NEWPORT, R.I. – Senior enlisted personnel attending the Navy Senior Enlisted Academy (SEA) in Newport, Rhode Island, will notice a new addition to the SEA curriculum that is referred to as the “Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Design” class.
The SEA, established in 1981, provides senior enlisted leaders education in communication skills, leadership and management, national security efforts, Navy programs and physical fitness.
The design class was implemented in April 2016 following the release of CNO’s “A Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority,” and serves as an opportunity for chiefs to bridge the communication gap between senior and junior enlisted personnel.
“The chief’s mess is going to build the bridge between junior enlisted and the wardroom,” said Command Master Chief Richard Curtis Jr., director of SEA. “Having the chiefs understand the CNO’s four lines of effort (LOE) and understand the four core attributes will allow them to translate the CNO’s design up the chain of command and down the chain of command.”
The CNO Design class focuses on the four core attributes of integrity, initiative, accountability and toughness, and the four lines of effort (LOE) of gold, purple, blue, and green. The gold LOE focuses on people, purple LOE focuses on partnership, blue LOE focuses on power, and green LOE focuses on learning.
“One of the things I do with my divisions is to send them an email asking, ‘how do you feel you fit into the Department of the Navy’s goals and objectives?’” said Chief Hull Technician Mario Pais, a SEA student assigned to Mine Warfare Training Center in San Diego, Calif. “I talk with them individually and then as a whole. What I’ve found is that a lot of them didn’t realize how the very things that they are doing on a day-to-day basis fits into that.”
High velocity learning is an approach of applying the best concepts, techniques and technologies to accelerate learning as individuals, teams and organizations. High velocity learning is part of the green LOE that focuses on behavior and of different ways of thinking; it is not a special program.
“This CNO’s design class incorporates critical thinking and changing the way we think. We show the students the CNO’s learning engine then break it down to three key steps; see, solve and share,” said Curtis. “This is a mentality so when one sees a problem and formulates a plan, they share it with others around them. The class also emphasizes the importance of adapting to new technology and being open to new ways of doing things.”
“High velocity learning is a great opportunity to look at how we think and develop our critical thinking as a force and as a joint force,” said Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Robert Lytle, a SEA student assigned to Parris Island, S.C. “We’re here to think outside the box. If not, people are going to always ‘do what they’ve always done.’”
The LOEs focused on warfighting, building partnerships and strengthening our Navy team. According to Curtis, we strengthen and build partnerships with our allies and partner relations by planning, educating and training. Strengthening our Navy team happens when leadership and personal and professional development is worked on and Sailors are invested in by current leadership. When all of this is combined, we are a more capable ready force.
“There’s a bigger picture, a bigger goal, and once my Sailors realize that they can influence that and have an impact, they can start to think outside the box and see how they can change the curriculum to fit into the high velocity learning,” said Pais.
In alignment with maintaining maritime superiority, the four LOEs work with four core attributes that focus on integrity, accountability, initiative and toughness. According to the CNO’s Design for Maintaining Maritime Security, integrity is maintained by aligning values as a profession while making sure our conduct is always honorable both in public and private. Accountability happens when we analyze our progress and adjust as necessary so our actions support our strategy. Initiative is when leaders take ownership and act to the limit of their authorities. Initiative also includes being open to new ideas from other personnel. Toughness is continuing to fight even after taking a hit. Digging into sources of strength and resilience are what help keep us moving. The CNO’s Design class aims to help facilitate communication amongst the students and faculty.
“Having different branches, different rates, different communities, and seeing the same issue looked at by different eyes doesn’t mean any of us are wrong; it just means having a different perspective and looking at things from a different angle,” said Senior Chief Information Systems Technician Amaury Ponciano, a SEA student assigned to Destroyer Squadron 22 in Norfolk, Va. “Not only are you looking at new documents and newer things and sharing information with different people, it gives you a sense of why we do what we do.”
The CNO Design class is being used by SEA facilitators to equip senior enlisted leaders with the tools to go back to their respective commands and implement the four LOEs and four core attributes, with the focus on being open to new ways of doing things.
“The world is never going to stop and we live in uncertain times so my biggest takeaway is the continuous learning and development,” said Lytle. “Actually knowing how we fit into documents like the national security strategy and how important those governing documents are to us as we execute our jobs as senior enlisted is invaluable.”
According to the class curriculum, by Sailors using the LOEs and core attributes while maintaining maritime superiority, the Navy will be ready to conduct prompt and sustained combat incident to operations at sea as well as protect America’s strategic influence while deterring aggression and enabling peaceful resolution.