Between the Gates: Investigating Career Development White Space.

摘要

Since 1947, the Army has periodically revised the officer management system in a continuing effort to optimize career development patterns. More changes are likely in the future, but the essential outline has held up through war and peace, expansion and drawdown. Most officers advance through a logical progression of training, unit assignments, professional military education, and other developmental positions to prepare for greater future responsibilities. The Army clearly articulates the prescriptive requirements in its career development guide, which establishes a benchmark, or 'gate,' for each grade and branch. -- a particular duty assignment, such as company command or program manager, that must be satisfactorily completed before the officer is considered qualified for promotion to the next higher rank. Less clear is the value ascribed to 'developmental and broadening' assignments. As a result of this ambiguity, officers all too frequently make short-term choices in the interests of their careers that are at odds with the long-term needs of the Army. This study investigates the career patterns of the most successful officers over the past 50 years. The data included the assignments, commissioning sources, educational background, and developmental assignments of more than 150 general officers separated into three cohorts: general officers commissioned in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. One of our aims was to discern similarities and differences in career development patterns to advance the discussion of officer experience as a central pillar of leader development. The veiled dissatisfaction with the current officer development system has lately been reflected by calls to 'broaden' the officer corps. The real consequence of the evolving pattern of career development is the diminishing value that officers -- and the Army -- place on nontactical, broadening or white space experience.