Show Me the Money What We Value - External Perspective from Air Force Senior Leaders

摘要

Whenever Lt Gen Stephen Wilson, former commander, Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), saw me out and about on Barksdale AFB, the first words he'd utter were, "Show me the money!" My reaction would always be a big smile and a thought that I kept to myself. However, with seven months in the seat, it was time for me to share my thought with command leaders. Boldly, I did just that at the AFGSC 2015 Spring Off-Site. After being called to go to the front of the conference room to brief on how my directorate would support the command's goal of providing ready forces and equipment to combatant commanders, Gen Wilson shouted, "Show me the money!" I responded, "This command isn't ready for the money that I'd like to show it." The attendees' facial expressions were priceless—eyes wide open, mouths dropped, and the question, "What did he say?" catapulted from the lips of more than a few in the audience. I went on to explain that we shouldn't expect additional funding from Headquarters Air Force for mission-critical unfunded requirements if we haven't demonstrated that we're spending our FY15 initial distribution efficiently. Fast-forward two months later—AFGSC was on the right path to achieve its mission objectives and hasn't looked back. The senior leaders' overwhelmingly positive feedback, then and now, is consistent with what I've been told over the years about what they value from FM leaders. Highly-effective financial managers are solution-oriented and aggressive problem solvers, collaborative, and great communicators.