BATTLE CREEK, Mich –
Director of Operations – DLA Disposition Services - Document Services Oklahoma City, Okla.
Can you tell us about yourself? Married to Patti Janik for 12 years; we have one son, Sam, who is 8, and a pit-mix dog, Ruby, who is 2. Patti is a homemaker with several hobbies and interests along with keeping the family pointed in the right direction, and Sam is a growing boy who is in Cub Scouts and loves his Nerf guns and Pokémon cards. Patti and I are originally from Chicago, but we lived in Northern Virginia for a number of years and have called Oklahoma home for the past 8 years or so. I spent nearly six years in the United States Air Force where I was an enlisted Nuclear Weapons Team Chief at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and then several years in various operational/production roles before starting with DLA.
Describe your job in a sentence or two. I’m the Director of Printing Operations for Document Services. Anything print related in the Defense Department is supposed to funnel through my team.
How long have you worked for the federal government including military service? Approx 21 years total, nearly 6 in the Air Force and over 15 with DLA.
How long have you worked for DLA Disposition Services/Document Services? 15 years with DLA, all of it with Document Services, originally as a Production Manager, onto an Office Group Deputy, then Office Group Director and finally Director of Operations.
What is your favorite thing about your line of work? There’s no such thing as an “average” day. I never know what each individual day will bring in terms of challenges or opportunities.
What is the best piece of advice someone has given you? You have as much authority as you’re willing to take.
Can you summarize what your division responsibilities/capabilities? The Operations Division of Document Services is responsible for the physical print locations around the world, as well as the procurement of print products that we do not print in-house and several document printing or conversion programs.
What would you like to accomplish as director? There are dozens of things I’d like to accomplish, but the biggest is to develop a strong, resilient workforce that is laser-focused on supporting the warfighter. Luckily, I believe we’re doing incredibly well in this regard, but I’d like to alleviate some of the administrative burden on the field so they can focus more on the business side of the operation.
What is your message to the DLA Disposition Services workforce? We’re here to help with DoD, not hinder. The Document Services folks love to say “yes” and help find solutions to problems…rather than put barriers in place.
What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess? Integrity. The first Air Force Core Value (the others are Service before self and Excellence in all we do) is an excellent starting point for any leader.
What is your leadership philosophy and how does that tie into your line of work? Give people the authority and tools to do their jobs and get out of their way, providing help and support as needed.
Tell us how you approach change. Change is inevitable. Some good, some bad. I’m not a fan of change for the sake of change, and in large organizations, change is often required with little thought as to the impact on those “doing the work,” so I look for ways to inject a little common sense into the process and hopefully smooth things out a little.
What keeps you motivated? In my position, I look to do anything in my power to make it easier for my folks to do their jobs well. I tease my boss that I want to be the guy in charge of common sense…no luck on that position being created so far though.
What do you look for when evaluating top talent? I look for people who don’t need to be told what to do. I like people who take initiative and use their heads…even if they make mistakes. If I have to direct everything and make every decision, then why do I need a team?
What do you see as your biggest challenge right now? We’ve been averaging a minor-major “transformation” every two years for quite some time. Throw the pandemic into the mix and the constant change makes it very difficult to develop an efficient battle-rhythm.
Why is networking to build professional relationships so important in achieving success? DLA is one big family. While there are official avenues to get things accomplished, sometimes it is simply easier to be able to pick up a phone and ask the person on the other end to make something happen for the good of the organization or the warfighter. I fear that sometimes DLA employees forget we’re all on the same team.
What mistakes have you seen individuals make that prevent them from being successful? Lack of attention to detail. Making assumptions. Not picking up a phone and simply asking. I once had a long-time employee who was always angry. When I spoke with them about it, the reason was that they had never been promoted in their 30+ years of service. At the time, I was new to working for the government, so I asked them what jobs they were applying for, thinking maybe they were doing something wrong. Nope. They hadn’t applied for a job…ever. They assumed that somebody was going to tap them on the shoulder and say, “poof, you’re a GS-15.” 100% the fault of this employee…and they suffered greatly because they never bothered to ask or look out for themself.
What would you have done differently in your career if given the opportunity? Absolutely nothing. Looking backwards doesn’t help. Every decision I have made in life has led me to where I am today. In both my family life and professional life, I am pleased with the progress and happy with the outlook going forward.
Name your favorite book(s) you have read. I’m a big fan of the “Freakonomics” series of books by Levitt and Dubner. I like to challenge the status quo and understanding the root cause of events and these gents are really good at looking at things in an unconventional way.
Tell us something that most people might not know about your directorate? Document Services truly can do it all, from business cards to billboards. We have print shops at the White House and Pentagon; and have done some truly unique jobs over the years. We’re one of the only DLA entities that actually makes or manufacturers something.
What was your first job? My first “real” job was working as a drive-thru cashier at Wendy’s. I’ve always worked though. Before Wendy’s, I helped my dad in his furniture refinishing shop, worked at an automotive repair shop, and a bunch of other odd jobs like delivering flyers for local pizza joints. Over the years, I’ve worked as a pinball machine repair person, hardware store clerk, and, for one absolutely terrifying shift a call center for a cable company. I’m just one of those guys that likes to work.
What is your best memory of working with DLA? Getting a tour of, and a “ride” (got to taxi on the ground) on one of the VC—25 Boeing 747-200 planes more commonly referred to as “Air Force One” when the President is on board. I did an odd job for the Presidential Airlift Group at Joint Base Andrews. When it was completed, they asked me to deliver it and surprised me with the tour. Starting in the “basement” near the front of the plane, we worked our way to the rear of the plane, coming up to the main level where I got to see the press area, conference room, the President’s office (I might have sat in his chair for a moment) and his bedroom. Moving to the upper level, I got to see the comms space and sit in the cockpit as the plane was taxied inside the hangar for the night. It was a very cool experience.
What did you want to be when you grew up? Police Officer – I grew up around a lot of Chicago cops. It always seemed like a great job, one worth doing and doing well.
What is your favorite quote? “Proceed until apprehended.” – Pat McCabe. Not sure my boss always likes that one. 😊
What are your hobbies? Woodworking, camping with my son, and shooting sports.