Chaney Harrison

Congratulations to Davis-Monthan’s newest USAF Weapons School graduates for successfully completing six months of arduous tactics and leadership graduate level training. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Desert Lighting Team! I also had the privilege of witnessing the inaugural AFSPECWAR WIC graduation, which included the first two Combat Rescue Officers (CRO) in AF history to become Weapons Officers. RESCUE & ATTACK!

My name is Dr. Jonathan Lu, Master Sergeant (ret.), U.S. Army. I am a passionate advocate for education opportunities for enlisted soldiers. I've witnessed firsthand the transformative power of education and credentialing in my 20+ years of military service. Having enlisted in 2003 with just a term of college under my belt, I initially navigated a non-traditional path to education. It wasn't until 2013 that I fully embraced opportunities and embarked on a journey that ended with me earning Doctorate in Behavioral Health at the same time as my retirement. Throughout this educational odyssey, I discovered a truth: while military education provided valuable tactical training and relevant operational skills, it was my civilian education that honed my critical thinking ability and challenged me to broaden my perspective. Controversial stance: the Army's NCO Education System (NCOES) offers essential guidance on WHAT to think and do, but civilian education teaches us HOW to think and continually seek new knowledge. They are distinct in their purpose. All too often NCOES is viewed as a partial answer to the traditional education gap between the officer and NCO corps. It cannot and will never serve this purpose. We must expand opportunities that truly challenge the talents and skills of our enlisted force beyond the confines of a rigid professional development model. Rather than viewing roles like drill sergeant, instructor, or recruiter solely as positions to fill, we should embrace them as avenues for acquiring diverse skills applicable across various domains. Since these positions are limited, where else can we build opportunities to enrich NCOs through real world experience? Where are the partnerships with civilian sector for Sergeants and Staff Sergeants? Where are the train with industry opportunities for senior-level NCOs? Moreover, investing in programs like Tuition and Credentialing Assistance not only enhances individual capabilities but also strengthens the overall readiness and effectiveness of our Joint Force. Annual talks of cutting such vital assistance sends the wrong message to soldiers, undermining their potential and devaluing their commitment to self-improvement and professional growth. Some will argue that TA and CA encourages soldiers to leave the military service after obtaining relevant skills and certification. Perhaps the failure to retain soldiers after obtaining degrees and/or credentialing is better attributed to poor talent management. If a soldier finds a better version of themself through education and the Army does not find a way to capitalize on their newfound competencies, then I say: Shame on us. Shame on us for squandering our most precious resource. Shame on us for selling ourselves and our Nation short. When given a choice, always invest in your people. It is upon the ingenuity and tenacity of human beings--not hardware or technology--that will see us to success. #armystrong #military #education #nco

Ali McKenzie & I (Terrance Berland) have spent the last week in London with our client talking to their customers about potential uses for AI. The one commonality between all of the conversations is that there is not much commonality between their goals. That reality was very interesting to us, especially in the world of AI where generic tools are popping up faster than the use cases that can take advantage of them. What became abundantly clear is this: Context matters! What is your goal? Are you trying to change your culture, fix a tactical or strategic problem, to alter the way the world thinks about something? Each situation sets different priorities for what matters and what to work on. So, start with your why because, depending on what your goal is, your answers to what and how could be radically different. Think about it. #whatisyourwhy #contextmatters #areyouchasingshinyobjects

COE was thrilled to feature Emily Jackson, BSN, MBOE, RN, NEA-BC during a recent webinar on leveraging the power of Leader Standard Work. Emily is the Vice President of Patient Care Services and the Chief Nursing Officer of NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital, and she shared insights from her journey to help leaders at all levels implement impactful standard work processes. Check out Emily’s wise words on Leader Standard Work! Missed the event? COE members can view a full recording on our Digital Content Archive: http://ow.ly/zhib50LrcHC. Not a member? Reach out today to talk about membership for your company!

11 counterintuitive lessons for building a winning business: 1. Each additional hire increases complexity faster than productivity. 2. Want to deliver more value? Raise your price. 3. It feels neglectful to do the right thing when the right thing to do is nothing. 4. The more knowledge you give away, the more people will pay for it. 5. Resilience & consistency are the hacks everyone wants but doesn't want to be true. 6. Nothing builds trust faster than direct feedback that helps, even if it hurts. 7. Focus is saying "No" to what's exciting & new and "Yes" to what's mundane & proven. 8. You have several functions but only one bottleneck. Until you fix it, investing elsewhere is a distraction. 9. Ignorance often masquerades as confidence. Ask people, "What does excellent look like in this scenario?" 98% of people are just winging it. 10. The acute pain in your business today demands you hire for skills. The long-term health of the company requires you hire for character. 11. Fast-moving companies accumulate "culture debt" just as software accumulates "tech debt." You'll pay today's compromise in tomorrow's rewrite. Plus interest. What hard-won lessons have you learned? Please share them in the comments. And if you got value from this post, please give me a follow. I write daily about the tactics to lead high-performing teams.

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Cheat Codes I Know At 42 I wish I Knew At 22: