Photo By Lily Chen | SAN DIEGO (Nov. 14, 2023) Michael “Spence” Spencer, the Naval Information Warfare...... read more read more
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When President John F. Kennedy toured the National Aeronautics and Space Administration facilities in Houston, Texas in 1962, he asked a janitor holding a broom what he was doing. The janitor replied, “Well Mr. President, I’m helping put a man on the moon.”
That simple, yet powerful, interaction encompasses the essence of what mission mindset is all about—everyone connected to the mission, with a clear understanding, from top to bottom.
At the globally dispersed Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR), the basis for capability delivery is a responsive, continuous and iterative relationship with warfighters and an understanding of their mission needs. The person heading the mission mindset charge at NAVWAR is Michael “Spence” Spencer, executive director of the Fleet Readiness Directorate (FRD). He’s been in this role since May 2022, when NAVWAR’s Strategic Vector was publicly unveiled. Of the three strategic objectives “Foster a World-Class Workforce,” “Ensure Information Readiness” and “Lead Naval Digitalization” that the guiding document outlines, inspiring a mission mindset falls under the first.
The Strategic Vector is a living document that measures progress toward the three defined objectives in accordance with higher-level guidance provided by the Chief of Naval Operations’ Navigation Plan. It describes a data-driven approach to the goal of making NAVWAR the world’s preeminent provider of information warfare capabilities driving operational dominance from seabed to space.
“Fostering a world-class workforce is the most important strategic objective, according to our commander, Rear Adm. Doug Small,” said Spencer. “There is no NAVWAR without the people doing the vital work, and all of us feeling connected to the mission will allow us to be better than our adversaries and protect our nation, Sailors and Fleet.”
To develop the NAVWAR mission mindset, there are three tenets: communications, mission competency training and mission engagement.
“Our Mission Mindset Working Group integrates people from across the enterprise to align programs with our strategic messaging. We meet regularly to strategize, realign and execute based on the demand signals from our leadership, workforce and the warfighters we support,” said Spencer. “By distributing what we call ‘comm cards’ to explain the background and messages for key mission mindset initiatives that support the Fleet, we’re extending an invitation for everyone at NAVWAR to learn about mission mindset and participate in this cultural momentum.”
Additional communications activities that support mission mindset include the NAVWAR slogan contest, mission videos, podcasts, a distinguished speaker series and Mission 101 new employee orientation briefing. By utilizing existing organizational assessment tools like the Defense Organizational Climate Survey and Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, as well as other independently created surveys, the Mission Mindset Working Group can evaluate the workforce’s overall awareness and adoption of mission mindset-related activities. The surveys also provide an opportunity to solicit feedback from the workforce directly.
With the launch of the FY24 NAVWAR mission competency training this October, the second mission mindset tenet of training has become more robust. Developed to increase mission connection between the workforce, mission and warfighter, this online course is required for all NAVWAR civilians to complete, alongside other mandatory trainings like cybersecurity and occupational health and safety. It introduces various topics related to U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps structures, military missions and military life. To tailor this training for a NAVWAR audience, it includes advice and experience from Sailors, Marines and current NAVWAR civilian employees.
“We consulted various leaders to put together this training, ranging from Corporate Operations, Program Management, our Naval Information Warfare Centers, and FRD, to get their diverse perspectives,” said Spencer. “During development, I insisted that we spend time with members of the workforce who were unfamiliar with NAVWAR’s mission so we could attempt to fill those gaps with this training.”
The third tenet, mission engagement, includes ship and shore site location tours and pre- and post-deployment briefs. All NAVWAR personnel are invited to participate in ship and shore site tours where they’ll receive a Navy 101 brief and tour an active Navy ship with an experienced guide who works aboard. These tours aim to showcase NAVWAR systems and capabilities in action on actual ships and how those directly impact Sailors’ work. So far, the tour groups have visited aircraft carriers, littoral combat ships, submarines and amphibious dock landing ships. With feedback from participants taken through surveys, employees have stated that their awareness has grown, and they feel a better connection to their colleagues and the Fleet.
For one tour, a select group of NAVWAR employees flew out to aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) on a helicopter and received an extensive tour to see the typical operations of a Sailor’s daily life. A testimonial from one participant stated: “On a personal level, this was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. As a career federal employee, I never dreamed I’d be able to fly out to a carrier and experience day and night operations. On a professional level, this was so inspirational. The teamwork, comradery and mission mindset of all onboard was a beautiful thing. When I get frustrated with my ‘desk job,’ I will forever remember the sacrifices of those deployed and how much they depend on NAVWAR services and products.”
Across the Optimized Fleet Response Plan, NAVWAR partners with the U.S. Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) on both formal and informal touch points with the Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence leadership within the deploying Carrier Strike Groups or Amphibious Ready Groups. Pre-deployment briefs provide regular check-ins to get the Fleet mission ready, and the post-deployment brief is an opportunity for the Fleet to grade both themselves and NAVIFOR/NAVWAR on their support to them throughout deployment. These are valuable events for NAVWAR civilian employees to hear lessons learned and best practices directly from warfighters to improve in their delivery for future deploying units, which also contributes to increasing mission awareness.
“At NAVWAR, we’re aiming to build a mission mindset from all angles,” Spencer said. “The nature of workforce culture, mission, vision and engagement demands that we constantly reassess and rudder steer. We cannot be complacent; indeed, the current competitive landscape demands that we remain innovative, adaptive and always improving.”
About NAVWAR:
NAVWAR identifies, develops, delivers and sustains information warfighting capabilities and services that enable naval, joint, coalition and other national missions operating in warfighting domains from seabed to space and through cyberspace. NAVWAR consists of more than 11,000 civilian, active duty and reserve professionals located around the world.
| Date Taken: | 12.06.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.06.2023 14:25 |
| Story ID: | 459266 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 194 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, Renewed Focus on ‘Mission Mindset’ Improves How NAVWAR Supports the Fleet, by Lily Chen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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