By Ken Johnson
I first heard about mission command from a friend who was a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. We were on a camping trip with a group of Scouts. As the parents were packing up, the kids were just sitting around. The lieutenant/coronel-turned- Scout leader quietly went over to the jobless Scouts and initiated a conversation with them. The conversation went on for about a minute, the typical attention span of a young child. What happened next got my attention. The boys started identifying the things they could be doing to help, then stood up and began actually doing those things – picking up trash, organizing the remaining firewood for the next camp, cleaning the picnic tables, and helping each other move equipment next to trucks for those who had not finished loading yet.
What had the Scout leader said to the boys to motivate them? In the simplest terms, he had introduced them to the principles of mission command, and ever since, I have been researching and learning more about mission command to apply the approach to our fire service teams.
Mission command principles
The nature of military and fire department operations requires personnel to make decisions at the point of action. The U.S. Army trains agile leaders who are comfortable with uncertainty and understand that disciplined initiative (Bias for Action) is crucial for being adaptive. Within the commander’s intent, officers create opportunities by taking action to develop the situation. Individuals who are able to practice adaptive leadership realized that concrete answers or perfect solutions to the operational problems are rarely apparent. They also understand that there may be periods of reduced uncertainty as the situation evolves. It is the agile and adaptive leaders who are able to use initiative to set and dictate the terms of action. This allows for operations to continue despite significant gaps in an individual’s understanding. This type of leader is able to make timely adjustments in response to changes that are occurring in the operational environment. Germans called this Auftragstaktik, which leaves the tactics to those that are at the point of action.
So, what made the young scouts collectively start working together to complete the mission of packing up and going home? The kids were given the ability to create a shared understanding amongst them and one of their leaders. They were empowered to exercise disciplined initiative. They were able to make decisions within their scope of authority. The concept helps develop:
- Critical-thinkers
- Ownership at all levels
- Proactive staff
- A predictable environment
- Clearly established priorities
- Produce flexible and adaptive subordinates
Keep in mind that the following elements must be present for the desired end state to be realized:
Building cohesive teams through mutual trust
Building cohesive teams is fundamental for any organization, and members must feel comfortable with those around them to perform without the worries of retribution or criticism. “Trust is gained or lost through everyday actions more than grand or occasional gestures. Trust is based on personal qualities, such as professional competence, personal example, and integrity” (Department of the Army, Mission Command). It is likely that if the mutual trust has not been established, then subordinates will not make decentralized decisions but rather wait for further direction, often losing the opportunity for a quick solution at the point of action.
Create shared understanding
Shared understanding and purpose form the foundation for the unity of effort. Shared understanding also builds trust if members understand the operation’s purpose. Continual collaboration by the command during the operational process helps maintain that shared understanding as conditions change.
Provide a clear leader’s intent
A leader’s intent is meant as a clear and concise expression of the purpose of the operation and the desired end state. Another way to explain the purpose is to consider the broader purpose of the operation. Allowing personnel to “gain insight into what’s expected of them, what constraints apply, and most importantly why the mission is being conducted” (Mission Command) It then becomes the basis where the plans are developed for the operations. Commander’s intent is also used in the wildland setting and found in leadership manuals to train front line firefighters.
Similarities do exist in combat situations and emergency incidents where fast-moving situations dictate that the people closest to the scene of action can adapt the plans by exercising initiative to mitigate obstacles successfully. When unanticipated opportunities arise or when the original operational plan is no longer relevant, the opportunity to exercise initiative exists.
There are three components to the leader’s intent:
- Task: What is the objective or the goal of the assignment?
- Purpose: Why does the assignment need completion?
- End state: When the assignment reaches completion, what will it look like?
Also found was at the incident level, the end state decentralizes the risk management. The standing emergency priorities: life, property, natural resources, management goals and concerns for the area. The end state should be communicated in the incident objectives, priorities, strategies, trigger points and contingency plans (Leakey, 2015; NWCG, 2007).
Exercise disciplined initiative
“Disciplined initiative is action in the absence of orders, when existing orders no longer fit the situation or when unforeseen opportunities or threats arise” (Department of the Army, 2014, p. 2-4). The disciplined initiative only works if the elements of mission command are imprinted in personnel. Not only in battle but in emergency services as well, members will need to make quick decisions seizing the opportunity while directives become outdated through changes in the operational environment. Developing leaders who must be proficient in making decisions, acting and using disciplined initiative will take time and preconditions must exist (Dubik, 1992). Developing leaders who are capable of using decentralized command takes effort and a supportive culture. Additional research used the famous World War II Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Division to show that by supporting subordinates’ abilities to improvise in their areas of responsibilities, an organization can be more successful overall (Langen, 2014).
Use mission orders
The use of mission orders is the fourth principle in mission command. It aims to provide subordinates with the maximum freedom to make decisions on how to accomplish the mission. Mission orders include the task organization, the commander’s intent and concept of operations, the mission, tasks to subordinate units, and minimum essential coordinating instructions. Tasks to subordinate units cover all standard elements (who, what, when, where and why), with particular emphasis on the purpose. Once the plan is completed, the commander delegates authority to subordinates, setting a path for a successful operation by supporting the mission through resource allocation and prioritization of support.
Accept prudent risk
The final principle in mission command is accepting and taking prudent risks. “Prudent risk is the deliberate exposure to potential injury or loss when the commander judges the outcome, regarding mission accomplishment as worth the cost” (Mission Command). In a combat situation, prudent risk means losing personnel, but in the fire service, risk-taking is considered a dangerous culture to foster. Perhaps there is another way to view prudent risk. Could it mean the possibility of failure – not the loss of life but rather the inability to complete the mission?
One neighboring department has a risk management model that states, “Within a structured plan, we will risk a lot to save a lot, we will risk little to save little and risk nothing to save nothing.” These words are on a poster in the training building. It is an excellent example of the commander’s intent.
Final thoughts
The lieutenant-colonel’s interaction with the Scouts shows the principles of mission command in action at the simplest levels. By engaging the Scouts in a brief conversation, he empowered them to take initiative and complete the tasks at hand – the shared goal to pack up and go home. He simply asked what the boys could think of that would help us be ready to leave together. As he pointed to each one and they proudly contributed their ideas, he would support their idea with a nod and off each one went!
The principles of mission command emphasize the need for agile leaders who can make decisions at the point of action, even in uncertain and rapidly changing environments. Shared understanding, a clear leader’s intent, and disciplined initiative are crucial. Building cohesive teams through mutual trust and creating shared understanding are foundational. Mission orders grant subordinates the freedom to determine how to accomplish tasks, while commanders support the mission through resource allocation and prioritization. Applying these principles to our fire service teams enhances critical thinking, ownership at all levels, and the ability to adapt to changing situations effectively.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ken Johnson is a fire service professional with over 27 years of experience and holds the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) and Fire Marshal (FM) designation through CPSE. As the division chief of fire prevention at Spokane Valley Fire Department in Washington State, Johnson leads the department’s fire prevention and community risk reduction initiatives. His previous leadership roles include fire chief at Spokane County Fire District 10 and battalion chief at Cheney Fire Department. Additionally, Johnson is a qualified NWCG division supervisor for large wildland fires.