R 241830Z MAY 10 ZUI ASN-AM1144000051
FM CCGDNINE CLEVELAND OH//D//
TO AIG 8940
BT
UNCLAS //N16000//
SUBJ: PAUSE TO REFLECT ON OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
A. MY 262348Z APR 10 (CHANGE OF COMMAND AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE)
B. COAST GUARD PUBLICATION 1
1. SHIPMATES, I MENTIONED IN REF A THAT OUR MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY IS TO SAFELY AND PROFESSIONALLY EXECUTE OUR MISSIONS WITH PRECISION AND EXPERTISE. I BELIEVE MEETING THAT RESPONSIBILITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE DO AND IS THE KEY TO ACHIEVING OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE. THIS MESSAGE EXPANDS ON REF A, AND PROVIDES MY PRIORITIES AND EXPECTATIONS FOR HELPING ASSURE SAFE AND PROFESSIONAL MISSION EXECUTION. I AM ALSO DIRECTING A UNIT-LEVEL PAUSE TO BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT 14 DAYS TO FOCUS ON OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND THE THEMES OUTLINED BELOW.
2. AS I VISIT D9 UNITS, YOU WILL HEAR ME DISCUSS THREE KEY TOPICS: PEOPLE, PROFESSIONALISM AND PARTNERSHIPS. I VIEW THESE THEMES AS FUNDAMENTAL TO OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND FOUNDATIONS FOR SAFE AND EFFECTIVE MISSION EXECUTION.
A. PEOPLE. PEOPLE ARE TRULY THE COAST GUARD\\\'S MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE AND WE MUST FOSTER A POSTIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWS EACH INDIVIDUAL TO REACH THEIR MAXIMUM POTENTIAL. RESPECT, ENCOURAGEMENT, SUPPORT, AND EMPOWERMENT SHOULD BE HALLMARKS OF OUR WORKPLACE CLIMATES. WE DO DANGEROUS WORK IN CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTS, AND TAKING CARE OF OUR SHIPMATES IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY--WE CANNOT AFFORD TO TAKE UNNECESSARY RISKS WITH OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE (INCLUDING OURSELVES). WE MUST CONSTANTLY STRIVE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND WELFARE OF OUR SHIPMATES AND THEIR FAMILIES SO THAT THEY CAN CARRY OUT THE IMPORTANT JOB OF KEEPING OUR MARINE ENVIRONMENT SAFE AND SECURE.
B. PROFESSIONALISM. OUR MISSIONS HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE COMPLEX OR VISIBLE. MANAGING THAT REALITY DEMANDS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM, ALL THE TIME. WE HAVE CHOSEN TO SERVE OUR COUNTRY AND COMMUNITY. BY DOING SO, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO SERVE THEM WELL. WE MUST EMBRACE OUR PROFESSION AND MASTER OUR CRAFT. THERE IS SIMPLY NO REPLACEMENT TO PERSONAL COMMITMENT IN LEARNING THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT GUIDE OUR MISSION EXECUTION. REFER TO THEM OFTEN, STUDY THEM, AND PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE REGULARLY. WHEN THEY FALL SHORT, SPEAK UP AND FIX PROBLEMS RATHER THAN PASS THEM ON. I DO NOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO GIVE A STATISTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE 110 PERCENT. I DO EXPECT ALL OF US TO DO OUR VERY BEST EVERY DAY. AND IF, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE CANNOT CONVINCE OURSELVES THAT WE DID OUR BEST- THEN WE MUST WORK THE NEXT DAY TO DO BETTER. IT\\\'S EASY DO THE RIGHT THINGS WHEN OTHERS ARE WATCHING, BUT IT\\\'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT WHEN THEY ARE NOT. INTEGRITY AND SOP\\\'S SHALL GUIDE OUR ACTIONS. PART OF PROFESSIONALISM IS ENSURING THAT WE DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO PROVIDE OUR PEOPLE WITH THE TOOLS AND TRAINING THEY NEED TO DO THE JOBS WE EXPECT FROM THEM. TRAINING OUR PEOPLE IS A SACRED CHARGE. I EXPECT LEADERS AT EVERY LEVEL, AND PARTICULARLY COMMAND CADRE, TO TAKE A PERSONAL INTEREST IN UNIT TRAINING. ENSURE THAT YOUR ACTIONS AND TIME WITH REGARD TO UNIT TRAINING PROGRAMS MATCH THE PRIORITY THEY DESERVE. LEAD, AND TRAIN, FROM THE FRONT. COMPLACENCY IS OUR ENEMY IN EVERYTHING WE DO. GUARD AND FIGHT AGAINST IT. \\\"ROUTINE\\\" OPERATIONS CAN OFTEN BE THE RISKIEST BECAUSE OF TENDENCIES TO TAKE SHORT CUTS OR SKIP PROCEDURAL STEPS. FOCUS ON, AND DON\\\'T IGNORE, THE FUNDAMENTALS. THEY ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF MISSION SUCCESS.
C. PARTNERSHIPS. RESOURCES ARE INCREASINGLY LIMITED AND WE CANNOT REASONABLY MEET ALL OF OUR MISSION PRIORITIES ALONE. NOR CAN WE ACHIEVE ENDURING AND EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITHOUT ENSURING OUR PEOPLE ARE THE MULTI-TALENTED PROFESSIONALS THE PUBLIC EXPECTS. EMBRACE OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS AT ALL APPROPRIATE LEVELS INCLUDING INTERNATIONAL, FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, TRIBAL, AND INDUSTRY. THESE EFFORTS SHOULD NOT BE FOCUSED ON SIMPLY DOING EACH OTHER\\\'S WORK; RATHER, THEY SHOULD BE APPROACHED AND FOUNDED ON HOW WE CAN WORK BETTER TOGETHER TO ADDRESS OUR COMMON CONCERNS TO ACCOMPLISH THE NATION\\\'S WORK.
3. IN SUMMARY, SAFE AND EFFECTIVE OPERATIONS DEPEND ON OUR PEOPLE, AND WE MUST ENSURE THOSE PEOPLE ARE RESPECTED, WELL TRAINED AND MULTI-TALENTED PROFESSIONALS SO THAT WE CAN APPLY THOSE TALENTS TO CREATING ENDURING AND EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS. WE HAVE EVER INCREASING DEMANDS FOR OUR SERVICES. WE HAVE INTRODUCED NEW PLATFORMS AND CAPABILITIES INTO OUR ARSENAL OF TOOLS. WE HAVE DEVELOPED EVOLVING ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES DESIGNED TO MAKE THE COAST GUARD MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE. EACH OF THESE HAVE LONG TERM GAINS FOR OUR SERVICE BUT CREATE SHORT TERM STRESS ON OUR MEMBERS. IT REQUIRES CONSTANT VIGILANCE TO ENSURE THE TYRANNY OF THE PRESENT AND GROWING MISSION COMPLEXITY DO NOT ERODE OUR COMMITMENT TO WHAT\\\'S MOST IMPORTANT. THIS GROWING MISSION COMPLEXITY MAKES IT INCUMBENT ON OPERATIONAL LEADERS TO PROACTIVELY HELP MANAGE THAT COMPLEXITY WITHOUT LOSING SIGHT OF THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF COAST GUARD OPERATIONS AS OUTLINED IN REF B AND THE NEED TO CONSISTENTLY PREPARE FOR THEM.
4. WITHIN THE NEXT 14 DAYS, EVERY NINTH DISTRICT UNIT SHALL CONDUCT AN ALL HANDS SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF FOCUSING SQUARELY ON OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE. IN ADDITION TO ENSURING ALL HANDS HAVE REVIEWED THIS MESSAGE, DISCUSSION TOPICS AND QUESTIONS TO HELP GUIDE THE SESSIONS ARE PROVIDED BELOW. THESE ARE JUST SOME GENERAL IDEAS. USE YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, TRAINING, AND INTUITION TO DEVELOP AN AGENDA THAT ENSURES WE ARE READY FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES. IF YOU FEEL THAT SOMETHING JUST DOESN\\\'T SEEM RIGHT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SPEAK UP TO YOUR SUPERVISOR AND SHIPMATES TO IDENTIFY PROBLEMS, AND THEN FIX THEM. I\\\'M REMINDED OF A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT\\\'S CALLED \\\"NOAH-PRINCIPLED LEADERSHIP\\\" - WE DON\\\'T NEED PEOPLE THAT CAN JUST PREDICT FLOODS, WE NEED PEOPLE THAT CAN BUILD ARKS.
5. SUGGESTED ALL HANDS QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION TOPICS:
A. REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE PRINCIPLES OF COAST GUARD OPERATIONS FROM CHAPTER 4 OF REF B. (ELECTRONIC COPIES AVAILABLE AT HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/TOP/ABOUT/PUB1.ASP).
B. ARE WE EXECUTING ACCORDING TO THOSE PRINCIPLES? WHERE CAN WE IMPROVE? HOW DOES EACH PRINCIPLE APPLY TO YOUR DAY-TO-DAY MISSION ACCOMPLISHMENT?
C. WHAT IS THE RISKIEST THING WE DO? HOW COULD WE REDUCE THE RISK?
D. WHAT IS THE SAFEST THING WE DO?
E. DOES EVERYONE FEEL QUALIFIED TO DO THE JOBS WE EXPECT OF YOU?
F. WHAT TRAINING DO YOU WISH WE HAD MORE TIME TO DO? HOW CAN WE CARVE OUT MORE TIME FOR THAT TRAINING?
G. WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS THAT TELL US HOW TO EXECUTE OUR JOBS (E.G., MLEM, CG/STATE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS, BOAT MANUAL, AIR OPS MANUAL, CUTTER TRAINING AND QUAL MANUAL, ATON MANUAL, MSM, ETC.)? WHERE ARE THEY? WHEN IS THE LAST TIME ANYONE OPENED THEM?
H. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU WERE BETTER OR MORE SKILLED AT DOING? HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THESE SKILLS?
I. WHO ARE OUR KEY PARTNERS IN MISSION EXECUTION? ARE WE WORKING AS COOPERATIVELY AS WE CAN BE? WHAT COULD WE DO BETTER? I LOOK FORWARD TO VISITING AS MANY UNITS AS POSSIBLE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AND BEYOND. I ESPECIALLY LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THE RESULTS OF THE ABOVE. I\\\'LL ASK WHEN I\\\'M THERE BUT PLEASE DON\\\'T WAIT TO PUSH UP ISSUES AND CONCERNS FOR DISTRICT ACTION THROUGH YOUR CHAIN OF COMMAND. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR CONTINUED SELFLESS SERVICE AND COMMITMENT TO OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE.
8. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.
9. RDML MICHAEL N. PARKS, NINTH DISTRICT COMMANDER, SENDS.
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