Disruptive Solutions Process - Overview

Overview

Typical defense industry bureaucratic approach to problem solving might be to either overwhelm with superior funding, resources, and manpower—take any major weapon systems development such as a new fighter jet, for example—or secondarily, when resources are constrained, adopt a stance of continuous process improvement, similar to that espoused in Kaizen, total quality management, and Lean Six Sigma.

Because most preventable "safety" mishaps are caused by human factors (83% of FY07 AF Class A costs due to HF per AF Safety Center) and can be traced to human cultural and behavioral issues, according to DSP, safety can and should uniquely apply a "disruptive" solution set to addressing the issues. Such a disruptive, iterative approach may not be appropriate in otherwise hardware-centric programs, such an aircraft procurement or production.

To address the safety cultural issues associated with mishap prevention in a large bureaucracy, Air National Guard safety pursued a disruptive approach in requirement definition, problem identification, solution vetting, funding, and procurement. Using Boyd's OODA Loop to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the process, DSP was created. However, taking on a bureaucracy is not without its downside. Fiefdoms and stovepipes within the system attempt to protect their "turf" and "lanes" with rules, regulations, and non-stop administrative delays and paperwork. All this requires commitment to a long-term solution set, while constantly changing the solution itself in order to work through the bureaucratic hurdles.

The DSP approach is both persistent and adaptive, which makes it entrepreneurial, according to Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek in their article "Fending off the Recession with 'Adaptive Persistence'", published in the Harvard Business Review, April 2009. They write... "Persistence is about refusing to give up even in the face of adversity. Adaptation is about shortening the time to success through ingenuity and flexibility. 'Adaptive persistence' entails alternating between anticipation, changing course, and sticking with it, deftly navigating that paradox with aplomb."