Partnerships are critical to getting things done. To get somewhere, you usually follow a road or a path. What are some of the tools you might use to ensure you're going the right way? You're going to need a map. You'll want to be alert and focused. And, you will find it easier to get there if you have a partner.
Your partner is someone who shares the same goals and is willing to invest in the work needed to get from point A to point B.
For organizations, it's same concept. Our military organizations working on Aberdeen Proving Ground are not just "tenant units." We are a team. We're a team working together toward a common goal. When our local chapter of the Association of the United States Army earned its best chapter award last month in Washington, D.C., one person didn't go up there to accept the honor. We stood together as a team.
I'm proud of Team APG. Together we are a force multiplier, partnering to accomplish the same mission to support the Warfighter.
As Soldiers, and the civilians who support them, we want the U.S. Army to be dominant. Collaboration + integration = domination. That's an equation for success.
In fact, that's in my organization's mission statement: "Empower, unburden and protect the Warfighter to enable the dominance of the Army." Your organization may have similar sentiments.
How do we get there from here?
If you try to go it alone in any endeavor, you may be successful or you may not. Chances for your success will increase dramatically through partnership.
We've talked about the set of objectives we call the 5 P's: People, Places, Purse, Processes and Products. But, how do we get all these concepts to work toward our desired goals' The 5 P's are interdependent and entwined. I believe partnership is the glue between all of these concepts.
Let me share a few examples of successful partnerships we have at APG.
The transformation set in place by the Base Realignment and Closure process means new missions and organizations are coming to Aberdeen Proving Ground. To set the conditions for our success, we entered into an Enhanced Use Lease partnership with local developers. What that means is we had underutilized property that our partners could develop to help us accomplish our common mission.
So, we entered into a lease of federally-owned property specifically for the development of commercial offices and research and development space. You may have noticed the office parks springing up near APG's Gate 715.
In September, we welcomed the opening of the Harford Community College Education and Training Center. University of Maryland officials visited last month to talk about partnership opportunities for training the APG workforce.
We also partner with regional universities and colleges for Cooperative Research and Development Agreements. These relationships help students, academic institutions and the U.S. Army by providing a framework for how we can solve problems and inspire the next generation of scientists, researchers and engineers.
Do you notice a trend? Industry and academia are pairing up with us to help us build the APG of the future.
Starting now, you can play a key role in this endeavor. Partnerships begin on a personal level. Creating a successful partnership means developing your people skills and learning to be a better communicator. Partnerships are about relationships and reaching out to others to help and be helped.
I encourage you to seek out partners to help you accomplish your mission. Together, we will collaborate and integrate and truly be a better Team APG.
Next, we'll talk about Thanksgiving.
Army Strong!
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