CAMP CARROLL, Korea –
DLA Distribution Korea hosted the DLA deputy general counsel Melinda Davis-Perritano, Senior Executive Service, and James Diliberti, DLA general counsel on May 24. While on site, the visitors took the opportunity to provide annual ethics training to the workforce, but the presentation wasn’t the standard fare of normal training.
The training was organized similar to the game of Jeopardy. Two sessions were provided, one for the OGE-450 filers, and then a second session for the remainder of the DLA Distribution Korea workforce. Each session lasted 90 minutes. Like Jeopardy, there were five categories for teams to choose from, and each category had five choices with values ranging from 100 - 500 points. Questions with lower point values were easier, and questions with higher point values were harder. In each session the groups were divided into two teams, and the teams took turns selecting a category and a point value. If the team answered the question correctly they received the associated point value. However, if the team missed the question, the points were subtracted from their score.
The real value of the game though, was that after a question had been selected, everyone in the room had the opportunity to hear the team debate the merits of the question while trying to determine the correct answer. Once an answer was given, Diliberti discussed the noteworthy aspects of the issue and why certain answers were the best ethical choice. Often Davis-Perritano weighed in and discussed the more salient, finer points of the issue, and succinctly emphasized why a particular answer was the best ethical choice.
Round two of the game presented its own unique challenges for the hosts and the audience, as the vast majority of the team participants were DLA Distribution Korea’s local national population; so the content of the questions and answers had to be translated into 한국어 (Korean). Geon Hee Park, a college intern working in the safety office stepped up to the task and volunteered to take on translation duties. As questions appeared on the screen in English, Diliberti summarized the prominent points of the ethical dilemma and then Park would translate. Once an answer was selected, Diliberti would discuss the critical aspects of the correct response, and again, Park would translate where needed.
“I think the training was a great success,” said Dr. Dave Harris, deputy commander, DLA Distribution Korea. “Normally our workforce takes this annual training via the Learning Management System, sitting in front of a computer. To have Ms. Davis-Perritano and Mr. Diliberti come out and teach the subject in such a fun manner, and to have Ms. Park translate for our Korean Nationals was a wonderful respite from the normal LMS slide shows. Additionally, having two senior experts in ethical decision making lead the training provided valuable insights that our employees never receive via LMS.“