MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Author and management consultant, Mark Graham Brown visited the Station for two days of seminars Feb. 4 and 5 in order to provide consultation and performance measures to Station leaders.
"Most folks don't ask you back to their house after you tell them their baby's ugly," Brown said in his opening remarks with the Iwakuni leadership.
Brown, a professional management consultant since 1979, is a plain talker who prides himself on being straightforward and brutally honest in providing feedback to organizations when he reviews their strategic programs, goals and visions.
"Sears, for example, lacked a clear vision after it had to transition and compete with other companies like Wal-Mart and Kmart," Brown said.
The vision for the Station is that Iwakuni will be the assignment of choice in the Marine Corps.
"Iwakuni has a good vision because it is short, clear, plain English, motivational and inspirational," Brown said.
But that is where the compliments on the Iwakuni strategic plan ended and the straight talk began.
Brown explained during one point of reviewing the strategic plan, "If you have an area assessed in yellow (on a green, yellow, and red scale; with red meaning an area is in trouble towards reaching its target), that doesn't mean sitting and waiting. That means you better have a plan on how to get that into the green.
"What is it at this Station you are going to do to make it become the duty station of choice? You haven't shown me in your goals and strategies how you are going to get there," Brown stated.
Some of Brown's questions had to do with his lack of knowledge about the Station and the Marine Corps.
While Brown has been hired to consult for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, this is his first time he has taken a look at a Marine Corps organization.
Overall, the Station received a grade of 25 percent from Brown. A grade of 25 percent basically meant that you had the beginnings of a good strategic plan, but that it needs work.
Brown has never encountered an organization he has consulted for that achieved a grade of over 60 percent.
"If you have an organization that is 80 to 100 percent, you don't need me and you know it," Brown concluded.
"We did in six hours what Mark (Graham Brown) said normally takes two to three days with major corporations full of MBA's (Masters degrees in Business Administration)," said Col. Dave Darrah, the Air Station's Commanding Officer in reference to comments Brown spoke to him about in regard to the Iwakuni leadership's ability to comprehend and develop a new strategic plan.
For more information please visit Graham's Web site at www.markgrahambrown.com/strategic/ strategic.html.