Army, Presidential, and Corporate Strategic Transitions: The Importance of Transition Teams and the Application of Lessons Learned

摘要

Strategic leader transitions constitute narrow windows of opportunity marked by high pressure, high expectations and general lack of organization awareness for many new leaders. The Army's transition team methodology is excellent in assisting strategic leader transitions. Without transition teams, it is unlikely that any incoming commander, regardless of experience, could develop an equivalent situational understanding or command strategy. However, the process could improve by incorporating lessons learned from transition operations in other environments. This monograph models the Army's methodology based upon first-hand experience by the author during the CG TRADOC Transition Team in the fall of 2005. The monograph then explores the environment and lessons learned from presidential and corporate transitions in order to identify and incorporate relevant lessons into the Army transition process and develop recommendations for improved transition team operations in the future. It captures lessons learned in the form of best practices, critical outcomes and common pitfalls associated with each type of transition and infuses relevant lessons in a revised transition model. The monograph concludes with recommendations for improved future Army transition operations that include codifying the Army's transitional process and training it in the AMSP program.