Are you a PA pro on a brigade and division staff? Lots of people around you will be in a tactical mindset. Remember, these risks shine brightest. Time is a limited resource during operations, and I’ve made the mistake of wasting some of that time by making everyone sit through a discussion about potential strategic risks.
One time, instead of dragging in a staff-wide discussion, I pulled aside the senior leader in the JOC and asked for “30 seconds on strategic risk.” I know access is appropriate because I’m on the commander’s personal staff. The leader obliged and listened, then acknowledged that he hadn’t considered my perspective. Eventually, he made the decision I’d advocated for.
Since then, the few times I’ve asked to discuss 30 Seconds on Strategic Risk, I’ve gotten it.
After 30 seconds, they’ll have options:
- Tell you they’ve already considered this risk.
- Dive into a deeper conversation, if they want to.
- Identify a requirement to mitigate the strategic risk.
- Acknowledge the strategic risk cannot be mitigated, but perhaps planned for in post-op messaging.
- Know their PAO is a strategic thinker who understands (and will be instrumental in) the operation.
- Equally important, know their PAO is a concise, to-the-point speaker.
- Preserve their limited time, and save some room in their publicaffairsometer.
What do you think? Is 30 seconds enough time to introduce a strategically important concern?
(Photo by C.J. Lovelace, DVIDS)
