Bringing lessons learned from the Military to the Civilian world is an overall approach, for which I coined the term: Military Wisdom for Civilian Performance (M2C).
Since Moltke's aphorism (aka "no plan survives contact with the enemy"), the Military gradually evolved the outdated Command-and-Control toward a more adaptive way of getting things done: Commander's Intent (CI).
Commander's Intent and its implications for leadership have proven, as well, to be of great value when applied to the post-industrial Civilian world. It also becomes increasingly reflected into the most innovative mental models that spread over the Business world. These mental models have in common that they all adhere to one single motto: EVERYONE IS A LEADER IN PROGRESS.
So let's go and follow the M2C Manifesto!
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How to reach the M2C Triangle
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Quit fixed targets to embrace readiness. Industrial Age focused on the Production/Efficiency challenge. In the Knowledge Era our enemy is Complexity and Adaptiveness is our friend. To meet the Complexity/Adaptiveness challenge, start with the 12 Principles of Beyond Budgeting (BB) which cover both Leadership and Processes.
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Quit micromanaging to embrace mutual trust. Practice the flexible Commander's Intent (CI) and free yourself from control freak behaviors. Use Theory Of Constraints (TOC) metrics to drive your people and mission's throughput.
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Quit the path to embrace the chain. Upgrade your Gantt charts with Critical Chain (CC) and rescue your people from Student Syndrome and Parkinson’s Law - the caveats of Critical Path (CP).
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Quit finger-pointing to embrace improvement. Use energizing After-Action Reviews (AAR) and free yourself from post-mortem torture meetings. Turn lessons learned into short, to-the-point Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Then use On-the-Job Training (OJT) for your people to learn and refine SOPs - not as a replacement for SOPs.
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Quit meeting rooms to embrace terrain. Use the 4 types of Army Briefings - meet and brief where everyone can directly interact with the business matter and your team at work. Stop meeting in a room where actual terrain is out of sight, with no map and too much nap.
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Quit office BS to embrace real-life stuff. Use the 5-Paragraph Order (OPORD) including CI, Estimate of the Situation (METT-TC) and Terrain Observation (OCOKA). Let people take ownership and contribute their best course-of-action (COA).
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Quit selfishness to embrace self-leadership. Mimic the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) chain of support and build a sound network of Non-Commissioned Leaders (NCL).
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Quit turnover to embrace peopleware. Before risking the life (read: mental health, life balance) of your people, conduct an Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB). You may call it an Intelligence Preparation of the Businessfield (yet IPB).
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Quit digital obesity to embrace natural movement. The soldier predicament is: "Move, Shoot and Communicate." Your knowledge worker predicament may read: "Login, Type and Email." Instead of delivering steel you may gesture over docs, slideshows and mouse clicks. Are you still nimble enough to pack, run and fly within minutes? Use Natural Movement (MOVNAT) to get outdoor and test yourself daily.
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Quit specs to embrace sketches. Use the Business Model Canvas (BMC) and its raised blocks to move, shoot and communicate your mission. Free your team from linear writing. Show - don't tell - how you all plan to get through.
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Quit ABC to embrace ABC. Military ABC stands for ACCURACY, BREVITY, CLARITY. Use NATO phonetic alphabet (aka ALFA BRAVO) to shout new names and numbers over the wire.
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Quit 9/11 to embrace 8601. Use the International Standard for the Representation of Dates and Times (ISO 8601) to say WHEN.