P-385-63 US Army Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Guide Download
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DA PAM 600–25 • 11 December 2018 9 b. The operational domain is where leaders undergo the bulk of their development. It encompasses all training and experiences in deployable units. It is where junior leaders achieve technical and tactical competence; mid-grade leaders further develop their ability to lead units and organizations; and senior leaders contribute to the development and imple- mentation of national and geopolitical strategy. All training, education, and self-development activities conducted during training, planning, preparing, executing, and assessing unified land operations are essential parts of developing leaders in the operational domain. After-action reviews, coaching, counseling, sharing, and mentoring are important parts of devel- oping leaders in accordance with FM 6–22. c. The self-development domain includes planned and goal-oriented learning that reinforces and expands the depth and breadth of an individual’s knowledge base and self-awareness. Self-development bridges learning gaps between the oper- ational and institutional domains and sets conditions for continuous learning and growth. There are three variations: struc- tured self-development (SSD)/Distributed Leader Course (DLC), which are mandatory learning modules to meet specific learning objectives and requirements; guided self-development (GSD), which is recommended, but optional learning which may include academic and vocational credentialing intended to enhance one’s professional competence; personal self- development, which is self-initiated learning to meet personal training, education, and experiential goals (such as enrolling in off-duty college classes or earning an academic degree or technical certification). Reading books and articles by, and about, combat leaders can give good insight into improving leadership skills, as stated in TC 7–22.7. d. Training is an organized, structured, continuous, and progressive process based on sound principles of learning, designed to increase the capability of individuals, units, and organizations to perform specified tasks or skills. The objective of training is to increase the ability of leaders to competently perform in training and operational situations. Individual task training builds individual competence and confidence to perform these tasks in support of collective training and opera- tions. e. Education is the process of imparting knowledge and developing the competencies and attributes Army professionals need to accomplish any mission the future may present. Education contributes to the development of Soldier and leader competencies focusing on fundamentals that are later practiced, expanded, and improved in training and experience. Edu- cation occurs in the institutional, operational, and self-development domains. As a component of leader development, education contributes to the growth of the three leader attributes of character, presence, and intellect. Education focuses on intellect and moral character of leaders to improve judgment, reasoning, and critical thinking: agility, adaptability, empathy, intellectual curiosity, and creativity. Education in the Army is primarily Professional Military Education, but may include studies within civilian academia. PME is progressive and sequential across a career continuum, to ensure that Soldiers are successful at each stage of their professional service, while continually growing in the competencies and attributes needed for higher levels of service. f. Experience is the continuous progression of personal and professional events. It begins before an individual joins the Army and continues after separation. Experience includes war and peace; the personal and the professional; the private and the public; leading and following; training and education. Lifelong learners reflect on all experiences, develop lessons learned from those experiences, and apply those lessons in future experiences. The Army uses talent management funda- mentals across all learning domains including assignment progression, development opportunities, broadening opportuni- ties, and outside influences to provide leaders with the experiential opportunities required to reach full potential. (1) Self-development domain. Soldiers are ultimately responsible for developing their talents and displaying their unique knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to their leadership. Soldiers should express their interests to their leaders and seek out developmental opportunities, in order to mature their talents, making the Soldier and organization stronger. Leaders are able to better talent manage and mentor Soldiers appropriately when Soldiers express their interests and display their talents. (2) Institutional domain. Through education, credentialing, and certification Soldiers will display their cognitive, phys- ical, and technical talents. Leaders will develop Soldiers and ensure Soldiers have the requisite KSAs in order for talent management in the operational domain to be effective. (3) Operational domain. Soldiers will develop their KSAs through developmental assignments and experiences. Lead- ers will talent manage Soldiers by placing the Soldier with the appropriate KSAs in the right position at the right time optimizing organizational performance and preparing Soldiers for more challenging assignments in the future. 2–9. The noncommissioned officer NCOs are accomplished military professionals who are the Army’s preeminent body of leadership. NCOs are known as the "backbone of the American Army" and are the standard bearers responsible for training, leading, coaching, and men- toring Soldiers. They are an invaluable and essential part of the Army. The NCO always leads from the front. The NCO exemplifies the warrior ethos, is a champion of continuous learning, and is capable of leading, training, and motivating diverse teams. NCOs often work in complex environments that require them to possess a variety of knowledge, skills, and attributes to lead and manage the day-to-day operations of the military. NCOs must first learn and then demonstrate that