ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – To build cohesion and highlight areas needed for improvement, the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command Integrated Logistics Support Center hosted a supervisor offsite at the Mallette Training Facility Oct. 6.
More than 100 people participated in person and virtually. This event was the first supervisors’ offsite to include all leadership and management within the ILSC. ILSC Civilian Deputy Director Nicole DiIorio attended on behalf of ILSC Director Liz Miranda.
DiIorio said the event helped bring the network of ILSC supervisors together. She said the ILSC uses the accountability, communication and empowerment, or ACE, model to discuss changes moving forward.
Focusing on people
Col. Anthony Marante, the ILSC military deputy director, said the purpose of the offsite is to improve the organization while focusing on putting people first, the Army’s number one priority.
“Everything we do is through our supervisors, through our people, with our people first strategy, is how can we move the organization forward to where we want to be,” he said.
Getting feedback
Last month, participants completed a survey called “What’s on Your Plate?” as a way to gather additional information for meaningful discussions, Marante said. This survey focused on how leaders can influence change at the command or directorate level.
Questions asked included, “Which part of being a supervisor excites you the most?” and “What do you find most frustrating, and what part takes up most of your time?”
Group effort
Supervisors were also divided into teams of 10 to evaluate ILSC personnel business practices and processes. Each team provided a 10 minute out brief during the event. Supervisor groups discussed topics ranging from managing a remote workforce to conflict resolution. The results from the discussion will be tied into the ILSC Human Capital Strategy for FY22, said Jesse Quinn, chief of the Mission Resources Division
“The ILSC Human Capital Strategy is our way of addressing the overall Army’s People First Strategy,” Quinn said. “The Army’s strategy trickles down to AMC [Army Materiel Command] plan and lines of effort (LOEs), CECOM plan and LOEs, and therefore an ILSC plan and LOEs.”
During the offsite, participants also completed and discussed a survey focusing on areas of the ACE model.
Moving forward
Abel Salgado, director of the Logistics and Technical Support Directorate, said he appreciated having the forum to provide feedback.
“We have had very candid discussions of directors and division chiefs,” he said. “For us, it is great to see we share similar concerns and problems, but more importantly [the event highlighted that] we have a united voice, on where we want to be as supervisors and leaders. It is nice to see we have a common voice and a common vision.”
Supply Chain Management Director Craig Russomano, of the ILSC Enterprise Soldier Aviation Directorate, said the event highlighted the need for change to progress the organization.
“I look forward to the next steps of this process,” he said. “We have a very diverse workforce across the board. In essence, our supervisors are diverse in the way that they think; people have different perceptions. At some point in time, we just have to come together and find out what is best for the organization to move it forward.”
Aviation Communications Branch Chief Drew Rehkop, with the Enterprise Soldier Aviation Directorate, is new to his position. He said he appreciated the opportunity to network and learn from supervisors with more experience.
“There is some reassurance that I am doing things correctly,” he said. “For me, it is how can I get better and how can I learn more.” Quinn said the CECOM ILSC supervisor offsite will be an annual event.
Social Sharing