In this spirit of innovation, Carter has proposed Force of the Future talent management initiatives that depart dramatically from the status quo. No longer is the up-or-out officer promotion system sacrosanct, as DOD explores more flexible career tracks.
remarkably repeatable and relevant in vastly different business categories that span the virtual and physical domains, from e-commerce
ensure the continued distinction of field- ing the best-equipped fighting force in the world.
and cloud comput-
ing services to the Kindle and Fire tablet product lines. As legend has it, Bezos con- ceived the business model on a napkin. Te scribbled-on, now framed napkin hangs on a wall in Bezos’ sixth-floor office on Amazon’s corporate campus. (See Fig- ure 1.) Te drawing is a flywheel diagram referred to as the “virtuous cycle.” At the center of the flywheel is growth, around which are selection, customer experience, traffic and sellers. Directly connected to growth is lower cost structure, which leads to lower prices, which feed back into the customer experience.
In a little over two decades, Amazon’s strategy of creating unrivaled economies of scale and ruthlessly pursuing effi- ciencies has catapulted the company to dizzying heights. Despite the exponential growth, market indicators suggest that this
is only the beginning. Tat sense
of a perennially new beginning creates a feeling that every day is day one for Amazon. Tis launch-day type of energy permeates all levels of the company, even after 20-plus years of endeavoring to be Earth’s most customer-centric company. All the while, the Army and its Acquisi- tion Corps battle complacency, in part by placing select members of the workforce in positions to leverage lessons learned from the best companies in industry to
MANAGING TALENT TO SHAPE ‘AMAZONIANS’ Talent management, an increasingly prominent theme in Army acquisition, is
especially vital to filling Amazon’s
expanding ranks as the company grows with its market share—from 30,000 employees in 2010 to over 230,000 in 2016. Recruiting, retaining and develop- ing human capital, while imbuing the expanding workforce with the mindset that it is still day one, is no simple task in the technology space. Within the tech industry, specialists in the science, technology, engineering and mathemat- ics fields are scarce and in high demand. Attracting the best in the human resources, marketing, program manage- ment and procurement disciplines is also fiercely competitive.
Like the company’s business model, Amazon’s leadership principles pervade day-to-day operations and shaped my initial expectations. Dialogue with my director touched on tasks related to each. Amazon seeks to draw and develop employees who share these principles:
• Customer obsession. • Ownership. • Invent and simplify. • Are right, a lot.
• Learn and be curious. • Hire and develop the best. • Insist on the highest standards. • Tink big. • Bias for action. • Frugality. • Earn trust. • Dive deep. • Have backbone; disagree and commit. • Deliver results.
If these leadership principles seem a lot like the core values of military person- nel, they are. Te parallels are not lost on Amazon recruiters, either, as they develop comprehensive initiatives to attract, recruit and develop military talent. Colby Williamson, a Marine Corps veteran and recruiting manager with Amazon, believes that, “Regardless of someone’s military occupational specialty, branch or rank, the leadership skills developed while in the armed forces closely resem- ble Amazon’s 14 leadership principles.
“At Amazon, we look for leaders who are customer-centric, have a bias for action and think outside the box. Our culture is fast-paced, and our leaders are given a lot of ownership to make business decisions. Tis makes for a natural fit for military leaders, where they can also find a strong sense of belonging with their peers.” Amazon believes that military person- nel who live by an ethos of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor and integ- rity already mirror Amazonian dogma.
HOW THE EXCHANGES BEGAN Te genesis for military personnel exchanges with industry was a critical requirement to establish officers with skills reflecting particular industrial prac- tices and procedures that are necessary in materiel acquisition and logistics lead- ers. In response, DOD and its branches of service developed relationships with companies in the military-industrial
ASC.ARMY.MIL 163
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