The United States Military has proven to be one of the most effective organizations in the world. Numerous businesses and corporations throughout the years have modeled management practices of the military structure. This author will leverage seventeen years of military experience, and will provide abundant examples of the military’s management process. There are several similarities between the military and the business world’s managerial structure. The subsequent analysis will reflect how planning, leadership, organization, staffing, and controlling are modeled in the military as management tools, much like the functions for managing a business. Managers use planning to choose an application of organizational goals, and to ascertain courses of action that provide the most likely scenario of success. Managers participate in an array of planning activities throughout the course of their work, to acquire organizational or departmental goals (Baak, 2014). Business management’s organizational planning stages typically consist of assessing the environment, determining organizational goals, creating plans, and allocating resources (Baak, 2014). In military planning, there are numerous levels of complexity and variety during the planning processes. Typically, military planning will focus on the task, the reason leading to the task, environmental factors, human resource allocation, asset allocation, leadership structure, and timeline. Each of these areas has a
The Army’s Organizational Life Cycle Model contains eight phases (U.S. Army War College, 2015-2016). This paper identifies and explains four of those phases, acquisition, training, distribution, and deployment.
How do you conduct your strategic planning? Strategic planning is a joint endeavor that involves field operations, headquarters and mission support. The agency’s strategic planning practices entail brainstorming new ideas, implementing innovations and reflecting on past practices in developing action plans to improve daily functions, upcoming operations and immediate response actions to crisis situations. The operational plan or warning order provides mission critical information regarding equipment, personnel and objective, it also denotes the time frame to fulfill mission requirements. The agencies human capital strategy is based on comprehensive research methods to identify activities and operational costs which are key in driving risk mitigation factors.
This paper will thoroughly define and explain planning and mitigation. Additionally, it will cover several factors that play a role in each category. Specifically, this paper will look into several phases of planning to include: continuity of operations; mission essential functions; planning development; and preparedness. Furthermore, it will look what types a factors should be looked at when making an organizations plans. In addition, this paper will look at mitigating risks, specifically cyber and physical risk mitigation and some of the different approaches risks can be mitigated. Finally, this paper will briefly look at the Department of Defense’s Operational Risk Management process and how it ties planning and mitigation together.
In the age of sequestration, the Army’s ability to respond to an ever changing operational environment requires close scrutiny of its organizational structure. As funding diminishes, Army units must be properly manned, trained and equipped in a manner that utilizes the Army’s precious resources in an efficient and effective manner. Therefore, developing organizational models is likely to be most impacted by future changes discussed by GEN Odierno.
This process is a combination of theoretical and highly detailed characteristics of planning and incorporates actions taken by the commander, and the staff. The military decision making process allows leaders to apply carefulness, clear and precise sound judgment, common sense, and concrete knowledge. These characteristics are needed to understand static and ever changing situations and to develop solutions to whatever the problem may be. This process improves understanding of all parties involved in the operation and guides the element throughout the preparation
The U.S. Navy takes a classical perspective to management in the sense that it establishes a clear hierarchy of rank and responsibility. Having cut my teeth in that environment, it is hard to have any other perspective than that. It was accepted that the guy in charge gave the orders, and that the people who were not in charge, followed. Military concepts do not always transfer over to the business world with the greatest of ease. There are
The Joint Operations Planning Process is important in today’s multi-service environment because, today’s conflicts are fought as a joint team, and members of a joint team must be able to plan accordingly. Joint Operations Planning is a critical and multifaceted process, but when conducted effectively, it will have a significant impact on joint warfighting effectiveness from the individual service member on through the national strategic level and play a key role in the outcome of the operation(s). The planning process transforms strategic objectives into activities that include mobilization, deployment, employment, sustainment, redeployment, and demobilization of joint forces. It ties the military instrument of national power to the achievement
These plans can be very small in scope and applied only to specific areas or compartments within an organization. Short term tactical plans can be utilized as a means of fulfilling the strategic plans, or long term goals, of an organization, while strategic plans are the medium through which leaders fulfill the vision of an organization in its entirety. This paper will examine how both strategic and tactical planning are utilized by companies in the achievement of goals, and will explain at which points of the process one or the other should be used.
There are a many similarities between military and business planning. The definitions of military and business planning are similar and/or have the same core processes--although they may be called something different. The Army defines planning “as a continuous process in preparation for future assigned or assumed tasks.” Further, “[planning] involves a detailed and systematic examination of all aspects of contemplated operations.” An additional business definition of planning includes, “defining the ends to be achieved and determining appropriate means to achieve the defined ends.” Another business definition states, “defining organizational goals and proposing ways to reach them.” Although, if you take the definitions apart you
How do you conduct your strategic planning? Strategic planning is a joint endeavor that involves field operations, headquarters and mission support. The agency’s strategic planning practices entail brainstorming new ideas, implementing innovations and reflecting on past practices in developing action plans to improve daily functions, upcoming operations and immediate response actions to crisis situations. The operational plan or warning order provides mission critical information regarding equipment, personnel and objective, it also denotes the time frame to fulfill mission requirements. The agency’s human capital strategy is based on comprehensive research methods to identify activities and operating costs which are key in driving risk mitigation factors.
The Marine Corps uses planning as a precondition before any mission, training or real world scenario is conducted “Projects can be characterized as temporary efforts undertaken to accomplish specific goals and objectives.” (Rosacker, 2010, para 6) As managers or supervisors, we have to comprehend the parameters in which we operate, that being the case; we must also recognize our weaknesses and strengths. In the Marine Corps the budget is always a large concern for the leadership. Understanding the full scale off what’s needed and identifying our left and right parameters once the planning phase has begun is an essential part of preparing for any training operation or mission. Planning is also used as the chance to set long or short term goals that identified for our section or departments. In my department, we identify ideas that can be implemented later to improve productivity of the Marines in our care and who all depend desperately on our guidance. “Attempts to employ new knowledge, should lead to innovative organizational structures” (McAdam, 2000, Page 1)
The five management functions can be found in any successful organization and is the foundation for achieving the organizations goals. Our text states, “management functions encompass innovative planning, detailed organization, diligent leadership, systematic staffing and finally must possess those abilities that permit the controlling of both human and organizational resources to accomplish a company’s pre-determined objectives. (Baack, Reilly, & Minnich, 2014, p. 1.3) “In this paper I will address each concept of Planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling and how they are implemented in day to day operations in the United States Air Force, with a heavy concentration in the Special Tactics community.
On the other hand, a business strategy is about building. Actually, the main goal is not to destruct but at the opposite to build something in order to get earnings. In the same time, the way to get through this objective implies to fight against different kind of enemies. As soon as we speak of fight, we have to deal with plan and strategy. This mutual way of intellectualizing and rationalizing a fight, which used to be instinctive for animals, is a very important concept.
2. Tactical plans – medium terms (6 months – 3 yrs), responsibility of middle management
Planning consists of translating an organization’s mission into reasonable objectives. The organizations purpose is first expressed as the mission statement. Then using this mission, the strategic planning begins, followed by tactical and operational planning respectively. These derived goals need to be SMART –specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and have target dates. Strategic planning involves only the top-level managers, tactical planning involves only the middle managers, and the operational planning involves first-line mangers. Planning is a process that should engage people of all levels of management. Actively involving everyone will bring in a wealth of ideas, providing more options to chose from. Keeping the team engaged will build a sense of camaraderie making everyone feel