Identify problems, zero in on them, solve them

  • Published
  • By Col. Scott Fox
  • 90th Missile Wing vice commander
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  In a previous commentary, I discussed life-long learning and improving ourselves every day through professional reading. I also recommended everyone be ready to answer the question, "What book are you reading now?" When I found myself searching for a topic to write about this week, I realized I already knew the answer ... and it came from the book I am reading right now.

I am currently reading one of the books on General Schwartz' Chief of Staff Reading list, LeMay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis LeMay - a recent biography written by Warren Kozak. General LeMay, as you may know, created Strategic Air Command - the command from which global strike draws its lineage.

What I have read and learned so far centers around General LeMay as an exceptional bomber force commander during World War II, flying B-17s as part of Eighth Air Force in Europe and then B-29s in the Pacific theater of operations - including command of Twentieth Air Force.

At the beginning of the war, he was a lieutenant who was considered a "good navigator" and "hard worker." Just four years later, he was the youngest two-star general in the United States Army and considered by many, according to Kozak, to be "the most innovative problem solver in the United States Army Air Forces." The traits that lead to that statement form the foundation of the topics I'd like to discuss in this commentary.

There was no doubt General LeMay was very good at the bomber business, and his men knew it. He knew how to identify a problem, zero in on it and solve it. Those successes led to even more. This is an example we can all learn from.

It doesn't matter where you work, what unit you are in, or what rank or position you hold. We all face problems of some sort or another every single day, and those problems need to be solved.

When you are faced with one of those problems, what is your response? Do you look at it as a burden; something that is blocking the path of minimal resistance to a simple end to the work day? Or, do you see it as a new opportunity and jump in with both feet?

The great jazz musician Duke Ellington said, "A problem is a chance for you to do your best." That thought is directly in line with one of our key expectations here at the 90th Missile Wing - always give 100 percent. When I talk about that expectation to new Airmen attending the First Term Airmen Center, I try to highlight what I think giving 100 percent means. I also focus on the synergy that becomes possible when every member of a team actually gives their all.

Are all the problems we face going to be as large as those faced by General LeMay as he developed tactics to employ the B-17 against the Germans in Europe or the B-29 against the Japanese in the Pacific? Probably not, but they may seem to be overwhelming at first. Henry Ford said, "There are no big problems; there are just a lot of little problems." Try breaking down problems you are facing to their smallest form - solutions to those smaller problems may come easier, and then the combination should address what appeared to be the over arching issue. To help find the root causes to issues you face, there is a simple tool from the Air Force Smart Operations or AFSO 21 program you may want to consider. This tool has been used in almost every 8-Step Problem Solving Process event I've seen and is called the "5 Whys."

The 5 Whys is a question-asking method used to determine the root cause of a problem by exploring the underlying cause and effect relationship and is very easy to use. To illustrate this process, imagine you go out to your car one morning, and it won't start. Here is an example that uses the 5 Whys to get to the root cause:

Problem: My car won't start. Why? - The battery is dead. (first why)

Why? - The alternator is not functioning properly and keeping the battery charged. (second why)

Why? - The alternator belt is worn. (third why)

Why? - The belt was beyond its service life and was never replaced. (fourth why)

Why? - I did not maintain my car according to the manufacturer's service schedule. (fifth why, a root cause)

So, when you are faced with a problem, look at it as an opportunity to do your best. Decide what tools you might need to solve the problem, maybe the 5 Whys will help, and take action.

Once you have broken down your problems and zeroed in on the root causes like General LeMay did during World War II and later with the development of Strategic Air Command, the solutions will become apparent.

When you have solved your problems, step back and try to look at your efforts from a broader point of view. Hopefully you will see how your 100 percent effort directly enhanced our wing's mission of providing preeminent combat capability across the spectrum of conflict!