FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- The U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence Leading Change Team encourages a new set of future leaders to come forward and help make USAACE a better place to work and live during its recruiting drive now until Jan. 31.
If you are a professional who possesses the right mix of skills, experiences, and abilities to help positively and effectively lead change, USAACE wants you be a part of the next Leading Change Team.
Any USAACE team member, including Soldiers, Department of the Army civilians, contractors, and Family members, may apply to be on the Leading Change Team. Applicants should submit their Leading Change Team Application Form to the LCT selection committee to be considered.
In 2009, the USAACE commanding general directed the command to help change the culture at USAACE. With the help of an outside firm, Kotter International, USAACE created the Leading Change Team: 41 military, civilian and contractor volunteers who committed themselves to improving USAACE and Fort Rucker.
During the first campaign to recruit members, the LCT was viewed by some as another initiative that would be forgotten at the next change of command. Brig. Gen. Anthony G. Crutchfield has proven that the LCT has staying power here at USAACE.
"What (Maj. Gen. James) Barclay started was the right thing to do. I'm a lucky person. I inherited the LCT. And if you thought that when General Barclay left, the LCT would go away, you'd be wrong," Crutchfield said to commanders and directors at USAACE's off-site brief, Dec. 9, in Panama City.
Crutchfield further asked conference attendees for help in recruiting members for the next team.
"I need your help getting the word out about the LCT," he said. "I need your help in getting your people to participate in the LCT. I need your support to empower them to participate in this."
Since the formation of the LCT in March 2010, its members have received numerous suggestions and ideas from various USAACE personnel who not only recognized problems, but also were willing to work with members of the team to create solutions.
No problem was too large or too small for the LCT to handle - while some issues were addressed with a simple phone call to the right person, other issues took a more collaborative effort to solve. Despite the difficulty of any problem, LCT members made themselves available to seek out the methods to best evaluate and research the issue, and arrive at a recommended solution.
Throughout their inaugural year, LCT members have proven that by working together, barriers across organizations can be broken down, eliminating the stovepipe mentality, opening lines of communication throughout organizations and establishing sound new procedures that make sense for today's ever changing mission.
To continue the effort, the LCT is seeking out new prospective LCT members who possess leadership skills, credibility, communications ability, analytical skills and a sense of urgency. The ability to work as a member of a team is also important.
New members are requested to commit to the team for one year. During that time, members will need to be able to attend and participate in bi-monthly Leading Change Team and Strategic Initiative Group meetings and spend several hours per week working on designated USAACE change initiatives.
The amount of dedication required to be a team member is not just a give-give situation. Inaugural team members have received rich personal dividends from their participation.
One LCT member summed up his experiences working as a member of the LCT Empowerment team.
"I gained an immense amount of knowledge regarding Fort Rucker and all the activities that encompass it that I would never have gotten any other way. It was an educational opportunity in multiple ways," said Charles Marsh, General Dynamic contractor and G6 CIM 2010 Project Manager. "The opportunity to work with people from a multitude of organizations was very beneficial. Contacts and friendships will carry on far beyond the time served on the LCT."
Another member recognized the benefits of speaking to people in person rather than through a phone call.
"The LCT has allowed me to have conversations with people that I normally would never have been in the same room with. It is amazing how many problems can be solved through simple face to face communications," said Capt. Anne McClain, C Troop, 1st Battalion, 14th Aviation Regiment, commander.
The LCT for brings quality professionals together who are willing to share information and educate others on important issues that may or may not directly affect them, but do affect the overall USAACE mission, said Rick Davis, Northrup Grumman contractor and Aviation Resource Training System project manager.
"Being a member of the LCT has been a very humbling and exciting experience for me," said Davis. "The opportunities for change for the betterment of the entire USAACE team are limitless through this effort. This is largely due to the endless resources and subject matter experts that make up the LCT and their ability to bring in subject matter experts throughout USAACE to participate in the process.
"Being a member of the LCT has helped me mature in my knowledge of the intricacies and processes involved in, not only producing the best warfighters, but in making sure that every member of the Fort Rucker team is supported and individual needs addressed," he continued. "I feel that the groundwork for the continued success of the LCT has been laid by the first group, and the stage is set for a great future of success with the next LCT. It has been an honor to be a part of the first LCT."
Although a new set of leaders is being recruited, inaugural LCT members said they would continue to work towards improvements.
"It was extremely rewarding. Laying the foundation for this effort was challenging and frustrating during times, but now that the wheel is built, the next LCT can push this cart that much more effectively," said Maj. Ethan Dial, 1st Bn., 145th Avn. Regt., executive officer. "We've accomplished a lot, gotten the word out to a good bit of USAACE, but my hope for the future is to exponentially increase this effort and really change the mindset of people at USAACE."
Applications for the next LCT can be found on USAACE's LCT Web site at http://www.rucker.army.mil/leadingchange. To request an application via e-mail send an e-mail to ruck.lct@conus.army.mil.
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