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By The Focus Group Executive Secretariat

Leadership theory indicates that foresight is a major element of success. When the Chief of Naval Operations’ (CNO) top five priorities for 2002 are contrasted with the 2001 accomplishments of the NAVAIR focus groups, this theory is true to form.

In December 2000, Vice Adm. Joe Dyer, commander of the Naval Air Systems Command, chartered five strategic focus groups to lead the command’s thrusts in the areas of people, responsiveness to the warfighter, resources and affordability, processes and business strategy. The NAVAIRfocus groups used Dyer’s five major thrusts to help them initially define their mission and planned activities. Those thrusts included: sending a message of value to our people, being fleet driven, providing integrated/aligned full spectrum support for naval aviation, implementing rather than initiating new major endeavors and creating a NAVAIR brand synonymous with great naval aviation products and services.

The focus groups, acting as the action arm of NAVAIR’s Executive Leadership Council, tackle corporate strategic initiatives that cross NAVAIR competencies, teams, and business units/sites, working in partnership with organic process owners within the command. That partnership ensures that there is an orderly transition of responsibility from the focus group to the appropriate process manager for implementation and long-term stewardship of the initiative.

In January 2002, about a year after the NAVAIR focus groups were formed, the CNO released his top five priorities for the Navy and a detailed report on successes and challenges in each area. The Navy’s top five are manpower, current readiness, future readiness, quality of service, and alignment. In comparison, the actions of each of NAVAIR’s five focus groups touch one or more of the CNO’s priorities. Currently, the focus groups are pursuing strategic initiatives directly related to the challenges identified by the CNO.

“In standing up the focus groups with specific charters, the goal was to have a cross-section of folks from across NAVAIR concentrate on positioning the command to remain effective and viable in our ever-changing environment,” Dyer said. “The fact that the work of the focus groups are closely aligned with the priorities CNO recently presented only confirms that we are doing the right things.”

The focus group accomplishments are either in sync with the CNO’s success stories or pursuing the challenges set by him. Highlights of the comparison are as follows:

Manpower: Recruiting the right people,
raising retention and attacking attrition

The People, Process and Business Strategy focus groups are working initiatives that impact the manpower priority.

·The People Focus Group has successfully sponsored initiatives that have resulted in a future skills study, built a command-wide recruiting program and developed a career development resource plan. The focus group’s main goal is to “win the war for people” through its comprehensive Campaign for People strategy that focuses on improved recruiting, hiring, and retention strategies and processes. Other challenges are to address military-unique issues, implement the “NAVAIR 101” training course, clarify employee relationships within the Integrated Program Team/Competency-Aligned Organization construct and institutionalize metrics for these initiatives.

·The Process Focus Group has developed a program to bring experienced NAVAIR Reservists on active-duty to fill manpower requirements.

·The Business Strategy Focus Group touches manpower with programs such as the Smart Sourcing Strategy that will help ensure critical capabilities within the government work force. The group is completing a communications tool kit should NAVAIR be impacted by Base Realignment and Closure initiatives. Its message is that the various components encompassed in NAVAIR collectively provide a unique and integrated naval aviation capability that provides end-to-end support to the warfighter.

Current Readiness: Improve resources
for deployed and non-deployed readiness

The Warfighter, Resources and Affordability and Process focus groups have worked on initiatives that support the current readiness of the Navy.

·The Warfighter Focus Group has almost completed the Fleet Head Hurter List comprising the areas that trouble the warfighter most. The group started to mitigate items from the list before it was subsumed by the broader Naval Aviation Readiness Integrated Improvement Program, a Navy initiative led by the Naval Air Forces commander to improve readiness of the warfighter.

·The Resources and Affordability Focus Group has completed resource metrics and is working on an integrated command operating budget and investment portfolio that will increase the visibility of assets available for better delivery of NAVAIR products and services to the fleet.

·The Process Focus Group has completed a Metrics Desktop Guide and is working on Web-based team processes to increase proficiency and improve NAVAIR’s ability to respond to current readiness requirements.

Future Readiness:
The power to compete in the future

The Warfighter, People, Resources and Affordability and Business Strategy focus groups are developing solutions to ensure that NAVAIR has the personnel and funding to support warfighter requirements of the future.

·The Warfighter Focus Group has started to inform fleet members on the capabilities of the command and NAVAIR members on the culture, operations, and needs of the fleet through a reciprocal education campaign, which includes structured courses for both, a database with naval factoids on WingSpan and videos on naval missions to help NAVAIR members visualize how their products will be used.

·Much of the People Focus Group’s Campaign for People efforts to work with the competencies in the development of hiring plans and recruiting strategies will impact the availability of the right employees to maintain future capabilities.
·The Resources and Affordability Focus Group is working on several initiatives, such as the Command Strategy and Guidance for Manpower Planning, that enhance visibility into current and future resources in relation to current and future requirements for informed decision making.

·The Business Strategy Focus Group has completed research on network centric warfare and energetics. The group has initiated a strategic partnership with the Coast Guard to support its Deepwater Program as well as homeland defense initiatives. The Business Strategy Focus Group is also continuing a strategic customer value analysis to ensure NAVAIR is meeting the ongoing needs of the warfighter.

Quality of Service: A balanced
combination of quality of life and quality of work

The CNO’s definition of quality of service includes having a work environment that contributes to personal and professional growth. The People and Business Strategy focus groups are making contributions to this priority through several initiatives.

·The People Focus Group has completed the initial research for facilities improvement and created a Quality of Work Life Web site with information on recognition and awards. Also, the focus group is preparing the command-wide 2002 QWL Survey as a follow-up to the initial survey in 2000, which prompted many changes like the NAVAIR Quarterly Awards Ceremony and NAVAIR Teammate Appreciation Month.

·The Business Strategy Focus Group started initiatives to establish a NAVAIR creed and behaviors, and advertise jobs command wide instead of by site, which means more opportunities for employees. The projects have been handed off to Project Golden Wing and the Corporate Operations Competency, respectively, for implementation.

Alignment: Synchronizing naval
systems, processes and communications

All of the focus groups are striving toward better alignment of resources through some of the initiatives mentioned and others. These include the Warfighter Focus Group’s participation in NAVRIIP, the People Focus Group’s Campaign for People, the Process Focus Group’s work to date to create a NAVAIR Operations Management System for alignment of quality processes, the Business Strategy Focus Group’s corporate approach to representing NAVAIR at exhibits, to representing NAVAIR to visitors, and to addressing new business opportunities, and all of the work in progress with NAVAIR assets by the Resources and Affordability Focus Group.

“At a first glance, one might notice that much of the work presented in this comparison is in progress. A look beyond the surface will show that most of these initiatives deal with ‘systemic issues’ that have been present in the command for long periods, and require time and attention to address at the root-cause level,” said Rick Martin, Focus Group Executive Secretariat team lead.

Dyer commends the groups on their accomplishments and their new challenge to focus on the top strategic goals and alignment for optimal effectiveness.

“As I have said before, the work of the focus groups is important to the future of NAVAIR. They have made great strides in the last year or so, but we have our work cut out for us as CNO has presented us with more challenges that, when completed, will benefit the entire Navy family,” Dyer said. “I’m very pleased with our progress thus far and I challenge those who are not involved, to get involved. There is plenty of work to be done that will benefit our fleet today and tomorrow.”