appendix_finalized

Adaptability
Appendix A to General Learning Outcomes for Officers
Table11: General Learning Outcomes for Officers within the Army Learning Area “Adaptability”
Army
Learning
Area
21 st Century Army
Competencies or Attributes
General Learning Outcomes
Cadet or Candidate 2 nd LT and 1 st LT Captain Major LTC and Colonel
‣ The 21 st -C Soldier Competency “Critical
Thinking & Problem Solving” is described in
TRADOC Pam 525-8-2 (The Army Learning Concept
for 2015) as follows: “Soldiers and leaders analyze
and evaluate thinking, with a view to improving it.
They solve complex problems by using experiences,
training, education, critical questioning,
convergent, critical, and creative thinking, and
collaboration to develop solutions. Throughout
their careers, Soldiers and leaders continue to
analyze information and hone thinking skills while
handling problems of increasing complexity. Select
leaders also develop strategic thinking skills
necessary for assignments at the national level.”
‣ The 21 st -C Soldier Competency “Adaptability
and Initiative” is described in TRADOC Pam 525-
8-2 (The Army Learning Model) as follows: “a.
Soldiers and leaders are comfortable operating in
unexpected situations throughout the world. They
scan the environment, identify unique or
unexpected conditions, and adjust to handle the
situation effectively.
b. Soldiers and leaders recognize when standard
procedures are not an effective solution to a
situation and use innovation to develop new
procedures, devices, and others, that are necessary
to handle the situation. Mental agility and a global
mindset allow them to anticipate changes in the
operational environment, adapt to the changes,
and anticipate the second and third order effects of
their actions and decisions.
c. Soldiers and leaders take appropriate action and
calculated risks in the absence of orders or in
situations that require modifying orders to achieve
the commander’s intent while also developing
initiative and risk taking in subordinates. They
anticipate changes in the operational environment
assess the situation and use sound judgment to
decide when and how to act. Self-awareness allows
Soldiers and leaders to monitor and adjust their
actions and those of their teams to constantly
assess performance and seek improvement.”
[Critical Thinking and Problem
Solving]
• Demonstrate critical thinking
and creative thinking.
• Recognize traits exhibited by
creative and critical thinkers.
• Explain and avoid pitfalls in
thinking.
• Demonstrate troop leading
procedures and the military
decision-making process.
• Explain multi-criteria decision
Analysis.
• Define and begin to practice
agile thinking.
[Adaptability]
• Explain adaptability as a
leader attribute.
• Appreciate the officer’s role in
effecting change at the
tactical level.
• Recognize unexpected
conditions that might call for
adjustment.
• Explain strategies for
influencing others to respond
appropriately in complex or
ambiguous environments
when adjustments to the plan
occur.
[Initiative]
• Display the willingness to act
autonomously within
Commander’s intent.
• Explain how an officer creates
a leadership climate that
encourages subordinate
initiative at the tactical level.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving:
• Demonstrate situational
awareness.
• Demonstrate clarity and precision
in oral communications.
• Use tools to enhance critical and
creative thinking.
• Demonstrate critical thinking.
• Employ troop leading procedures.
• Explain the steps of MDMP.
Adaptability:
• Create a climate of readiness to
adapt.
• Demonstrate the will to effect
change at the tactical level.
• Adjust a tactical plan in response to
unexpected conditions that
jeopardize the mission.
• Lead others in responding
appropriately in complex or
ambiguous environments by using
appropriate influence techniques
when adjustments to the plan
occur.
Initiative:
• Act autonomously within the
parameters of the Commander’s
intent and guidance.
• Interpret tactical intent.
• Establish a climate that encourages
subordinate initiative.
[Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving]
• Explain how critical thinking relates
to mission command.
• Explain the components of
cognition.
• Explain the nature and uses of
intuition.
• Explain sources of creativity and its
relationship to innovation.
• Think critically and creatively.
• Avoid pitfalls in thinking.
• Establish a unit climate that fosters
development of leaders who think
critically and creatively.
• Explain the fundamentals of
planning and Army Design
Methodology.
• Apply the MDMP to produce an
operations order.
[Adaptability ]
• Cultivate learning units.
• Value collaboration and dialogue
among individuals with differing
perspectives.
• Depict tactical situations as systems
composed of actors and dynamics.
• Produce mission type orders that
enable adaptation at the tactical
level.
• Demonstrate tolerance of and
comfort with uncertainty and
ambiguity.
[Initiative]
• Build trust with subordinates,
peers and superiors.
• Interpret Commander’s intent.
• Convey Commander’s intent.
• Act autonomously consistent with
a Commander’s intent in response
to an opportunity.
[Critical Thinking and Problem-
Solving]
• Demonstrate the use of intuition
in areas of expertise.
• Generate novel ideas.
• Analyze policy, strategy, and
history.
• Avoid pitfalls in thinking.
• Establish a unit climate that
fosters development of leaders
who think critically and
creatively.
• Apply Army Design Methodology
principles to improve
understanding of a complex
environment.
• Lead a team in the activities of
the operations process.
[Adaptability]
• Cultivate learning organizations.
• Collaborate across cultural
boundaries.
• Depict operational situations as
systems and sub-systems
composed of actors and
dynamics.
• Produce mission type orders that
enable operational adaptability
and address uncertainty and
ambiguity.
• Demonstrate comfort with
uncertainty and ambiguity.
[Initiative]
• Empower subordinates.
• Interpret and convey the intent
of national leaders and senior
military leaders.
• Habitually seek opportunities to
act autonomously consistent
with a Commander’s intent.
[Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving]
• Internalize the importance of reflection
and self-awareness to identify the impact
of biases, assumptions, and inferences on
the decisions strategic leaders make.
• Apply analytic decision making.
• Trust intuitive decision making where
appropriate.
• Think strategically.
• Translate national policy goals into
credible military objectives (ends),
concepts (ways), and resources (means).
• Formulate policy.
• Formulate strategy.
• Innovate.
• Establish an organizational climate that
fosters development of leaders who think
critically and creatively.
• Lead collaborative application of Army
Design Methodology principles and
elements of operational art to achieve
shared understanding of a complex
environment.
[Adaptability]
• Cultivate learning organizations.
• Collaborate productively across cultural
and JIIM boundaries.
• Depict strategic situations as systems and
sub-systems composed of actors and
dynamics.
• Produce mission type orders that enable
adaptation at the strategic level.
• Demonstrate professional mastery in
environments characterized by
uncertainty and ambiguity.
[Initiative]
• Empower subordinates.
• Interpret geo-political intent.
• Convey strategic intent.
• Create opportunities to act autonomously
consistent with a commander’s intent.
A-3