Training Helps Navy Civilians Break Through to Excellence

Photo By Mark Burrell | Richard Spencer, Secretary of the Navy, discusses Department of Navy civilian leadership development at 2017 DON Leadership and Career Development conference on Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling, Washington, D.C., Oct. 25, 2017. (U.S. Navy photo by Mark Burrell, OCHR)  

JOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING, DC, UNITED STATES

10.26.2017

Story by Mark Burrell 

Office of Civilian Human Resources

WASHINGTON NAVY YARD, D.C. (Nov. 7, 2017) – More than 200 Department of Navy civilian leaders convened for annual Leadership and Career Development Training on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C. from Oct. 25 – 26.
The training focused on connecting DON civilian and military senior leaders with leadership and development techniques that will enable them to continue to build the best Navy in the world.
The Secretary of the Navy, Richard V. Spencer, kicked off this year’s training focusing on the theme “Break Through to Excellence – Building the Best.”
“We’re really good at understanding problems that we have,” said Spencer, to a roomful of DON senior civilians. “Let’s go out and find people who have solutions to the problems we have. When that solution comes in, that’s being innovative. You don’t have to invent a solution. Invent the path to someone who has the solution. That’s the greatest first step.”
Spencer encouraged civilian leadership to reach out to their private sector peers inside and outside of their focus areas to glean experience and problem-solving strategies.
One of the participants, Melody Armstrong, Associate Director of HR Systems & Analytics in the Office of Civilian Human Resources, enjoyed hearing the challenges and solutions leaders faced throughout their careers.
“It was extremely valuable to hear firsthand the insights of DON senior leadership --what motivates them, their vision, and what helped propel them to public service,” said Armstrong. “It was also humbling to hear how they value the opportunity to give back and to share their wisdom to prepare the new generation of leaders.”
Armstrong said that she’ll use this training to develop her own career path as a Navy civilian.
“The timing of this opportunity couldn't be better as I take on challenges that extend beyond my sphere of comfort,” Armstrong said. “This type of training helps build confidence in my ability to contribute to the resolution of organizational, programmatic, and human resource challenges and opportunities. It also empowers me to take the next steps in my senior leadership journey to provide the DON with a credible, qualified leader and successor.”
During the training, there were breakout sessions focusing on leading change, leading people, getting results, business acumen and building coalitions. Overall, the training provided senior civilian leadership a place to exchange ideas to empower the workforce and develop human capital.
“Over the course of these two days – we’ve had presentations and discussions on all of these elements of leadership, but regardless of your leadership style or skills, you will not be an effective leader if you don’t start with leading yourself,” said Tony TorresRamos, Director of DON Office of Civilian Human Resources. “Leading self is central to every type of effective leader.”
Throughout the training, the military and civilian leaders engaged with one another to achieve common goals, but never lost sight of their primary purpose - self-improvement and supporting the warfighter.
“Our people, the ones who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, deserve the absolute best,” added Spencer. “And they deserve us to be focused on that 24/7. We must provide this for them. We have to provide this for them. There is no other way that we will excel. We can ensure that our Sailors and Marines have this by improving our policies, our programs, our training, none of these have been perfected yet … I don’t care what responsibility you hold in your job or your personal life, you can always be better. It’s a continual loop of improvement … we really do need to focus on the whole ethos of how do we make it better.”

• Date Taken: 10.26.2017
• Date Posted: 11.07.2017 13:19
• Story ID: 254439
• Location: JOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING, DC, US