U.S. Army Photo by Paolo Bovo, May 9, 2019

An officer is worth their weight in gold to a staff if they can receive a task, gain an understanding of their supervisor’s intent, identify implied and essential tasks, and guide missions to completion with minimal guidance. Individuals are even more valuable if they can initiate their own tasks and lines of effort based on their commander’s or section chief’s vision and intent.

This is the fifth in an 8-part series that expands on Major Nathan Player’s “Eight Essential Characteristics of Officership.” The series is geared towards newly commissioned officers and is a resource for developmental counseling and mentorship of new lieutenants regardless of branch.

Officers who require constant oversight are detrimental to high op tempo organizations that operate in complex environments. Valuable members of the team understand their responsibilities and execute with little supervision. Asking for the occasional azimuth check is important, but don’t inundate your boss with questions you should be able to answer yourself.

The Army has recently codified this type of initiative in the doctrine and philosophy of mission command. While today’s commissioned officers are expected to operate under this concept, hesitation and doubt about Mission Command remains in the force several years after its introduction. Organizations continue to struggle with its implementation, and individuals have doubts about its merits. While these doubts are understandable in some cases due to the Army’s risk averse culture, they also perpetuate the problem. To lead with a Mission Command mentality requires a paradigm shift of how we view subordinates and superiors and replacing the Army’s “zero defect” culture with one that rewards initiative and underwrites prudent risk. Resistance to the required cultural shift inhibits the foundational change that is necessary for Mission Command to be successful. As part of the Army’s newest generation of commissioned leaders, you can choose to be part of the solution. You do that by fully embracing the intent of Mission Command.

There are so many publications and white papers describing Mission Command that exploring this corner of Army doctrine can be overwhelming. Despite the doctrinal and philosophical complexity, Mission Command’s intent can be distilled into a single phrase: “Receive, Analyze, Confirm and Execute.” If you master these four core principles, you will “RACE” towards success in any Army formation.

Receive

Receiving information effectively is more than just reading or listening. Initial reactions, both verbal and nonverbal, are indicative of how well you receive information. If you want to be the “go-to” officer, then be approachable and try to receive tasks with enthusiasm, however mundane they may be. Many young officers learn the hard way that nonverbal cues affect how others view them. If you give the impression of being standoffish or annoyed by a supervisor that is communicating a task to you, you are setting the stage for future interactions with them. Failing to respond to an email that included an assignment for you has the same effect. Instead, do your best to show interest in the assignment and ask follow-up questions. The minimal effort that requires will pay dividends as your supervisor gains confidence in you.

Analyze

What will it take to get from point A to point B? This seemingly simple question is often left unasked. MDMP teaches us the importance of analyzing our assigned mission and identifying specified, implied, and essential tasks. As a general rule, officers should analyze their assigned tasks with at least an abbreviated MDMP to ensure that they are meeting all of the requirements and have an effective plan to execute your commander’s intent.

Confirm

Once you have taken some time to analyze your assigned mission’s requirements, it helps to put together a basic 5Ws that explains what you understand the task to be, who it involves, when it is due, and why it is happening. The Department of the Army executive summary format is a great tool for this. This format will allow leaders to recognize and describe your plan succinctly (15 lines or less) and requires a concur or non-concur. Once this is complete, meet with your boss and discuss your understanding of the situation and your proposed way ahead, similar to the confirmation brief when receiving a tactical mission. This is an effective way to gain your boss’ confidence and receive clarifying guidance before detailed planning begins.

Execute

Once you understand what you are supposed to do, execute your tasks vigorously. One of the key differences between mediocre and top performers is their ability to achieve progress on all assigned tasks without getting overwhelmed by the “here and now.” There are many ways to accomplish this, so find the one that is right for you. Some people use a simple “to do” list while others find that tools such as the Outlook Calendar are more effective. Whatever you decide to do, it is essential to make measurable progress on your assigned tasks. You do not have to a perfect solution before you start moving forward. A 70-percent solution implemented with adjustments along the way will often get the job done. If you have the time and resources to reach a perfect plan, that’s all the better. Just don’t waste too much time languishing in self-doubt.

Mission Command is a mindset. It requires confidence in superiors, subordinates, and yourself. Remember that you are expected to operate independently and to relentlessly pursue your commander’s vision by effectively receiving information, analyzing requirements, confirming your understanding, and executing with a sense of urgency. If you can do that, you will RACE to success.

Major Nathan Player is currently assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg. He has 13 years of combined enlisted and officer service, has commanded and served in various joint staff and professional education assignments.