TRAIN THE WAY YOU FIGHT


of wanting to be the friend, Smith said. “You have the responsibility to make them better—to help them grow. Grow or go.”


“Grow or go” is a very concise but accurate summary of Smith’s no-nonsense approach to aligning talent with the demands of the organization. “When working with some- one who is not performing where they should be, or where we know they can be, you have options,” Smith said. “One of those options may be to move that person into a new role, which may stimulate and challenge them, and allow them to blos- som. But you have to move them for the right reason. Some individuals just need a change and a new opportunity, while others may be experiencing more chal- lenges or may be unwilling to move.”


Whatever the case, Smith is clear that the change has to be linked to data. “Track their progress even after they move, to evaluate whether it benefited both the organization and the person.” Tis approach echoes the directive of the Army People Strategy, that leaders “provide Soldiers and Civilians with positions that unleash their passions and talents, maxi- mizing performance and productivity in both the operating and generating forces.”


take command at that next level, and I think teaching them how to manage technology is much more valuable.


“We’re trying to groom people to ”


“Underperforming individuals can really damage morale, because their teammates will pick up the slack,” Smith said. “Tose teammates are doing more work and watching someone else get paid for it.” To take care of the team, Smith feels it’s vital to also manage members who simply aren’t performing. “Tat’s part of that supervi- sor differential, in my mind. Tat’s part of what you get paid to do as a supervi- sor. We must be willing to say, ‘You’re not producing to the level you’re being paid for, or to the level of your potential.’ Provide the opportunity for the person to perform, hold them responsible, and provide frequent feedback.”


THE MAGIC WAND QUESTION Tere is no simple solution to the Army’s talent management challenges, but Smith has some ideas about where to start. “If I


could wave a magic wand and solve this whole issue, I’d create a new standard for progression,” Smith said, “and a level of training and experience that would be required, almost like prerequisites.” Te Army’s current time-in-grade require- ments and educational guidelines do not adequately consider real-world experience, in Smith’s estimation.


“Instead of focusing on time in grade, I’d rather look at practical accomplishments,” she said. “Once you’ve demonstrated competence in managing risk and apply- ing corrective actions with follow-up metrics on a program of a certain size, then you can go to the next level. We should be intentionally integrating more real-world application with the traditional train- ing. We need to consider things like what milestone the program is in, what type of


ON BOARD AND IN THE KNOW


Brendan Burke, right, deputy PEO for EIS, leads a conversation about onboarding with a group of new employees on Nov. 12. Clear communication and team building are essential tools for PEO EIS in creating common understanding among its 37 program offices and 71 acquisition programs, said Smith. (U.S. Army photo by Laura Edwards, PEO EIS)


28


Army AL&T Magazine


Spring 2020


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