One of the easiest signs a leader is data literate is their ability to demonstrate critical thinking. Digitizing information is a plus, but amassing data isn’t going to really help you make better decisions if you don’t know how to approach a dataset. You need to know what the data says, and what it doesn’t; be able to know where it came from, and where you can get what might be missing.
Cool analysis! I had a similar talk with a friend who was a HRC ADA branch. Really puts the box check into perspective, and refines the need for senior raters to very carefully manage their population to maximize their subordinate's competitiveness.
Learning to ask the right questions is absolutely critical in the data driven force, and it would be interesting to see this same type of proportional analysis in intel collection. Can you explain a bit more about the reasons the commanders objected to your presentation at that conference? There must have been some valid points they made.
Blowtorch, I wish they had, but at the conference there was a ton of confirmation bias. One of the GRP Commanders went on a tirade about officers who did broadening programs at civilian schools where they learned to 'think about art but don't know the basics of army'. He cited a recent NTC rotation where the SF major who was the AOB commander just failed to understand how to support the rotational brigade commander.
When we presented him with the orders sending that major to CGSC, and the subsequent orders to SAMS, he was still not moved.
Regardless, your question is spot on, and we've got an upcoming guest post from Natalie Stone (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stonemnatalie/) on this very subject: X.7: The Art of Being Wrong
“Another one of the five is a felon and in prison right now, so we’ve at least got a standard distribution of talent.”
One of the best footnotes I’ve ever read! A friend introduced me to your Substack with your other HRC article, and I’m loving your stuff. Keep it up!
Cool analysis! I had a similar talk with a friend who was a HRC ADA branch. Really puts the box check into perspective, and refines the need for senior raters to very carefully manage their population to maximize their subordinate's competitiveness.
Learning to ask the right questions is absolutely critical in the data driven force, and it would be interesting to see this same type of proportional analysis in intel collection. Can you explain a bit more about the reasons the commanders objected to your presentation at that conference? There must have been some valid points they made.
Blowtorch, I wish they had, but at the conference there was a ton of confirmation bias. One of the GRP Commanders went on a tirade about officers who did broadening programs at civilian schools where they learned to 'think about art but don't know the basics of army'. He cited a recent NTC rotation where the SF major who was the AOB commander just failed to understand how to support the rotational brigade commander.
When we presented him with the orders sending that major to CGSC, and the subsequent orders to SAMS, he was still not moved.
Regardless, your question is spot on, and we've got an upcoming guest post from Natalie Stone (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stonemnatalie/) on this very subject: X.7: The Art of Being Wrong
Can't wait