Mr. Robin Swan Addresses Force Management Senior Leaders

Mr. Robin Swan Addresses Force Management Senior Leaders

Mr. Robin Swan, SES, Deputy Director of the Office of Business Transformation, addressed the Functional Area 50 (Force Management) Senior Leader Seminar on May 7, 2012 at the Pentagon Conference Center. The seminar gives the Army's Senior Force Managers the opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas regarding the Army's transformation into a leaner and more agile fighting force.

In keeping with that theme, Mr. Swan opened the discussion by outlining how the Office of Business Transformation (OBT) facilitates more streamlined operations that result in cost savings to the Army. He also described how OBT's work in transforming the Institutional Army will reap dividends for the Operational Army by freeing up more resources that can be devoted to the warfighter.

Attendees were also given a case study on Brigade Combat Teams as a read-ahead which was used as the basis for a discussion of the principles of strategic leadership. The discussion was designed to help the attendees gain a better appreciation for the Business of the Army; develop an holistic, enterprise-level approach to force management; consider the strategic political, economic, and operational factors that drive decisions at the Army level; and understand the complementary value of quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Mr. Swan's discussion gave the senior leaders food for thought about how the decisions they make today will affect the Army tomorrow, and the importance of taking a comprehensive look at all factors contributing to those important decisions.