Application for Masters of Science in Strategic Intelligence for Reserves

DoN IT Conference Awards (Nominate Now)

Ready to nominate your all-star IT or IT Team?  In preparation for the DON IT Conference, West Coast 2015 from 10-12 February 2015 in sunny San Diego, nominations are now being accepted¹.

Don't have too much time, though.  Deadline for nominations is 07 January 2014.

A number of awards are being given to individuals and teams alike in the categories of...

• Superior quality of IM/IT teams and individuals that are transforming the Navy and Marine Corps through information technology
• Electromagnetic Spectrum management and use
• Person of the year/Rising star of the year in IT efficiencies and cost savings through visionary thinking, innovation, and superior leadership skills

Big Navy award and  don't think your Sailor will get selected?  Who cares?  Definitely won't win if you don't write them up.  And even if they aren't selected, letting them know they were nominated can be a pretty big deal!

All the details are here (http://www.doncio.navy.mil/ContentView.aspx?id=5652) or after the break...

Communicating in Two Directions

I had an opportunity to read "Mind the Gaps," an article in this month's Proceedings Magazine by ADM Gortney and ADM Harris¹ .

The article focused on the Readiness Kill Chain, basically noting that it's time to break down the barriers that grown up over time that have resulted in gaps in readiness.  I believe this topic is important because it speaks to an essential role of the officer profession, making our processes better to realize more effective warfighting. I also believe it provides an opportunity to focus on communication, both up and down the chain of command.

Leading and Achieving Organizational Transformation (Part 4/4): Systems Perspective

(Part 4 of a 4 part series on leading and achieving organizational transformation)

In the previous parts of this series, organizational transformation was described as one of the most challenging tasks for a leader to undertake.  In order to accomplish this endeavor, it was discussed that organizational leaders must focus on specific efforts that together create the required drive and effectiveness at every level of the workforce.  These efforts are: 
1) strong communication utilizing frames (Part 1)
2) creating a shared vision (Part 2)
3) leveraging high-performing teams (Part 3)
4) shifting to a systems perspective (Part 4)

This series now concludes with an argument for why shifting to a systems perspective is valuable and why it is an important part of organizational transformation.

Leading and Achieving Organizational Transformation (Part 3/4): Leveraging Teams

(Part 3 of a 4 part series on leading and achieving organizational transformation)

In the previous parts of this series, organizational transformation was described as one of the most challenging tasks for a leader to undertake.  In order to accomplish this endeavor, it was discussed that organizational leaders must focus on specific efforts that together create the required drive and effectiveness at every level of the workforce.  These efforts are: 
1) strong communication utilizing frames (Part 1)
2) creating a shared vision (Part 2)
3) leveraging high-performing teams (Part 3)
4) shifting to a systems perspective (Part 4)

This series now continues with an argument for why leveraging high-performing teams is valuable and why it is an important part of organizational transformation.

Leading and Achieving Organizational Transformation (Part 2/4): Shared Vision

(Part 2 of a 4 part series on leading and achieving organizational transformation)

In the previous part of this series, organizational transformation was described as one of the most challenging tasks for a leader to undertake.  In order to accomplish this endeavor, it was discussed that organizational leaders must focus on specific efforts that together create the required drive and effectiveness at every level of the workforce.  These efforts are: 
1) strong communication utilizing frames (Part 1)
2) creating a shared vision (Part 2)
3) leveraging high-performing teams (Part 3)
4) shifting to a systems perspective (Part 4)

This series now continues with an argument for why creating a shared vision is valuable and why it is an important part of organizational transformation.

Leading and Achieving Organizational Transformation (Part 1/4): Strong Communication

(Part 1 of a 4 part series on leading and achieving organizational transformation)

Organizational transformation is one of the most challenging tasks for a leader to undertake.  Fundamentally, leading organizational transformation is about using vision, communication, teamwork, urgency, empowerment, tenacity, and more to enact widespread changes in an organization in order to align it with the changing dynamics of the environment in which it operates¹.  Because of both the breadth and depth of the workforce that makes up modern organizations, a unity of effort approach is needed and gone are the days of a singular leader, with a singular idea, that coerces and motivates a workforce to implement it.  To accomplish this organizational transformation endeavor, organizational leaders must focus on specific efforts that together create the required drive and effectiveness at every level of the workforce.  These efforts are: 
1) strong communication utilizing frames (Part 1)
2) creating a shared vision (Part 2)
3) leveraging high-performing teams (Part 3)
4) shifting to a systems perspective (Part 4)

What Would You Put on Your IDC Reading List?

This is a post from LCDR Christopher Nelson, a Navy Intelligence Officer that is an avid reader and also blogs over at Between the Boards.

There are thousands of reading lists out there. While I'm not sure that I agree with author Umberto Ecco’s belief that we "like lists because we don't want to die," I do think reading lists are essential for any serious reader. They’re also fun. Seriously.

ENLISTED CYBER MASTER'S DEGREE OPPORTUNITY AT NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL

CTNs and ITs ... What an awesome opportunity!

Below, you will find a highlighted copy of the recent NAVADMIN (057/14) advertising a 12-month Master of Science in Applied Cyber Operations to CTNs and ITs, E6 or above.

Higher education is something our Information Dominance Corps (rightfully) pushes heavily.  We work in very technical fields that demand not only the brightest individuals, but also academics.  This is a good thing.  In this push to "increase the Navy's cyber capabilities, while building a professional cyber workforce," your Navy and cyber experience mixed with focused studies in a formal masters program at a quality school has the potential for great results, for the Navy and for you both professionally and personally.

The Officer ranks have been taking advantage of graduate education for some time and I am very excited to see the emphasis pushed to Chiefs and First Classes.

I hope all qualified and interested Sailors take advantage of this opportunity!

Last years selectees were announced in NAVADMIN 186/13 which you can find here.

What's on your reading list?

What are you reading?  Need a recommendation?  Need motivation?

"The problem with being too busy to read is that you learn by experience (or by your men’s experience), i.e. the hard way. By reading, you learn through others’ experiences, generally a better way to do business, especially in our line of work where the consequences of incompetence are so final for young men." ~ Gen. James Mattis¹

In a recent CNO's Rapid Innovation Cell (CRIC) Podcast, Mario Vulcano, instructor for our Information Warfare Basic Course (IWBC) was interviewed on a few topics centering around an endeavor titled, "Investing in Tomorrow's Leaders, Today".

Listen to the full podcast at the bottom off this post.

Results: 2014 ON-THE-ROOF GANG (OTRG) ANNUAL AWARD

A huge congratulations to the individuals selected as the awardees for the 2014 On-The-Roof-Gang award:

Navy: CTTCM(IDW/SW/AW) Samuel R. Olmstead, USN from NAVIOCOM Colorado

Marine Corps: GYSGT John F. Kirk IV, USMC from Company D, MARCRYPTSPTPBN, Fort Gordon, GA

To the nominees listed in addition to those awarded, we are incredibly proud of your achievements and know that even though your experience, expertise and contributions to our Information Warfare and Cryptology community will never be fully recognized in a public fashion, this is a fantastic acknowledgement and hope your family, friends, and Shipmates appreciate all that you have given and accomplished.

Full message pasted below.

Let the coding games begin!

Happy New Year!  Resolutions?  How's your coding skills coming along?

Back in September I posted the article, "3 reasons why you need to learn to code".  It talked a little bit about why people should code, but it didn't give any direction on where to begin, practice, or play!

A while back I had a number of Sailors (CTN flavor) bring up that they didn't feel comfortable writing code, and that was a topic covered in the advancement exam.  What resulted was really quite awesome...