Page 12 - FCA Diamond Point Sept 2023_eidts

FROM THE FIELD

Another form of preparation is preparing to lead. Examples of leadership preparation include well
thought out initial counseling, a philosophy document informing the team about you and your

experience, and draft mission and vision statements. Consider querying the team about what they

would do/change if they were in charge. Similar to sustains and improves, this will have the dual

effect of helping you learn about the organization and begin to gain buy-in from the team. Executed
properly, you acknowledge there is much to learn for everyone and demonstrate that you

recognize the value of their input and experience. Trust within the group should grow from this

approach.

Gather Resources: This task may seem daunting but you are not the first comptroller and you

certainly will not be the last. The greatest journey begins with the smallest of steps. Reach out to

those who came before you or who currently serve in a sister unit. The most valuable resource you
will have is the wealth of knowledge, unit history, and experience our civilian teammates possess.

They will likely be your primary trainers as you transition into your new position. They can get you

started in providing the bulk of current policies within the resource management field. You can

also search for policies on the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) website, your service
specific comptroller website, and within your higher headquarters (HHQ) command policies. As

stated earlier, there is no one book laying out the steps to comptrollership. You may need to

search far and wide to collect the latest policies and procedures providing guidance to the field for

your budget, travel, and accounting sections, to name a few. You may find guidance for
government purchase card (GPC) thresholds, flat rate per diem and lodging calculations, or end of

year close-out guidance from your HHQ. The information is out there; you just need to be willing to

search.

ASSUMPTION OF DUTIES (D - D+30/PHASE II): Your first instinct may be to determine your total

budget. You may want to start looking at reports and diving into spreadsheets. Of course, this is

your go-to move; you love Excel; you are a financial manager! We urge you, however, to stop
yourself from making this your first move. By starting there, you may unintentionally anchor

yourself to the details of the budget without fully appreciating the requirements driving the unit,

the unit mission, or the culture within the organization. Trust us -- the numbers are not going

anywhere. Whether your total budget is $2M, $200M, or $2B, the numbers will sit on a spreadsheet

or be found in a report until someone spends the money or returns it to HHQ. Trust the existing
team to sustain daily operations, set high expectations, and enjoy watching the team meet and

exceed them when given the latitude to do so. With daily operations under control, your first focus

is relationships.

Relationships: Embrace the concept of “management by walking around (MWA)” to build

relationships within your immediate team or command. Many of the relationships you build are

with individuals who directly or indirectly spend the money you manage. You should plan formal
office calls with the commander, deputy commander/XO, operations officer, logistics officer,

information operations officer, and the legal team. Make it a point to have informal meetings with

junior leaders and program managers. You will spend a significant amount of time with these

individuals and they will impact your success as you help the unit succeed. The knowledge you
gain from the staff will help you understand the individual missions within the unit, gain an

appreciation for the challenges they face, and provide insight into the specific funding

requirements necessary to advance each section toward mission accomplishment. These

relationships are critical to your situational understanding of how tasks get done, who does them,
and the unit’s overall mission.

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