LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark -- The Air Force Reserve 913th Airlift Group leadership team took an in-depth look into the group’s projects from the previous year and adjusted goals during a Strategic Alignment Summit, Oct. 4-5.
The event brought in leaders and subject matter experts from each unit to discuss the progress of the various group projects identified in the initial summit that occurred in 2020. There were also new projects pitched based off of data and inspections that occurred during the year.
“We previously laid the foundation by aligning our mission, vision, priorities and subsequent goals with higher headquarters,” said James Henjum, Process Manager. “This event is the next evolution where we discuss key process indicators, inspection results, and analyze further organizational growth opportunities and adjust our efforts accordingly.”
The projects discussed included identifying unit mobility requirements, improving medical readiness, obtaining appropriate classification levels for personnel, creating an annual training and exercise plan, and increasing recruitment and retention.
“Considering we are mostly a part-time force with full-time military readiness obligations, we need to leverage the skills and ideas from our Airmen,” said Col. Christopher Lacouture, 913th Airlift Group commander. “The status quo is not an effective way to be a successful fighting force. We are coming together to find areas that require extra resources and attention. Our deliberate efforts will directly benefit the group and ultimately the Reserve.”
Henjum stated that conducting the initial strategic alignment summit was just the beginning; keeping focused on the projects and adjusting course according to data is the tough part.
“Sometimes it takes various perspectives to discover a new way to approach a work process,” said Henjum. “There are a number of tools to help identify and address problems within our control. Sometimes there is a single issue that requires a single problem solving event, long term projects, or processes that require additional support from leadership.”
Results and progress updates from the strategic alignment event will be presented in the near future. The group plans to meet again in a year to review accomplishments and make revisions as necessary.