20 July 2010
By Chief of Army, Major General Rhys Jones
We are at an important stage in our change journey. Physical changes are happening. We are starting to apply new systems and ways of operating that have been developed over the last months and years.
But operational and structural change won’t work unless there is also a mind change. We need to start changing the mindset in which traditionally the Services have considered that Defence Force Headquarters supported us. Now we have to change that to Services supporting the Defence Force - Three Services as One Force – for the purpose of deployment.
The need for this change cannot be underestimated. The ability to implement effective change, including attitudinal, is vital for any organisation that needs to adapt itself to its operating environment.
The Defence Force is made up of dedicated, innovative and skilled people who have the flexibility to ‘shape while we create’.
This is new thinking for us and uncharted territory to a degree. While consultation is important, and is still happening, progress needs to happen along with this. You all need to take the opportunity to be part of this shaping process. This is your organisation and we want you to make a contribution to its future to make it the best it can be. Don’t wait for direction; take the initiative.
Stand next to your biggest problem and take responsibility for fixing it.
We also need to learn from each other and communicate sideways between the services. For too long we have worked in silos, developing solutions that could be applied across the whole organisation. With our new enabling structures we now have a real opportunity to share information for the benefit of the Defence Force as a whole.
But why are these changes important and why now? In thinking about where the world is heading I think we can assume the next twenty years will bring about as much far reaching and unsettling change as the past twenty.
In fact, the pace of change will actually increase, particularly in the scientific, technological, and security domains. Adaptability, efficiency and a commitment to frontline capability is even more vital as we can’t allow ourselves to be caught off guard. We need a combined force capable of adjusting quickly and efficiently when surprise inevitably comes – because it will. Organising forces and educating leaders to adapt quickly to these surprises will mean a fast and effective recovery and the potential to make the most of opportunities.
So, to enable this flexibility and plan for the future we need a strong and efficient support foundation working together to ensure we are a more nimble, effective and efficient Defence Force in the future.