Content area
Full text
The flip side of METT-T
"Command climate" is a term Marines commonly use to describe the complex environment in which they serve. Despite the frequent usage of the term, there is no precise definition. This lack of precision is unfortunate given the importance that assessing command climate has to our doctrinal approach in developing a commander's orientation to any anticipated or assigned mission. The purpose of this article is to propose a bener method for appreciating command climate at every level of leadership.
Mission analysis, the first of the six steps in the Marine Corps Planning Process (MCPP), begins with the commander's orientation to the problem. As articulated in Marine Corps Wirfìghting Publication 5-1 (MCWP 5-1), MCPP, the commander initiates his planning process as follows:
The commander conducts his preliminary analysis of the mission (or potential mission). The commander may conduct his analysis using mission, enemy, terrain and weather, troops and support available-time available (METT-T). He must also consider the ability of his command - personnel, material, and morale - to accomplish his mission.
Marine leaders at every level are steeped in METT-T methodology. METT-T is an effective process for coming to grips with a given situation by developing understanding about what needs to be done, why it needs to be done, the environment in which the tasks will be executed, and the resources available in executing those tasks. However, this is only one side to the preliminary mission analysis coin. The "ability of his command - personnel, material, and morale - to accomplish his mission" is the other face of the coin. The flip side is truly the essence of command climate.
How well do we equip leaders to flip the coin over and assess the readiness of a command to accomplish assigned or anticipated missions? Let's start with the metrics we typically include in command climate surveys. These surveys collect data on quality of life...