The ALx Bulletin - November 2024 Predictability & Effective Training Management: The Foundation of Team Cohesion
“Building a cohesive team starts with simple stuff; good training management, being predictable, and good maintenance management.”
Gen. Randy A. George
Chief of Staff, United States Army
FORSCOM’s Four Wins Framework operationalizes warfighting readiness. Core concepts include putting #peoplefirst and ensuring tough, realistic training that is effectively managed, prioritized, and protected to build lethal and cohesive teams. Read on to find tools & learn more on your quest to create a cohesive team and get positive results in your organization.
Execute Today [Content You Can Use Immediately]
Cohesive, well-trained, disciplined teams = ready combat formations. Soldiers become experts in their craft and bond as a unit through effective training. It’s the unit leader’s responsibility to understand and implement training doctrine to ensure they are prepared to fight –and win. Access interactive training doctrine here.
The Army Training Management System (ATMS) provides tools and enablers to help leaders realize effective unit training management (UTM). Visit the Army Training Network (ATN) to access the Combined Arms Training Strategy (CATS), the Digital Training Management System (DTMS), and much more.
While predictability underpins cohesion and trust, adaptability is critical to mission success. Units must leverage their diversity and expertise to solve problems and adjust course rapidly in today’s OE. Use this training aid to take actions that foster professional bonds, unit pride, shared commitment, open communication, and more.
Prepare For Tomorrow [Content to Improve Your Organization]
Did you know you can get assistance to learn effective UTM? The UTM Mobile Training Team (MTT) conducts site visits to teach the principles of training management to include increasing familiarity with tools, training prioritization, long-range planning, and more. Brigades and above receive priority & virtual options exist. Visit the UTM webpage to learn more.
Authenticity, transparency, and predictability build trust in organizations. Learn specific ways to incorporate these into your unit culture in this message from GEN George and SMA Weimer.
Cohesive, high-performing teams get results. Those teams possess certain characteristics that are the result of strategic leader actions. Learn how to build your team, resolve conflict, establish a positive climate, and more with this resource from the Center for Army Lessons Learned.
Retired LTG Hal Moore’s ‘Four Principles of Conduct in Battle’ are still relevant. The author of this article challenges leaders to steal these principles, use them in plans & training, reinforce them, and watch unit performance improve.
Learn Always [Content to Help You Think]
Leader actions directly impact the success of a team. The best units normalize raising issues, using what went wrong to improve, taking care of Soldiers, and keeping families informed. Listen here as GEN Randy George, CSA, discusses what “every good unit” he was a part of did to build cohesive teams and other ways you can #strengthentheprofession.
Activating a next-generation combat force revealed lessons on the importance of predictability through a masterplan, shared vision, and effective resource management. High-quality unit training management is crucial to build the team and prepare for future challenges while cohesion is achieved by cultivating a winning culture. Read more here.
Rapid change is underway to deliver ready combat formations. Listen to The Sergeant Major of the Army’s Leading Change Brief to hear about training responsibilities, changes to NCO PME, H2F, the new Army Training Information System (ATIS) and more. In The Sergeant Major of the Army Professional Development Forum: The Theatre Army, hear directly from a panel of senior NCOs on Theater Army Strategy.
Dynamic Front is the Army’s largest artillery interoperability exercise on the European continent. A major investment in the cohesion and lethality of the NATO alliance and overall readiness of allies and partners, this training & exercise strengthens the alliance to ensure we can decisively respond to aggression should deterrence fail. Learn more here.
Get Involved [Opportunities for YOU to Drive Change]
Your contributions are needed to improve the Army of the Future! When Soldiers & units upload, share and discuss lessons learned from operations and training in the Quick-Fire portal, Army leaders can identify issues, quickly make improvements, make better decisions, and enhance Army lethality. Access the real-time database via CAC-enabled desktop (NIPR or SIPR) or smartphone (OS independent).
Strong start for Line of Departure! Read here for short & long-term updates. Make sure you check out the website monthly to see what’s new.
Readers Speak [Feedback from You for You]
We asked, you answered! Thank you for the feedback on the bulletin format in October. With over 60 responses, we learned the value of this publication and gained insight into future themes and content. Based on your feedback we have simplified but retained some of the visual appeal. I have returned it to the body of the email, and you can now read it on the Alx website in the original format here.
We want to hear from you! The December ALx issue will be a “Year in Review”.
Please email ALx and let us know:
- Which articles or resources did you find most useful in 2024? Did you discover a tool you didn’t know existed?
- How did ALx help you “lead well”?
- How did ALx help you “develop others”?