A GOOD GROUNDING
When Leach, right, applied to the TWI pro- gram, he wanted to know “if there were any differences to [industry’s] methods of doing business versus the government’s.” Indeed, there are, as Leach learned during a year at Airbus as a TWI officer, with guidance and support from Burke, left, a retired Army acquisi- tion officer who established the TWI program at the company. (Photo by Melissa Johnson, Airbus Group)
EADS Group underwent a reorganiza- tion as it became Airbus.
Leach got a front-row seat.
“As EADS-NA transitioned to Airbus Defence and Space,” he said, “I saw man- agement juggling glass balls. From my perspective, they wanted to see that the customer was taken care of, who they would be reporting to and how they would keep their employees updated on changes that were fluid.”
He also saw “supply chain management in action” when an aviation safety bul- letin was issued, identifying a fault with a product. “From the time the fault was identified to the time to repair, [the response] was nothing less than out- standing,” he said. “I saw parts fabricated, ordered and shipped to the customer in a matter of days.” Te thing that most impressed him in that, he said, was
“the experience level and dedication of the employees.”
Te appreciation is mutual, Burke said. While about 50 percent of the company’s employees are military veterans, “there are still employees who don’t have a day- to-day exposure to the military,” he said. Te TWI program “gives them a chance to really work with a field-grade officer
Tey can watch how each officer applies specific skills to specific projects, and
“they enjoy the opportunity to work with seasoned professionals from different organizations,” Burke said. Te TWI officers, for their part, “tend to be very focused, [but] they’re flexible and asser- tive. Most of them enjoy the opportunity to sort of teach and train,” he said.
MAINTAIN FOCUS For Leach, “You must have a focus” to succeed in TWI. “Tings are constantly evolving around you, but insist on being pulled into the inner circle,” he said. “You will have to understand that there will be friction points between the govern- ment and the contractor. You should gain an understanding by talking [friction points] over with the integrated process team lead,” and learn “how to mitigate the friction, from [both] a government and commercial standpoint.”
Te best aspect of the program, he said, is that “it is a great opportunity to see the business practices of your industry part- ners. Come into the position and ask to be treated as a new hire,” he continued. “Ask to be trained in a position, but go
and understand how they think and their values, and I think they enjoy that direct, personal interaction.”
to all the different business meetings in order to see what’s going on in the com- pany. Travel with the program manager or vice president whenever possible in order to gain knowledge of the overall corporate structure and vision.”
Te TWI experience “will give you a per- spective that you can’t get anywhere else, unless you happened to work for industry before you joined the Army, which in most cases is highly unlikely,” Burke noted.
As to the most valuable and most chal- lenging aspects of his TWI experience, Leach said, “Most valuable: As a leader, continue to surround myself with smart people. Tis will not only ensure the pro- gram’s success, but also the success of the employees around me. Most challenging: Know my contract and stick to the terms and conditions of it.”
Ultimately, Leach said, whether he ends up as a program manager or director of contracting, TWI will benefit his career. “I hope to lessen the frustrations on [both] the government and indus- try sides of the table. Sometimes this business seems to be a bit dicey, but establishing a great rapport across the table can go a long way.”
—MS. MARGARET C. ROTH and MR. STEVE STARK
ASC.ARMY.MIL 141
WORKFORCE
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