A Different Road to Implementation of the Total Force Policy
Abstract
Despite initial codification of the Total Force Policy almost forty years ago, little progress has been made towards Army-wide implementation of the policy. If this is not addressed, the new 2012 Total Force Policy will follow the same long road and fail while waiting for the essential actions to be taken to effectively implement it. This paper applies Kotter s eight-stage process of creating major change to identify the gaps and deficiencies in the Total Force Policy implementation efforts. The resulting analysis yields an alarming lack of consideration for the fundamental requirements for successful implementation of change. Implementation actions to date are sporadic and provide a weak foundation for policy goals to be attained. The Total Force Policy lacks steadfast leadership commitment at all levels across the components. There is not a clearly communicated vision to motivate the force to take action in a unified direction, and cultural differences between the components present barriers to implementation of even the best initiatives. Strategies to address these issues are provided, as well as the recommendation to utilize Kotter s methodology to develop a comprehensive revision of the implementation efforts of the Total Force Policy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA588582
Entities
People
- Stacy M. Babcock
Organizations
- United States Army War College