BATTLE CREEK, Mich. –
Delivering newspapers as a 13-year-old taught Joe Fagan how to run a successful business. Now, as the team lead for DLA Disposition Services - Document Services Customer Audit & Engagement, Fagan continually seeks opportunities to improve himself and his team.
Can you tell us about yourself?
I am a proud veteran of the Air Force, having served from 1982 to1986. I spent 25 years in the private sector working in logistics, corporate sales, and business development. I was a small business owner prior to my return to government service in 2011. I live in Central Pennsylvania and my duty station is DLA Susquehanna. I am the proud father of my son Patrick and enjoy spending as much time as I can with him. I grew up playing sports and I remain very active to help balance my work life. Friends know that I am a die-hard Notre Dame football fan(atic).
Describe your job in a sentence or two.
I lead the Document Services Customer Audit & Engagement division with a small team that focuses on engaging the DOD to market our three business lines: print services, print devices, and digital conversion services. The CAE team is charged with promoting Document Services as the sole agency to perform these services for the department.
How long have you worked for the federal government, including military service?
I am quickly approaching my 18th year of federal service.
How long have you worked for DLA Disposition Services – Document Services?
I have been with Document Services since 2011.
What is your favorite thing about your line of work?
My passion is working for the warfighter. I consider it an honor and a privilege that drives me every single day.
What is the best piece of advice someone has given you?
Always treat people with respect and the way you would want them to treat you.
What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?
Resilience. Life is all about how we handle adversity. Wins are easy, but it’s the losses and how we bounce back from the losses that make us who we are.
What is your leadership philosophy and how does that tie into your line of work?
I do my best to lead by example to set the example. Leadership is about the position and not necessarily the person in the position. I’m not in charge of my division, but I am responsible for the people in my charge.
How would you describe your leadership style and why has it worked so well for you?
I do my best to remember that we all have talents and skills to bring to the table. Leaders figure out how to mesh people, personalities, and talent in a collaborative team environment. Leaders understand when the time comes to make a decision that won’t make everyone happy.
Tell us how you approach change.
I accept that change is a constant and inevitable in life. I understand that with change comes experience. Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.
What keeps you motivated?
I am a self-motivated person. I firmly believe that we don’t get “paid by the hour,” we get paid by the value we bring to the hour.
What do you look for when evaluating top talent?
I look to see the character of the person behind the resume. Finding the proverbial unicorn or perfect fit for a position is unrealistic. Finding the best match possible and a person that is committed to working hard to succeed is who I want on my team.
What do you see as your biggest challenge right now?
Doing whatever I can to help Document Services successfully integrate into DLA Disposition Services for the benefit of DLA and the warfighter.
Why is networking to build professional relationships so important in achieving success?
I know people who know a lot, but I don’t know anyone who knows it all. I believe that we can always learn something from people, and you are only as good as the team you surround yourself with. If I truly understand my strengths and I delegate my weaknesses with the intention of learning, then I can grow as a professional and enhance my team.
What mistakes have you seen individuals make that prevent them from being successful?
The most common mistake I see is professional complacency and assuming that you can’t be replaced. Just like in sports, there is always somebody better than you. I believe we need to constantly work hard and add to our resume every single day we go to work.
What would you have done differently in your career if given the opportunity?
I absolutely loved the Air Force, and I moved up quickly in the enlisted ranks reaching the rank of staff sergeant before the end of my enlistment. I decided not to reenlist to finish a year of college with the intention to go right back in as an officer. Unfortunately, [personnel] cutbacks in the 90s derailed that dream and I regret it to this day.
Tell us something that most people might not know about you or your directorate?
Document Services successfully survived many challenges thrown at us for decades. We have some talented people that do great things every single day in support of the warfighter.
What was your first job?
It sounds cliché, but I ran a paper route when I was 13 years old. I treated it like a business with great customer service and I doubled the deliveries within a year from referrals.
What is your most memorable time at DLA Disposition Services?
Upon returning to the government, I really wanted to fulfill a bucket list item and deploy. I had the honor to serve a year in Afghanistan from 2020 to 2021. Little did I know that this would be the bitter end of the 20-year war, and I would help turn over my office to the teams of Marines that would face tragedy within weeks of my departure.
If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?
Sadly, I lost my youngest son Jonathan in 2019 at the age of 18. I would spend every single second of the bonus day with that young man to tell him all the things I didn’t get to say to him.
What is your favorite quote?
Reputation is what people think of you. Character is who you are.