BATTLE CREEK, Mich. –
Defense Acquisition University Executive Coach Mike Bayer led two days of critical thinking, team building, and business case analysis training with Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services acquisition personnel and others at the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center in Battle Creek, Michigan, Feb. 15-16.
The class of 32 participants included mostly property disposal acquisition professionals with extra seats allowing a select few others to participate as well, said DLA Disposition Services Training Manager Mike Elwell. With COVID-19-related restrictions essentially ended, he said command leadership expects to increase opportunities for face-to-face instruction for its logisticians.
Contracting Officer Kris Smoker coordinates scrap sales for the North-East region. He said that, going into the training, he expected days of PowerPoint. What he ended up experiencing was “just the opposite.”
“The instructor was knowledgeable, kept the group engaged with open-ended questions, group discussions, group activities,” Smoker said. The class made him realize “how unaware I was on the impact everyday distractions have on my decision-making process. I take it for granted that the information I see or receive is accurate and not biased.”
The critical thinking portion of the training focused on definitions, critical steps in problem evaluation and demonstrations of how to do it.
Scrap Sales and Marketing Specialist Catherine Bagi said collaborating with colleagues that held different points of view will help her incorporate critical thinking and analysis techniques into her agency role.
“I found the discussion on critical thinking very informative; specifically, learning of the distractions, noise, and media bias that influences critical thinking/decision making,” Bagi said of the “eye-opening” training. “The onslaught of distractions affects people’s decisions. By cutting through the noise, distractions, and biases, [we can] all focus on the information and data at hand.”
A team-building simulation called “The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine” was included to help participants examine and improve their collaboration, communication, resource management and teamwork abilities.
Property Disposal Specialist Mike McCarthy couldn’t decide whether he got more from the critical thinking session or from the team building activity.
“It’s a tie,” McCarthy said. “I enjoyed the critical thinking conversations because they challenged us to challenge tired assumptions and think more creatively. I enjoyed the Gold Mine game because it made us realize even when we’re trying to think strategically, things aren’t always as they seem.”
The business case analysis workshop portion of the training walked participants through the 10 steps of analysis using a fictitious weapons system’s support strategy needs.
“By offering this training and encouraging us to look for smarter ways of working, [leadership] gave us permission to do more than just check the boxes like robots,” McCarthy said.
Executive Coach Bayer is a life cycle logistics management professor at DAU’s Midwest campus in Ohio. According to his biography, Bayer educates DOD personnel, researches and develops curriculum, and provides logistics and product sustainment mission assistance. He retired from the Air Force in 2006 after a career that included service as aircraft maintenance officer for Air Force Special Operations Command.
DLA Disposition Services Director Mike Cannon met with participants and encouraged them to always be seeking out opportunities for continuing education and daily learning. He said the lessons included in the DAU training would be critical to their growth and ability.
“Learning the process of how to make decisions, when to make decisions, how much data do you need to make a good decision, the right decision – very, very important, because you never have perfect information, so you may never have the opportunity to make a perfect decision, and that’s ok,” Cannon said. “But good leaders know how much information they need, they know what risks they can take when they make a decision, and they can look forward and see the impacts and hopefully make the best decision.”
Potential upcoming in-person training opportunities for DLA Disposition Services personnel include instruction on the QLIK business analytics platform for the data team in March, Elwell said, which should help inform the team’s use of the agency’s new Warehouse Management System.