text: Chapter 7
  • Publicly discuss a mistake during after-action reviews; this includes the mistakes of the leader as
  well.
  • Make an immediate correction to enable a shared understanding by the team when there is no time
  for an after-action review.
  • Correct systemic problems that enabled the mistake.
  7-24. Sustainment commanders must prepare subordinates to take their place as required. Training events,
  exercises, and professional development sessions are ways to reinforce the vision and need for initiative.
  Over time, this prepares leaders for assumption of greater responsibility during combat. Sustainment leaders
  must also create a climate that fosters a shared understanding of the intent and desired end state.
  FOSTERING SHARED UNDERSTANDING
  7-25. A shared understanding enables a mission command approach to command and control. Sustainment
  commanders should communicate intention two levels down and sustainment leaders must look two levels
  up to understand the commander’s intent, priorities of effort, and end state. Sustainment commanders can
  ensure a shared understanding of their intent through a continuous dialogue with subordinates. When done
  in an environment of mutual trust and understanding, the sustainment commander’s intent frees them up to
  move about the battlefield knowing that subordinates understand the end state and what must be done. A
  shared understanding allows sustainment leaders to operate knowing subordinates will report information
  promptly and accurately.
  7-26. Sustainment leaders must educate themselves and subordinates in Army, joint, and multinational
  doctrine. Training using the applicable tactics, techniques, and procedures creates a shared understanding,
  develops the team, and builds trust commanders need to achieve unity of effort. This will be essential when
  units are placed with different task organizations and command structures during an operation.
  COMMUNICATING WITH STAFF AND SUBORDINATES
  7-27. Sustainment commanders must be proficient in the use of written orders when exercising command
  and control of forces. Written orders before and during early stages of an operation promote consistency,
  provide a common frame of reference, and support a shared understanding between staff and subordinates.
  During operations, oral communications are more importance when time and the changing situation dictate
  speed of decision making. Oral communication also offers sustainment commanders an opportunity for
  personal interaction while leading. Face-to-face communication with staff and subordinates is the most
  effective means of communication but is not always practical. The pace of operations and changes in the OE
  can limit face-to-face interaction. Communications at the tactical level during large-scale combat operations
  will be mostly dependent on radio communications or Joint Battle Command-Platform messages.
  Sustainment commanders must understand that the military bearing they display and their tone of voice will
  impact subordinates.
  7-28. Effective sustainment leaders should take steps to encourage communication between subordinates and
  staff. Leaders should make themselves open to receiving new information, good or bad, without harsh or over
  reactions. These types of barriers can reduce the ability to receive accurate and timely information. Failure
  to receive and act on this information can lead to mission and operational failure.
  DEVELOPING TEAMS
  7-29. Developing successful sustainment teams is a continuous process that begins at home station and
  continues through deployment and operations. For sustainment commanders, developing an effective team
  requires a shared understanding across all domains and effective communications with their staff and
  subordinates. Often, sustainment units serve or are deployed with different subordinate units or placed under
  an unfamiliar higher echelon. Sustainment leaders can build trust in these situations through interaction with
  subordinates and higher echelons to collaborate and get a shared understanding of each other's capabilities.
  7-30. Sustainment units may participate in operations with different command structures than at home
  station. Sustainment commanders must be prepared to communicate with those command structures to share
  vision and understanding. This communication between leaders and staffs can foster team building. It also
  provides an opportunity to identify scenarios where they may train together in the early stages of an operation.