Battalion and Brigade Commander Lead free essay sample

1. What are the organizational development challenges you face as the new brigade commander? What are three things you can do to address these issues and develop the brigade as a learning organization? Since my departure from this brigade two and a half years ago the brigade has changed in the wrong direction. While I was assigned it was a functioning brigade, which worked together as a cohesive unit, free of spiteful competition. I would immediately think back and drafts a plan of attack which focused on many of those things that made the brigade great at that time. I have several organizational issues which need immediate attention. Although the brigade transformed into an HBCT fairly well, including conducting this transformation at the onset of a deployment into a combat theater under the new formation, it was still successful in its missions. With that being said, the brigade did have many issues that cannot and will not happen under my watch. I am working with a brigade which, has just gone through a massive change over in personnel, to include most of the primary staff and the Command Sergeant Major. So, I have personnel issues regarding continuity within the brigade and how things are done. Therein lays my first approach. I will bring all my primary staff, Commanders, Command Sergeants Majors and their S3 Sergeants Majors together and give them my philosophy, mission statement, vision and what I think their focus should be to bring the brigade back to what it once was. In the beginning I am going to have to conduct command climate surveys to identify my short comings and then take a direct, almost hands on approach to fixing the issues acknowledged in the brigade. I will also conduct several brigade commander lead meetings with the Soldiers, NCOs, officers and senior leaders in an attempt to let them hear and understand my leader and training philosophy’s. This will let everyone know I am serious and focused on turning the brigade around. I will also have to look into all the negative things within the brigade and who they relate too. A couple of those incidents are the many Reports of Survey and the possible oversight of the unauthorized sniping incident. By addressing these two things and the Soldiers involved, it will show once more that I am serious about turning the brigade around. The importance of fixing those areas with faults is a huge undertaking that must happen before the brigade once again lands on rotation orders. If these issues do not get fixed I believe the brigade will fail in its next combat mission, whatever that might be. The organizational challenges I face are the recent change over of personnel; the unit’s poor coordination with each other and the brigade; the officers not working well with their enlisted counterparts; a new staff and Command Sergeant Major; and I have trust, loyalty and integrity issues that need addressed. The first three things I will do to fix this are: A. Have mandatory LPDs with my primary staff, Commanders, Command Sergeants Majors and their S3 Sergeants Majors. B. Have a brigade town hall meeting, with all the Soldiers, NCOs, officers, senior leaders and civilians within the brigade to explain my vision, philosophy and start the team building process so that they understand the end state. C. Immediately address the massive Reports of Survey and the possible unauthorized sniping incident. I will conduct immediate FLIPLs on all the equipment shortages and a 15-6 investigation into the shooting allegation. I will look at all the facts and take appropriate actions deemed necessary based on facts. 2. How will organizational culture and climate influence your actions as the new brigade commander? What actions will you take to manage the ethical climate and stress levels within the organization? Because I am dealing with a brigade size unit, which has several battalions and companies, the culture and climate must be taken into consideration before I take any action. As I mentioned before, I will hold a series of meetings with the leaders of these great units in an attempt to find the pulse. Once that is done, I’ll use that to formulate my plan to reorganize and transform the brigade back into what it once was. I will take into account the historical records and the CALL and CAL. It is also important to mention, that some of the Soldiers will be affected by the loss of the former commander and I must take all the steps necessary to ensure mental and spiritual well-being are addressed. In an attempt to fix the climate, I’ll consult with the Command Sergeant Major on ways to build Esprit d’ corps and comradery amongst the units. I will incorporate ways that will have immediate impact on all the units. I will instill social leader calls at the all ranks club on Friday’s. In doing this, I should be able to start bringing back the cross talk between units and reinstitute open command exchange or collaboration, thus re-energizing units from within to fix their own issues and problems. Further, by working together, they can also reduce demands on the brigade staff with small issues that could be handled between battalions and units. Once more, fixing the issue at the lowest level and not bringing it to the brigade’s attention unless needs be. The ethical climate will be fixed by some much needed moves of Soldiers. Soldiers will be identified and transferred around the brigade throughout the units, breaking up any problem areas or problem clicks. If this isn’t what is needed and a much more severe action needs to be taken, then those Soldiers will be removed from the brigade completely. Basically, I will come in and clean house, getting rid of those that need to go and keeping or moving those which that might apply to. Stress reduction will become a follow-on result of the many changes that I will make to the brigade. Through the leader’s calls, OPDs, NCODPs, most of the stress should start to subside. I will take this one more step and start instituting some good clean competition between the battalions within the brigade by holding quarterly brigade organizational days. Within these organizational days, my staff will construct and facilitate unit competitions for my commander’s cup. I will also include incentives within the commander’s cup, giving units more drive and motivation to win. Families will also be included and each organizational day will have food. I’ll stress the importance of families to become very involved with not only the organizational day, but their units too. Further, I will institute a weekly family day, where the end of the duty day will be 1500. There will be no unit activity after 1500 on that set day each week, unless it is mission essential. Finally, the Command Sergeant Major and I will conduct a monthly town-hall meeting with different battalions within the brigade that includes Soldiers and family members in an attempt to identify issues within the brigade and letting them know their voices are heard. By doing this, I would hope to show family members that their opinions are important to the brigade, and if I can take some stress away from them, it will ultimately reduce stress from them on their Soldier. 3. How will you influence change within the organization? What will be your vision and why? My influencing change within the brigade will be executed using the aforementioned ways. I will be extremely involved in my unit and subordinate units, until I see progress moving in the direction of my vision. Further, I will ensure all leaders at every level are more involved and extremely proactive, charge forward with brigade success as their primary focus. We will push this movement down to all levels, to include civilians and family members, as I have mentioned previously. I want to involve every Soldier, family member and civilian employed by the brigade to take ownership of the brigade and help in the transition of operation above the band of excellence, fairly free of ethical and integrity issues. If I can find a way to make this happen, I can see nothing but a promising future for the brigade and each of its units. We will break this down to the basics. We will bring back the common leader combat skills with basic Soldiering being the focus. Implement the warrior task and battle drills and instill basic drill and ceremony. Through these steps leaders at every level should reacquaint themselves with the lost values, further giving importance to the simple discipline aspects within the units down to the lowest level. Training will be a priority, with all leaders present. Soldiers must trust their leaders and instill self confidence in their everyday doings. Leaders must get acquainted with newly assigned equipment. This will all be accomplished with direct involvement of all assigned personnel. We will show the Soldiers that even everyone must conduct training and learn new tasks. Once this is accomplished, I feel confident that we will see a change and a new successful unit will start to emerge from the ruins. Again, as I have stated throughout this exam, my vision will be that of the brigade prior to my departure for battalion command in Germany. Back then, the brigade was a cohesive unit, with each unit operating above the standard, and although separate, moving a pistons within the brigade engine to make it the best unit within the division. There was collaboration at every level, between every unit without thoughts of being better and with constructive competition. That is my vision for my new brigade. Before the brigade was one. Now, it seems the brigade is several separates, doing their own thing with no focus on the success of their units, let alone, the success of the brigade as a whole. That will stop with the implementation on my plan, scope and vision. However, for this to be successful, I will need the focus of every Soldier, leader, NCO and Officer. If we can make this happen, the unit will be better prepared for its next combat operation, stress levels will be down and Soldiers will be able to trust their NCOs and Officers, knowing they best interest is within the hearts of those leaders and they will not compromise that trust by taking the easy wrong.