Commander’s Priorities and Intent
As I watched our respective teams work through KEY RESOLVE ’10 over the last couple weeks, one lesson learned continued to get my attention…Everyone, yes, everyone must know their commander’s priorities. I suppose it should be taken one step further; they must know priorities and understand the direction enough to be able to drive their own behavior and that of the units under them. When this is the case it makes for the best of all worlds. Executing our commander’s intent is ultimately why we are all here.
This may seem obvious to some, but when all echelons in the chain were on the same page it was clear that when the commander’s priorities and intent were understood, good decision making and execution followed closely behind. Orders were given and the results unquestionably met the guidance. In the end this resulted in perfect mission execution even in the most challenging circumstances because the command values guided everyone to the common goal. When the machine worked as advertised, answers were provided to questions that never needed to be asked. It was also easy to ensure the messages were heard at all levels of the decision making chain when the priorities and intent changed. In a way, clear guidance sent a changing battlefield into slow motion.
At the speed at which operations can move in today’s warfare, it’s imperative that we continually watch for changing tides so that we feel the motion and keep our senses in tune with the changing environment. We must also establish feasible Courses of Action that will ensure mission success. If we are not the approval authority, ensure the right information is presented to the decision maker so that they can make the time sensitive adjustments needed for success. Since both military and political movements, not to mention the social and economic issues, affect our stated goals, we must monitor them to understand how and when we must execute our chosen courses of action.
As enlisted leaders, the execution of command directives is probably our most significant contribution. It is imperative that we start shaping the leaders of tomorrow today. Explore how each unit in the team fits into the commander’s priorities. Set the conditions for success in our units; we are only as strong as the weakest link. I encourage you all to take the time to understand the ultimate goal and ensure you focus efforts on the most critical areas. Always remember: “slow is smooth, smooth is fast”. Allocate resources at the right time to achieve major unit milestones. Build CONOPS and COAs to meet expectations and intent. And finally, communicate your requirements and limitations. Doing this effectively will give us the capability to do the most important task of all: Making sure our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are “Ready to Fight Tonight!”
Finally, for everyone that read the December SEL notes it’s time for a vector check. Where are you on achieving your 2010 goals…together? As Henry Kissinger once said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, every road will get you nowhere.”