Page 90 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2019

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REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN)
ERE
From Changing the Bank to Transforming Defence
Iwrote last year in glowing terms about my experiences at the Royal Bank of Scotland, where I spent nine happy months on the External Placement (Industry) Programme. Looking back, I find myself disinclined to modify my earlier position very much. I learned three big things while there. First, that while our ap- praisal reporting system is in many respects best in class, we still have much to learn from the civilians about how to manage our subordinates’ careers more actively and more effectively. Sec- ond, that artificial intelligence and advanced computing are the most radically transformative technologies we have produced in any age. And third, that some of our military principles and doc- trines are universally applicable, with the power to transform the way people operate – we should be immensely proud of them.
To expand on these a little, I would suggest that our annual pro- gression from personal objective-setting through mid-period ap- praisal to annual report leaves some holes that we might consider filling. I was enormously impressed by my manager’s eagerness to engage in regular (monthly or even fortnightly), structured and constructive analysis of my performance in a manner de- signed to identify strengths and weaknesses as they appeared, to reinforce the former and counteract the latter. It represents a lot of work for the reporting officer of course, but it’s valuable work. And is saying “good luck” (objectives), “you’re rubbish” (MPAR) and “you’re great” (SJAR) really enough?
Artificial intelligence is one of those technologies with immense promise that routinely under-delivers. That, I suspect is chang- ing, both in civilian and military application, and I think we should expect to exist in a very different world to the one we see today in the not too distant future. Artificial intelligence at the bank will take jobs from people and something similar may happen within Defence. I suspect we will be able to get more from less (or, perhaps, more from fewer (people)) and in a world of ever-rising costs that represents an opportunity for a depart- ment with ever-expanding priority lists. What that might mean for regiments such as ours is hard to say but at the very least we should understand the situation and be ready to seize the opportunities as they arise, rather than being consumed by the juggernaut of change without having a voice in the debate.
Finally, I have long believed that mission command is the Ar- my’s best idea and that we should apply its principles in barracks just as we do while training or on operations. I had a welcome opportunity to explore that idea at the bank, where collective risk management understandably casts a dark shadow over in- dividual initiative. Especially understandable in that bank from 2007-2008 I suppose. But setting clear intent, telling people what to do not how to do it, resourcing them sufficiently, and check- ing, still seems the best way to make good decisions. If the risk team is responsible for risk management then human nature suggests that no one else will care very much, and so it proves. On the bank’s long path to a ‘generative’ culture in which, “risk is just part of the way we work and think”, I hope they will use this concept. I continue to ponder how to do this ourselves, in barracks; not so much to manage risk better but to empower
A future Commanding Officer of The Royal Lancers, with his parents
people, make decisions at lower levels of command, and ensure we all feel valuable.
Back in the Ministry of Defence since June, I have been both heartened and disheartened by the comparisons. Disheartened by MODNET, which I would long ago have thrown out of the window if they were not reinforced for security, and some other rather backwards tools and practices. Heartened by the nature of the work and the collective enthusiasm across the department and Whitehall to do things differently and better. This is per- haps not the best post I have ever had – little beats Regimental Duty – but it is by far the most interesting. And for those consid- ering where to go after Regimental Duty, you should keep Main Building in the front of your minds.
I will not say much about the details of my work, since we are just entering a Defence Review (actually an Integrated Security, Defence & Foreign Policy Review – pithy...) and leave that ex- citement for next year, when all the arguments will have been had – many in public – and decisions made. Whatever the review produces, and I genuinely cannot predict much, if anything, at this early stage; expect fireworks...
WJRR