Strategies for Imbedding Leader Meta-Competencies in the Army Culture

摘要

To function effectively in this new century, individuals and organizations must continually adapt, learn new skills, and continually assess their capabilities. In short, they must remain self-aware. Motivation for change within the business world is often profit-motivated. However, change within the government, including the Department of Defense, is usually driven by organizational restructuring or drastic changes in the global security environment, such as the fall of the Iron Curtain or the events of September 11th. Many corporations and some government agencies have enjoyed success in effecting major changes within their organizations, including their organizational culture. Success of the Army's ongoing Transformation Campaign Plan may also depend upon its ability to adapt at the strategic level, to include changing the Army culture. One of the many outcomes of the Army's latest cultural audit of its commissioned, noncommissioned, and warrant officers, as well as Department of the Army civilians - the ongoing Army Training and Leader Development Panel - has been the identification of required leader meta- competencies for success in the 21st Century Army. Although the Army is now focused on resolving many of the training and leader development issues associated with the Transformation Campaign Plan, the task of imbedding these meta-competencies in the Army culture at the strategic level is unfinished. Although many ideas on how to change the Army's culture are being contemplated by the Army's leadership, a unifying vision of this process has not yet emerged. This review of organizational and cultural change processes, of recommendations from a recently completed organizational climate survey of the U.S. Armed Forces, and of lessons learned from government agencies which have recently undergone cultural change will provide insights into the development of similar cultural change strategies for the Army.