A FORCE IN FLUX


[Morin] said, creating the workplace that’s a magnet, not a mandate.”


MAGNETIC MANAGEMENT So, what’s a manager to do with all this information? What about leaders who aren’t sure where to start, or how to imple- ment work flexibilities? “I would say, ‘Go slow then go fast,’ ” Johnson advised. “You don’t have to jump in with every single idea that’s out there, or strategy that every- body’s using, but you can slowly work into this and see how it works for your orga- nization, your command.” He said it’s important to understand the needs, pref- erences and skill sets of your workforce, since they can vary so widely. “You know your team, and some things probably won’t fit nicely in every organization.”


GETTING THE WORD OUT


Community outreach is a powerful tool for DOD in building connections, dispelling myths and attracting a diverse and committed pool of recruits to serve the nation. It also helps to bridge the gap between military service and the broader community, ultimately strengthening the effectiveness of the armed forces. (Photo by David Poe, Fort Bliss Public Affairs Office)


represented at levels of 20% or less in some pockets across the U.S. Army in positions of leadership,” she said. Combining that data with findings from the civilian labor market adds even more nuance. “Lean In’s workplace report on women in the work- force cites that women under the age of 30—who the federal government needs more than anything to come in to the ranks—said that if they saw leadership with the same levels of work-life flexibil- ity that they would want, it would impact their desire to apply and compete for posi- tions of leadership. Seventy-nine percent of them agree with that.”


Tis is an area where the Army can maxi- mize its return on investment by keeping the focus on the mission, she said. “Let’s


46 Army AL&T Magazine Winter 2024


face it, the Army gets it when it comes to distributed work and being able to understand the value and benefit of collaboration and working together and leveraging technology for the purpose of distributed teams,” she said. “But people are so wrapped around this concept of, like, how many days is the right mix, or, what does it take to get my people back in the office, rather than focusing on, as Scott


According to O’Duinn, implementing remote-work flexibility also requires an understanding of which roles are location- dependent and which are not—and why. Some employers, he said, are only will- ing to allow current employees to work remotely after they have proven them- selves, but not with recruiting new hires for the same positions. Having a clear shared agreement on which roles are location- dependent versus location-independent can help, he said. “Intentional focus on the recruitment and onboarding processes, as well as intentional mentoring while phys- ically distributed, can also help.”


At HRC, Johnson also plans to rethink how the command hires to make effective use of all the tools at his disposal. “One


Work flexibility can be a powerful tool for building the workforce of 2030.


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