From Auftragstaktik to Comprehensive Approach: Key Leader Engagement in Strategic Communication

Abstract

There is a huge variety of perception management tools in the cyber security environment. War no longer seems to be about international politics and trade; instead, it is now perceived as a struggle within an omnipresent network which nobody is able to escape from. The different networks have enabled multiple actors - from states to non-governmental organizations, from individuals to the mafia - to organize themselves and cooperate. The globalization of the economy and the multiplication of information networks have also enabled and increased the probability of cyber attacks and propaganda. Encountering these kinds of problems demands comprehensive planning. The Western military today is not sufficiently organized, trained, or equipped to analyze, plan, coordinate, and integrate the full spectrum of capabilities available to promote national or global interests. The Western military is not the asset it should be in the security policy and crisis management. Security policy development and crisis management are not determined primarily by the military or by military interests, but by considering a variety of factors including social, economic, ecological, and cultural conditions. It is therefore normally not possible to guarantee security through unilateral national action, or with armed forces only. Given the complexity and interdependency of different actors and nations in crisis management, it is necessary to achieve greater harmonization among all appropriate actors in the analysis, planning, management, and evaluation of interventions in complex contingencies and emergencies. From the military perspective, there is a need for clear political guidance in crisis management, but also a need for operational freedom at every level. According to the German Army Command and Control Regulation, Auftragstaktik is based on mutual trust and demands from each soldier that, in addition to the conscientious performance of duty and willingness to achieve the objectives ordered, he or she is prepared to accept responsibility, to cooperate, and act independently and resourcefully in accordance with the overall mission. The command grants subordinated commanders freedom in the way they execute the mission. In crisis management, the military tries to turn political objectives into actions in the operational area. The military needs the freedom to communicate - in accordance with political guidance - with different audiences during the operation. Because there are many discrepancies in how communication takes place in different networks and because we increasingly use social media tools, we need synchronizing themes, messages, images, and actions that contribute to Strategic Communication across the joint force. These can be critical to mission accomplishment. Key Leader Engagement can help the military command avoid the crisis of perception management in the form of a "say-do gap" in a critical media environment. As a tool for implementing a communication strategy program, the employment of Key Leader Engagement cells has ensured that whenever commanders meet with leaders, they deliver an effective, consistent message that supports the command's goals. In this paper the Comprehensive Approach (CA) model is discussed as a continuum of the classical Auftragstaktik and the basic ideas of the Comprehensive Approach concept, such as Strategic Communication (SC), Key Leader Engagement (KLE), and Combat Camera (CC). [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]