Army Design Methodology: The Future Of The Future

1312 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: reflection about creative critical thinking

There is no question that future leaders of our military will need to alter how they understand the world around them. More and more, the most visible patterns of thought and action seldom view problems using new perspectives. However, it is imperative that current and future leaders within the military machine press the boundaries of their imagination and learn to develop new solutions to problems using different, creative paradigms. Moving forward, they must understand that not all problems are created equal and not all problems will be solved using the same mindset that was used in previous years. By examining how to frame problems, understand current biases, navigate group think situations, and understanding the importance of developing tomorrow’s critical thinkers, one see how critical and creative thinking will play a decisive role in the future of military careers over the next ten to twenty years. This paper will illustrate why these concepts are so vitally important to tomorrow’s leaders. Today’s officers are taught to use Army Design Methodology when attempting to understand a problem. As Army Doctrine Publication (ADP) 5-0 states, “Army design methodology is a methodology for applying critical thinking to understand, visualize, and describe problems and approaches to solving them” . One of the main tenants of the Army design methodology is critical thinking. This type of thinking leads to new insights, novel approaches, fresh perspectives, and new ways of understanding and conceiving things. Today’s leaders must use creative ways to approach the problems of the new world order. This new world includes nation states, tribal leaders, terrorist organizations, and others bent on destroying the United States. A s... ... middle of paper ... ... of tomorrow. The military currently has the manpower and technology to handle the current world problems, but over the next ten to twenty years the world will see the rise of new geopolitical entities that will challenge the views that we hold. In order to function and deal with the ever-changing events within our world, it is essential that current leaders not only understand critical thinking, but teach the skill to the up and coming leaders of tomorrow. Field grade leaders today will be those in charge ten years from now. If the United States plans to continue its world military and economic dominance, we must learn to harness and enhance our critical and creative thinking. By doing this, we will ensure that the constant changes within our operational environments are met by the desired outcomes as determined by our critical and creative thinking processes.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis of The United States Army

    742 Words  | 2 Pages

    This paper will not bore with the definition of a profession. The United States Army is about more than words, it is about action. The action of over 238 years of tradition and service. The Army is a profession. A profession requires its members to adhere to prolonged training and learn specialized skills. A member of a profession must wholly commit himself and his skills to a calling which is entrusted by the public. A profession provides its members with intrinsic value which motivates beyond financial gain. The Army is a higher calling which demands all of these qualities and more.

    Read More

  • Situational Understanding And Visualization Essay

    585 Words  | 2 Pages

    In examining the military history, one can easily find out that the main role of military leaders in the field is to decrease confusion and to guide units to achieve the desired end state. In accomplishing these tasks, Situational Understanding and Visualization have become necessary steps especially in today’s complex environment. This importance legitimates the question about their relationship between these two steps and the challenges facing leaders to achieve situational understanding and visualization. Commander’s visualization depends on Situational understanding. Leader’s success in these two phases remains conditioned by overcoming some challenges related to his bias, time and the efficiency of his staff.

    Read More

  • Army Transformation

    1980 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Army has transformed several times during its history. Adapting to the operational environment is a necessity for the force called upon to prosecute its adversaries. The Army must do what is necessary to protect the U.S. against all enemies, and advance the national interests of the American people. To accomplish this, anticipation of threats is crucial and victory against its adversaries is an imperative. The nation relies on the military for strategic level deterrence and expects that it will be decisive in combat operations. For the military to be successful, it is important that transformation adapt to meet these expectations by conforming to the requirements of a successful force of the future in order meet any new threats in any environment around the world.

    Read More

  • Operation Just Cause

    1768 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...the form of oppositions but the need to train soldiers has got to be at the top of our list no matter what we do. We as leaders must continuously look for ways to challenge our subordinates and ensure they have the experience in dealing with tough issues. The soldiers under us must be pushed every day to face tough decisions and make decision on how to navigate those tough decisions.

    Read More

  • Military Leader Development

    2874 Words  | 6 Pages

    Despite the tendency to treat West Point as if it is a world apart from the Army, the choices I make here and now form who I will be when it matters even more. Just as leadership lessons can be learned in a History of the Military Art class in an interdisciplinary manner, I need to focus on pulling as many lessons from my time at West Point so I can apply them when the stakes are potentially much higher. References Avolio, B. J. & Co. (2005). The 'Secondary' of the Leadership Development in Balance: Made, Born.

    Read More

  • The Groupthink Hypothesis

    791 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1972, Irving Janis presented a set of hypothesis that he extracted from observing small groups performing problem solving tasks; he collectively referred to these hypotheses as groupthink¹. He defined groupthink as “a quick and easy way to refer to a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members’ striving for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action²” A successful group brings varied ideas, collective knowledge, and focus on the task at hand. The importance of groups is to accomplish tasks that individuals can not do on their own. The Bay of Pigs, Watergate, and the Challenger disaster are all forms of failure within a group. Specifically, you can see the effect of groupthink of Americans before September 11, 2001. The thought of harm to the United States was unfathomable, but only after the attacks did they realize they were not invincible. When a solid, highly cohesive group is only concerned with maintaining agreement, they fail to see their alternatives and any other available options. When a group experiences groupthink, they may feel uninterested about a task, don't feel like they will be successful, and the group members do not challenge ideas. Stress is also a factor in the failure of groupthink. An effective group needs to have clear goals, trust, accountability, support, and training. Some indicators that groupthink may be happening are; making unethical decisions, they think they are never wrong, close-minded about situations, and ignore important information. Many things can be done to prevent groupthink from happening. One way is to make each person in the group a “critical evaluator”. The leader must ...

    Read More

  • The Army Profession

    1238 Words  | 3 Pages

    Snider, D. M. (2008). Dissent and strategic leadership of the military professions. Carlisle Barracks, PA: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College.

    Read More

  • Essay On Military Decision Making Process

    1605 Words  | 4 Pages

    Leaders today need to have an appreciation for the operation process, understand a situation, envision a desired future, and to lay out an approach that will achieve that future (Flynn & Schrankel, 2013). Plans need to be created that can be modified to changes in any factors considered. However, plans should not be dependent on specific information being precise or that require things to go exactly according to schedule. Instead, the staff NCO should be flexible where they can and always be prepared for the unexpected. Today’s military members are fighting an unconventional war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The enemy constantly changes their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP’s) to counter the United States technological advances, making planning very difficult for leaders. There are multiple tools at a staff NCO’s disposal to try to anticipate an outcome of a current operation, but also assist with the development of concepts in follow-on missions. The Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) is just one tool a staff NCO can utilize. In order to stay ahead of the enemy, create effective plans and orders, it is critical for a staff NCO to assist the commander, and understand that the MDMP and planning are essential in defeating the enemy and conserving the fighting force.

    Read More

  • Operational Design

    692 Words  | 2 Pages

    Design is a focused inquiry that enables the commander and staff to make sense of a complex situation, capture that understanding,17 and share the resulting cognitive map. Commanders use design to frame the environment, identify conditions contrary to US national interests, and describe the tensions resident in potential future conditions that describe a problem we must solve or manage. From that understanding of the environment, a critical analysis of the problem compared to the desired outcome based on projected future conditions occurs. The products of environmental and problem framing lead to the development of potential solutions. The design method is iterative, relies upon constant inquiry, and is inherently non-linear. Systems thinking and discourse based upon learning and assessments enable design and continue throughout planning and execution.18 For example, in Kosovo the desired political solution (essentially a Serbian-free Kosovo province) was developed in isolation from the realities of the environment. The strategic end state failed to consider the existing conditions, the potential actors, the tendencies within the environment, internal and external relationships, the patterns of resistance, as well as the opposition to or support of any proposed solutions. The 78-day bombing

    Read More

  • On War by Carl Von Clausewitz

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    Amongst military theorists and practitioners who studied war, its origin and implications, Carl von Clausewitz assumes a place among the most prominent figures. With his book On War, he demonstrated his capability to provide thorough historical analysis and conclusions of the conflicts in which he was engaged, and as a philosopher he reflected about all encompassing aspects of war. Today, Western armies conduct modern warfare in a dynamic environment composed of flexible and multiple threats in which civilians form a substantial part. Studying Clausewitz provides current military and political leadership useful insights to understand twenty-first century warfare. He explains the nature of war, provides an analytical tool to understand the chaos of warfare, and he argues for well educated and adaptable leadership capable of creative thinking. Although he died before his work was complete, his writing style was ambiguous and unclear at some moments, and current technology reduced some of his tactics obsolete, his work still arouses and inspires military and political strategists and analysts.

    Read More

  • Leadership Philosophy

    846 Words  | 2 Pages

    Leadership is contagious throughout the world and most importantly in the Army. It is not just my view, but of all leaders, at all levels, that organizations are responsible for setting conditions that lead to long-term organizational success. As I reflect on my experiences, through experience and observation, I realize how my values, beliefs, and perspectives about leadership continuously evolve over time. Recognizing these changes over time helps me better understand that people in organizations have different perspectives in life. This leadership narrative serve as important guiding principles for how I will lead at the organizational level and represents my thought, values and beliefs.

    Read More

  • Combat Team Vision Statement

    1632 Words  | 4 Pages

    A most valuable opportunity exists for a leader to contribute in making a tremendous difference. New leadership at the top of the 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT), a) gifted with wisdom to analyze an organization in identifying problems, b) capable of thinking creative in founding a vision for the future, and c) empowered with the reasoning ability to develop effective solutions to problems, will transform a declining unit to a new enhanced level of mission achievement and organizational effectiveness. 4th ABCT numerous problems are identified. A vision developed will guide the unit in the future. Most importantly, providing solutions to 4th ABCT problems occurs. Unit problems, vision, and solutions follow in order.

    Read More

  • Managing Diversity in the United States Army

    1405 Words  | 3 Pages

    The primary challenge for leaders in the Army is taking a group of individuals and molding them into a team. The framework that is employed to the greatest effect uses task-oriented instruction and is called battle focus training. After major objectives are defined, they are broken down into smaller sets. These smaller sets are known as collective tasks and are designed to be accomplished by small teams of soldiers. Each soldier is assigned one or more individual tasks that work together to accomplish the collective task. Training begins by teaching soldiers how to accomplish each of the individual tasks. At this point, emphasis is placed on the soldier as an individual. Although training is conducted in small groups, soldiers are evaluated independently of their peers. Once individual task mastery is achieved, leaders have soldiers begin to work together to accomplish collective tasks. This method of battle focus training incorporates aspects of both individualism and collectivism to accomplish the ultimate goal.

    Read More

  • Leadership Self-Assessment

    3035 Words  | 7 Pages

    As an officer in the United States Army, it has been imperative for me to understand every facet of leadership and why it remains important to be an effective leader. During this course, I have learned some valuable lessons about myself as a leader and how I can improve on my leadership ability in the future. The journal entries along with the understanding of available leadership theories have been an integral part of my learning during this course. For all of the journals and assessments that I completed, I feel it has given me a good understanding of my current leadership status and my future potential as a leader. All of the specific assessments looked at several areas in regards to leadership; these assessments covered several separate focus areas and identified my overall strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Over the course of this paper I will briefly discuss each one of these assessments and journal entries as they pertained to me and my leadership.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Essay 'Critical Thinking' By Howard 229nnesch

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his essay Critical Thinking: What Is It Good For? (In Fact, What Is It), Howard Gabennesch explains the importance of critical thinking by drawing attention to how its absence is responsible for societies many ills including, but not limited to, the calamity in Vietnam. Yet, at the end of his essay, Gabennesch also mentions that, despite “the societal benefits of critical thinking, at the individual level, uncritical thinking offers social and psychological rewards of its own. ”(14).

    Read More

More about Army Design Methodology: The Future Of The Future

Open Document