Chapter 6 Simple Flashcards
Chapter 6 Simple p140
Combat, like anything in life, has inherent layers of complexities. When plans/orders are too complicated people will not understand them, then when things go wrong what tends to happen?
When things go wrong, and they inevitably do go wrong, complexity compounds issues that can spiral out of control into total disaster.
Chapter 6 Simple p140
How must plans and orders be communicated?
In a manner that is simple, clear, and concise. Everyone that has a part of the mission must know and understand his/her roll in the mission and what to do in the event of likely contingencies.
Chapter 6 Simple p140
As a leader it doesn’t matter how well you feel you have presented the information or communicated an order, plan, strategy. What is the metric of success?
If your team doesn’t get it, you have not kept it simple and you have failed. You must brief to ensure the lowest common denominator on the team understands.
Chapter 6 Simple p140
It critical that operating relationship facilitate the ability of frontline troops to clarify when they don’t understand, how can leaders ensure this happens?
Leaders must encourage this communication (questions) and take the time to explain so that every member of the team understands.
Chapter 6 Simple p141-147
Simple application to business
Bonus plan was so complex, none of the employees had any idea what was causing bonuses or how to maximize them. Bonus plan was simplified everyone knew the plan and productivity increased.
Chapter 6 Simple
What was the combat story?
New outpost COP Falcon, was newly formed and one of the first missions run out of the outpost was a presence patrol run by a young MiTT leader leading Iraqi forces. His original patrol was overly complicated and dangerous but he did not seem to understand the implications of a route so ambitious. He was asked to scale the plan way back and keep it simple, he complies and is later (12 minutes) attacked and needed a CASVAC to help get back to base.
Chapter 6 Simple p145
Almost no mission goes according to plan. There are simply too many variables deal with. How is simplicity of a plan able to overcome this?
If the plan is simple enough everyone understands it, which means everyone can rapidly adjust and modify what he/she is doing. A plan that is too complex, the team can’t make rapid adjustments to it, because there is no baseline understanding of it.
