TRAINING TO IMPROVE DECISION MAKING

摘要

This paper is concerned with how to improve the training of higher-level military officers,given that the conditions for learning in “conventional” exercises (with a high degree ofrealism and complexity) are suboptimal. From other applications (e.g., business and publicmanagement) we know that a key feature of effective decision training is high exercisefrequency. Another requirement is for the decision-maker to see the full range ofconsequences resulting from his/her decisions. Both aspects require time compression in thetraining environment.We suggest applying the same principles when training military commanders, in a newlycreated concept termed Minimalist Decision Training (MDT). MDT is characterized bysimplifying the commander’s operating environment, radically compressing time and space.In MDT, a typical two-day exercise can cover several repetitions of a thirty-day conflict andat the same time provide continuous feedback about the unfolding of the conflict,consequential to decisions made.To this date, we have tested prototypes of system dynamic models (“microworlds”) to beused as MDT environment at the Norwegian Defence Staff College as well as operationalheadquarters. The pilot users (instructors as well as student officers) have reported a highdegree of satisfaction with the models as exercise environments. In particular, the operationalrelevance of a “high-intensity” model has been assessed. In a post-exercise surveyparticipants indicated that eight out of ten suggested manoeuvre principles were believed tohave substantial impact on operational outcome.