Here I am, staring at the pile of manuals on my table and pondering over how an element of 'surprise' can be achieved. As of now, all scenarios discussed are hypothetical situations whereby we are told how an element of surprise can be achieved - but here's the catch - probably everyone's told the same thing. So do I flip the coin and deduce that since u think I will go with A, and I knowing that u think that I will go with A and that you would exercise B, I will go with A so that your option B is no longer effective... This can go on in neverending circles, with an increasing number of opportunites for (mis)judgement, how then shalt one move ahead?
I am almost entirely tempted to say that Sun Tze knows it best 'know thy self, know thy enemy'. It really boils down to how much you really know who you are up against - is he the typical 'law-abiding' Yes man, or is he the one who relentlessly finds ways to prove that other methods work.
To a fledgling, a methodical and systematic way of analysing situations definitely helps him/her to get 'initiated' to a new concept/system. The downside of it is that often, one just keeps it as that and takes it wholesale to become part of a routine. To him, it becomes a systematic way of knowing what Actions need to be taken, so an expected outcome can be achieved. This, I think is one of the greatest traps of systemising things... Yes it is definitely convenient and good for keeping things running, but yeah, the onus is really on oneself to push the boundaries further and introduce an element of creativity and innovation.
My greatest takeaway this week is that of understanding and witnessing how principles can be so versatile and enduring. I'd imagine that it has taken historians / SMEs decades to refine these principles so they can be 'universally' applicable (now again, this demonstrates once again how we humans are such victims of habits and pursuers of the ideology of 'one-fits-all').
Thus far, if anyone is to ask me what this course is about, the answer would definitely be that it is a test of my Adversity Quotient. I find myself in a situation where what I've experienced or observed have come to greater use than ....... well, I better buck up and study real hard... like NOW!! I feel the 'lazy dog' side of me setting in again. One thing I really got to work on is sustaining and pacing my own energy level. I enjoy the adrenaline-rush, but so far, I find that my energy level becomes like a flat tyre after the whole episode is over. Not good at all. I still wanna experience that adrenaline-rush, and turnover in say, 2 days i.e. weekend.. too tall an order? Recently, the focus of my weekend is to maintain that 5:2 work-life balance that is entirely 'work' fr mon-fri n 'life' over the weekend. I feel guilty though cos there are actually lots of goodies that I've spotted over the weekdays but haven't had the time (energy rather) to do a little research n internalise. Sighhh, there goes my forever-expanding list of things-to-do. *helpless*
Hmm, that 5:2 work-life balance was a spin-off from a joke I heard one the first day of the course, which was incidentally a friday. The instructor jokingly said that we'd still get our work-life balance even if we stayed behind a while more after office-hrs since it's a 1-day work to a 2 day weekend for this week. Haha very funny, i nearly dismissed it as a bad joke. ;) Thinking back, maybe it's not a bad idea! Let's expand on this - say it's a given that friday is a work day - well of cos most people would be motivated cos TGIF, the weekend's here! So now, i've got 4 weekdays to work with. Monday, hmm.. almost any normal human gets the monday blues, so let's brand it.. 'ramping up' day - no meetings, we start off with physical activities then leave people to do their housekeeping for the morning, then have 'generative' discussions in the afternoon. Tuesday, have a pull-the-plug by 6 latest and get all to the mess for a drink and/or games. Tuesdays is arguably the longest day of the week - the thought that the week has started and yet i'm still not yet half-way through.. depressing. Wednesday, the mood goes up considerably cos it really is cross the mid-point. The energy is presumably highest among mon-thurs, so let's call this the day of 'ultimate output'. Schedule all ur braincranking-intensive and toughest papers to be worked-on during this day. Then come thursday, not quite here nor there.. but well, it isn't too bad cos the next day's a friday. have another sporting event, and schedule the meeting or 'meet-the-boss' day on this day to discuss and produce what u've come up with over the week, have a mini after-action-review. Tada, that's thurs. So back to friday, crank your brains further to refine your work and get it done before u leave! No meetings though- cos no actions are usually taken by the time the meeting is over cos the week is ending - no continuity and the weekend break could break the train-of-thought which may result in being counter-productive. That said, this is my ideal week for i'd have gotten a better deal than a 5:2 work-life balance. =)
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Oh, btw I changed my essay topic entirely from leadership to mil culture (luckily I still had 2 nights to complete it ) - crazy shit huh.
I am almost entirely tempted to say that Sun Tze knows it best 'know thy self, know thy enemy'. It really boils down to how much you really know who you are up against - is he the typical 'law-abiding' Yes man, or is he the one who relentlessly finds ways to prove that other methods work.
To a fledgling, a methodical and systematic way of analysing situations definitely helps him/her to get 'initiated' to a new concept/system. The downside of it is that often, one just keeps it as that and takes it wholesale to become part of a routine. To him, it becomes a systematic way of knowing what Actions need to be taken, so an expected outcome can be achieved. This, I think is one of the greatest traps of systemising things... Yes it is definitely convenient and good for keeping things running, but yeah, the onus is really on oneself to push the boundaries further and introduce an element of creativity and innovation.
My greatest takeaway this week is that of understanding and witnessing how principles can be so versatile and enduring. I'd imagine that it has taken historians / SMEs decades to refine these principles so they can be 'universally' applicable (now again, this demonstrates once again how we humans are such victims of habits and pursuers of the ideology of 'one-fits-all').
Thus far, if anyone is to ask me what this course is about, the answer would definitely be that it is a test of my Adversity Quotient. I find myself in a situation where what I've experienced or observed have come to greater use than ....... well, I better buck up and study real hard... like NOW!! I feel the 'lazy dog' side of me setting in again. One thing I really got to work on is sustaining and pacing my own energy level. I enjoy the adrenaline-rush, but so far, I find that my energy level becomes like a flat tyre after the whole episode is over. Not good at all. I still wanna experience that adrenaline-rush, and turnover in say, 2 days i.e. weekend.. too tall an order? Recently, the focus of my weekend is to maintain that 5:2 work-life balance that is entirely 'work' fr mon-fri n 'life' over the weekend. I feel guilty though cos there are actually lots of goodies that I've spotted over the weekdays but haven't had the time (energy rather) to do a little research n internalise. Sighhh, there goes my forever-expanding list of things-to-do. *helpless*
Hmm, that 5:2 work-life balance was a spin-off from a joke I heard one the first day of the course, which was incidentally a friday. The instructor jokingly said that we'd still get our work-life balance even if we stayed behind a while more after office-hrs since it's a 1-day work to a 2 day weekend for this week. Haha very funny, i nearly dismissed it as a bad joke. ;) Thinking back, maybe it's not a bad idea! Let's expand on this - say it's a given that friday is a work day - well of cos most people would be motivated cos TGIF, the weekend's here! So now, i've got 4 weekdays to work with. Monday, hmm.. almost any normal human gets the monday blues, so let's brand it.. 'ramping up' day - no meetings, we start off with physical activities then leave people to do their housekeeping for the morning, then have 'generative' discussions in the afternoon. Tuesday, have a pull-the-plug by 6 latest and get all to the mess for a drink and/or games. Tuesdays is arguably the longest day of the week - the thought that the week has started and yet i'm still not yet half-way through.. depressing. Wednesday, the mood goes up considerably cos it really is cross the mid-point. The energy is presumably highest among mon-thurs, so let's call this the day of 'ultimate output'. Schedule all ur braincranking-intensive and toughest papers to be worked-on during this day. Then come thursday, not quite here nor there.. but well, it isn't too bad cos the next day's a friday. have another sporting event, and schedule the meeting or 'meet-the-boss' day on this day to discuss and produce what u've come up with over the week, have a mini after-action-review. Tada, that's thurs. So back to friday, crank your brains further to refine your work and get it done before u leave! No meetings though- cos no actions are usually taken by the time the meeting is over cos the week is ending - no continuity and the weekend break could break the train-of-thought which may result in being counter-productive. That said, this is my ideal week for i'd have gotten a better deal than a 5:2 work-life balance. =)
***************
Oh, btw I changed my essay topic entirely from leadership to mil culture (luckily I still had 2 nights to complete it ) - crazy shit huh.
3 comments:
Coalition forces achieved surprise in OIF through speed of manoeuvre and tempo of operations deep within strategic depth, with concentration of combat capabilities at right place and time to deliver the right effects, beyond the ability of saddam's regime to react - ala modern day blitzkrieg. Key words: Rumsfeld doctrine, rapid dominance, swarm tactics, overmatching power, manoeuvre warfare, decision superiority, ooda loop, effects-based approach, mission command, joint synergy. Link Franks' joint force operations concept to our doctrine of precision manoeuvre, precision fires, precision information... =) How's it going?
wow, that's quite a handful of ideas thrown out there.. Thanks! I'll spend some time thinking abt that.. =) btw Is that something you figured out by yourself or something you knew while following the discussions during the concept formulation stage?
Have to write an essay on joint force operations lessons learned from OIF... and so yes... have been spending some time thinking about it and relating it to our 3G doctrine... Operational mastery is when u can take history, strategy, political considerations, principles, operational tenets, doctrine, technology and link them together into a coherent warfighting concept that is relevant to the time, place and context... quite interesting really how our 3G doctrine is quite there if u know what i mean
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