FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- (Feb. 26, 2016) For one week in December and Feb. 1-12 civilian employees from the garrison gathered at the Kinnard Mission Training Complex to help chart the future for Fort Campbell's garrison. Using Army Design Methodology in a workshop format, the group worked collaboratively to identify challenges facing the workforce while brainstorming solutions.
The Army's standard process-driven method is defined under the ADM as operating system No. 1, problem-solving and the eventual solutions typically flow from the highest ranking decision makers down to employees who strive to implement the solution with little or no input.
However, that was not the case for this group of about 40 participants at the KMTC.
The workshop introduced a more collaborative way of operating, where Fort Campbell leadership can tap into employees' knowledge and innovative ideas to the solve complex problems, and in turn making them feel more valued and empowered.
"I think that one of the things we found since I've been in command, our employees have expressed through surveys and town hall meetings is that they want us [garrison leadership and management] to be engaged with them more. They want us to communicate. They want us to build trust," said Col. James "Rob" Salome, Fort Campbell garrison commander.
"So we wanted to make sure we listened to what they are saying and really focused on developing a way to meet those needs that they're expressing to us.
"So, we spent a lot of time really looking at how do we make sure we engage with the employees in a way that makes their experience at Fort Campbell very rich, because they are all patriots and they have a great desire to serve Soldiers and Families and we owe that experience, an environment where they feel like they are part of something very special."
The employees selected for this process were a diverse representation of the garrison workforce. In addition to Salome, employees from every level from director to action officer, supervisor to front line staff participated.
Instead of the three weeklong session being a data dump, where employees sat passively through information briefings, each member contributed valuable research and insights on current conditions of the post. There were no wrong answers and everyone had a voice in the process. Helping foster the implementation of this approach was Steve Banach, director for strategic planning and design at Abrams Learning and Information Systems.
His team introduced the concept and strategies, but it was up to the workshop group to put them into practice.
"Design methodology is just that. It's a methodology. It's a nonlinear learning framework and problem-solving framework," Banach said. "What we're trying to introduce here is a culture of what we call operating system No. 2, which is more about enterprise-wide learning -- harnessing corporate intellect vertically, horizontally and across functional and cultural boundaries -- to place the organization in an anticipatory stance."
"Rather than relying on the CEO or the commander to give all the guidance and the solutions, we look at the corporate enterprise here for those solutions," Banach said. "You're harnessing the corporate intellect, you're learning across all of the boundaries and you're getting the best ideas from your best people."
To do this the participants brainstormed and listed problems facing the workforce which included being challenged by and completing annual training requirements; inadequate feedback channels up the chain of command; lack of local developmental assignment opportunities; and limited resources. After several days of working in small teams and synthesis of the research data, the teams started to independently arrive at common themes.
A visual was created as the issues and themes were mapped onto walls lined with butcher paper. And as the workshop went on, the blank walls began to fill up with data, ideas and questions from the teams. Another important ADM technique the teams used is a concept known as FLOW, or feedback loop of the workflow, where the teams constantly iterate ideas to improve them and provide better solutions.
"As they [the teams] discussed their research, I was mind mapping all this stuff and we would … highlight the topics that they were talking about," said Charles Audler, a child youth and school services employee responsible for computer labs and video surveillance. "Then we started making connections across the board, so we took the yarn and started connecting those pieces and then what this ended up telling us was a story. It started telling us what the main issues that we need to focus on are, and what we found out was we need to focus on training and communication."
Technology and resources were the two additional areas of focus that came to the forefront. The mind map was converted into graphic representation of the garrison's current state, where employees express that they often feel disconnected from their organization, and then the desired state -- the future of Fort Campbell -- a productive and engaged workforce.
By the end of the workshop, those who took part seemed to feel more empowered.
"I feel valued. I feel like my opinions matter," said LaVor Rodgers, an education guidance counselor at the Staff Sgt. Glenn H. English Jr. Army Education Center. "I have a larger understanding of how my position as a guidance counselor helps the larger Army vision of the garrison succeeding and the garrison's vision and mission. So what I'm going to do is share my experience with my coworkers, my nonsupervisory counterparts to let them know 'hey, there's an operating system that we can help push forward that will allow our voices to be heard so we can really play a part.'"
While this workshop included a cross-section of garrison employees, the number of attendees was relatively small compared to the entire employee population. The goal is that each participant will share their experience and serve as a cadre to help teach others about the new operating system as it is implemented.
"It's going to roll out to everybody," said Duane Soumis, Fort Campbell's workforce development program manager. "The people who were here were the foundation, they were hand selected, the ones that we thought that could get us through the process and get that quick understanding and get some gains."
Soumis said employees may start noticing changes as early as March, when certain meetings begin to act as idea meetings alongside the more familiar directional meetings that will stay in place.
Using the more collaborative operating system No. 2 in conjunction with the current operating system presents the post with the opportunity to build upon its more than 70 years of success while engaging employees and improving communication throughout the workforce.
"I think that we'll see employees who are happy to be here, they're engaged, they feel like they're being communicated with," Salome said. "We'll see trust improve, and I think we'll also see a magnetic draw from across the entire Army civilian population of people who want to come to Fort Campbell and make it their home."
By leveraging the advantages of an engaged workforce actively identifying problems and contributing to solutions will help Fort Campbell garrison manifest its vision of providing the best Soldier and Family experience, which contributes to the Army's overall readiness.
"So our ultimate job," Salome said, "as it is for the entire Army, our No. 1 priority, is to focus on readiness and if we don't provide that best Soldier and Family experience our Army is not going to be ready."
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