PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - Armament University hosted a Developing High Performance Teams course, producing 17 graduates at a commencement on Nov. 16.
The three-day period of instruction served as a building block for the next iteration of professional development under the Army Civilian Education System (CES). CES is a progressive and sequential leader development program that provides enhanced educational opportunities for Army civilians throughout their careers.
“The overall goal of the course was to prepare students for the CES Advanced Course, which prepares upper grade Army civilian leaders (GS 13-15) to assume increasing levels of responsibility and leadership within organizations,” said Joel Lesh, training specialist at the Armament University.
“Advanced Course graduates are skilled in leading complex organizations in support of national security and defense strategies, managing organizational resources, leading change, inspiring vision, and creativity, directing program management, and integrating Army systems,” Lesh added.
“The Developing High Performance Teams course was an introductory to the Advanced Course, and the capstone for this revolved around the Armaments Center culture, and potential ways of addressing areas of concern within Armaments Center.” The center is part of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM).
Two instructors, from the Army Management Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, provided course training on a variety of topics, including building team trust, and presenting aptitude in effective oral, written, and visual communication.
“I feel that you can never be too prepared, and taking an additional class that is only a few days provided incredible value and insight as to what to expect for the Advanced Course,” said Frank Suydam, an Armaments Center engineering technician who took the course. “Having little information or background on the Advanced Course, I am now significantly more prepared.”
On the final day of instruction, students were tasked with creating and briefing Col. Kevin P. Shilley, DEVCOM Armaments Center Military Deputy Director, on a project they created producing a culture of high performance in the workplace.
“I had the privilege of receiving an out-brief from the team after three days of work,” said Shilley. “I continue to be amazed at the passion and dedication of individuals, teams, and teams of teams dedicated to making the Armaments Center the best place to work. The effort, feedback, and insight of the team were invaluable to help us see ourselves as an organization and help to develop and maintain a culture of that enables high performance.”
A highly effective team is innovative in problem-solving and is known for displaying a high level of communication and collaboration, delivering consistent and superior results. Skilled members of high-performance teams are aware of and recognize each other's expertise and working methods. This results in a stronger bond among the team members and helps create opportunities for capacity building and increased productivity.
“Our presentation to Col. Shilley was an opportunity to provide a senior leader with some first-hand, on-the-ground feedback on the question we were tasked with answering, based off our group’s collective and diverse experiences,” Suydam said.
“Enabling and empowering employees will help maintain alignment in our organization,” Suydam said of his team’s findings. “Armaments Center leadership is continuing to develop the workforce into an ideal high-performance team, and our valued input will help to shape the future of the Armaments Center culture.”
Picatinny’s largest tenant, the DEVCOM Armaments Center, operates the Armament University, which offers a wide variety of courses appropriate for entry level, journeyman, and advanced audiences.
Armament University specializes in enhancing the professional development of engineers and scientists through in-house technical classes and special on-the-job training.
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