Auftragstaktik in one simple diagram clipping
May 24th, 2020
The concept of Auftragstaktik is more complicated than just "Tell them what to do, then walk away." The root of "Auftragstaktik" is a German word for "contract," and that’s how Boyd describes mission command in Patterns, (p. 76):
A contract, even a conceptual one, means negotiation and salesmanship, as you can see. For example, does the subordinate understand how their mission fits into the overall operational concept? Are you confident that they have the requisite tactical skills to accomplish the mission? Do they have the character and determination to see the mission through, even to change it without orders if that is what is required to meet the commander’s intent? The amount of latitude you give your subordinate and the way you phrase your mission order will depend on how you answer questions like these.
Giving an effective mission order, therefore, is a skill to be acquired not a checklist to be memorized. As such, it takes a fair amount of training and a lot of practice to get good at it. And you should not be surprised to find out that the best way to teach Auftragstaktik is via … Auftragstaktik.
Here’s an example from Chris Casey’s and Don Vandergriff’s article, "The Future of TECOM," in the June 2020 issue of Marine Corps Gazette. It neatly encapsulates the whole philosophy of mission command:
I love this chart! On the left, you see the checklist mentality: Did they comply with the internal, organizational requirements? On the right, what Casey and Vandergriff call "outcomes-based learning": Did they achieve the objective "within the context of the current situation and the higher commander’s intent"? During the negotiation process, the commander must ensure that there is no confusion on these matters.
Another reason I like this is that you can see all of the other elements of Boyd’s organizational climate:
- Schwerpunkt — "the context of the current situation and higher commander’s intent;" answers the "Limitation" from Boyd’s slide.
- Einheit — in the sense of "mutual trust," of course, but also mutual understanding of the "context of the current situation," what Boyd called a "common outlook" or "similar implicit orientation."
- Fingerspitzengefühl — In a rapidly changing situation, most communication has to be implicit. The commander, for example, must be able to read the subordinate and intuitively decide if a common outlook is established, the negotiation is complete, and the subordinate is committed.
Perhaps you can help me on this, but I don’t see any reason this approach won’t apply to business or to any competitive endeavor among organizations.
Keep in touch!