exists in the entire admiralty today.
I'd second those comments. The IW Community receives zero commander's intent from the community leader.
ReplyDeleteCaptain Lambert,
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy reading your blog when I have a moment to spare in my work day as it helps me to clear my mind and causes me to look at what ever I was doing prior from a different perspective.
To me Flag Officers are kind of like unicorns, often heard of and read about but never really seen or interact with.
Granted I am just a lowly 24 year LDO LT but it seems to me they are promoted based upon some magical formula and not upon any tactical proficiency. They seem to formulate these broad policies with out any input from the fleet.
I get it its the world we live in but it seems the world we live in is getting more and more dangerous how much longer till the Navy is involved in another conflict?
Today's Flag officers in the IDC have been so overcome with trying to make the IDC seem useful to the rest of the Navy that they leave a perception of a "me" vs "we" mentality to those they are charged to lead. They may mean well, but they simply don't communicate mission, vision, or goals to the workforce charged with conducting the mission. For IDC flags to fail so grandly in this manner it begs the question, what does it mean to lead the IDC across the Navy if those being led don't see the IDC providing value?
ReplyDeleteThere is greatness in the IDC, but every day I see talented enlisted, officer, and civilian personnel get frustrated and leave for something they see as better because they are under valued, under invested in, and there are better options out there for them. Navy has traditionally, and remains, focuses on fill vs. fit when it comes to manpower and relys on lagging indicators to make change...in the IDC game this has rather large implications.
Was hopeful that the new FCC/C10F commander would change some of that, but there has been little to no communication since...other than an article or two that is vague at best.
Wow, the constant whining and need for reinforcement by many of you never ceases to amaze me. Over the past few years, the IDC has published an ID Roadmap (2013-2028), an IDC strategy, and multiple IDEAs. I’ve seen more communication out of the flag deck over the past 2 years than in my previous 20+ years of service (Officer and Enlisted). If you’re having trouble getting information, have you contacted your supervisor or ISIC and asked them to help you find out what you’re supposed to be doing? As an IW Community, we’ve fallen woefully behind in several of our core competencies (especially SIGINT, EW), so perhaps if you spent less time posting to blogs about your perceived lack of information and need for hugs, and spent more time in your workcenters training your under-performing Sailors in the art of EW / collection, then we’d all be better off. The Commander’s Intent you need is to READ THE CURRENT documentation and PUT IT TO ACTION! Move out, shipmate.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 2:42 AM
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head while you were trying to drive in the screw.
1. we’ve fallen woefully behind in several of our core competencies (especially SIGINT, EW),
and
2. spend more time in your workcenters training your under-performing Sailors in the art of EW / collection
WE'RE BEHIND and OUR SAILORS ARE UNDER PERFORMING.
Anonymous September 25, 2014 at 2:42 AM
ReplyDeleteWell said! Very well said. I bet when your Sailors come your way asking to understand why we do what we do, or what our priorities are, you tell them to shut up and row. That is a great approach. Are you a SWO?
I have read the IDC roadmap -- a bunch of glossy photos, new acronyms, and a loosely put together strategy that seeks to gain us more money in 2025. Meh...
How about the here and now? What are the Commander's current priorities? What do we value? How can you contribute? That is what is lacking. Excuse us for point out a flaw, but it is our job to provide feedback, and even push back where necessary. Our leaders are good at this. They need to get better. That is all...
Or we can just shut up and row...
I post from the dark side, so forewarned.
ReplyDeleteI used to write parts of OPLANS at various levels. I used to copy and paste the Commander's Intent from the highest "CINC" level plan as our "intent." I never actually rummaged around to find out what some 07 or 08's intent was but then I didn't see myself as some especial community who could divorce the actual Commander's Intent from some Admin ISIC's intent or whatever my TYCOM thought might be the intent.
I was happy to assume that the CINC's intent was our intent but then, that was back in the day writing in support of UNC'S or CENTCOM's plans. I suppose I was naive not to think first about how my 'community' felt about the Commander's Intent.