The Nature of Control
Study.
Is control possible?
Command and Control
When we discussed the Eight Troop Leading Procedures, a rhetorical question was posed in our After Action Review: “Aren’t we all trying to be more in control?”
Last week’s reading began with a very pointed statement that we left unexplored:
1-17. The duties and responsibilities inherent within the Infantry rifle platoon and squad enable the exercise of command and control throughout the conduct of operations. ATP 3-21.8, Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad
Command and Control. Control.
Is there any greater aspiration or fear in life than control? This is not rhetorical, I’m genuinely curious. Desiring control, avoiding being “out of control,” or fearing the control of others is a core motivator for humans.
Command and Control must be a pretty big deal to the US Military, it is referenced frequently and there are entire doctrinal publications focused on it. Like this week’s reading, MCDP 6, appropriately titled “Command and Control.”
But we, like the US Marine Corps, will start with the nature of Command and Control. More specifically, we’ll focus on the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems: control.
Theme: The Nature of Control
Ask yourself: Is control possible?
Primary Learning Opportunity
The traditional view of command and control sees “command” and “control” as operating in the same direction: from the top of the organization toward the bottom. Commanders impose control on those under their command; commanders are “in control” of their subordinates, and subordinates are “under the control” of their commanders.
We suggest a different and more dynamic view of command and control which sees command as the exercise of authority and control as feedback about the effects of the action taken. The commander commands by deciding what needs to be done and by directing or influencing the conduct of others. Control takes the form of feedback—the continuous flow of information about the unfolding situation returning to the commander—which allows the commander to adjust and modify command action as needed. Feedback indicates the difference between the goals and the situation as it exists. Feedback may come from any direction and in any form—intelligence about how the enemy is reacting, information about the status of subordinate or adjacent units, or revised guidance from above based on developments. Feedback is the mechanism that allows commanders to adapt to changing circumstances—to exploit fleeting opportunities, respond to developing problems, modify schemes, or redirect efforts. In this way, feedback “controls” subsequent command action. In such a command and control system, control is not strictly something that seniors impose on subordinates; rather, the entire system comes “under control” based on feedback about the changing situation. Command and control is thus an interactive process involving all the parts of the system and working in all directions. The result is a mutually supporting system of give and take in which complementary commanding and controlling forces interact to ensure that the force as a whole can adapt continuously to changing requirements.
MCDP 6, 1-7 through 1-9, pdf pages 50-52
Deep Processing
Consider the above and reflect1:
How does this relate to your prior knowledge?
What does this imply?
Where else could this apply?
Where or how could this be used in your life?
Survey-Question-Read-Recite-Review
Requested reading for Thursday’s Guided Discovery:
MCDP 6, Command and Control
Pages 1-3 through 1-14 based on printed document (PDF pages 46-57)
A discussion of the nature of Command and Control
Link to MCDP 6 on US Marine Corps Electronic Library Display
Always be asking:
1. What is the connection with my leadership development?
2. What does this change my thinking on management?
3. How does this influence my life planning?
4. What can I borrow with pride to use this week?
Revisit or Catch Up from Last Week
Theme: A Leader’s Job Description
Links to Reveille, Land Navigation, and Hail & Farewell