A retired military officer discusses how knowledge management can assist four-star commanders in decision making. They stood up knowledge management offices in the Department of Defense and facilitated meetings at the general officer level. The presentation covers how commanders receive information, their decision cycle process, and how knowledge management can help by organizing information and ensuring all stakeholders are aligned to support decision making.

1. Decision-making at a
Four-Star Command
How to use Knowledge Management as a decision enabler

2. About the Presenter
• Retired after 21 years of military service (USMC & US
Army)
• Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New
Dawn, Operation Inherent Resolve
• Stood up 7 Knowledge Management Offices within the
Department of Defense
• Worked with militaries from over 70 nations
• Facilitated over 5,000 meetings at the General Officer
level
• Knowledge Manager for four 4 Star Commands
• CEO of Knoco Austin & Cannon-Lear Enterprises

3. How does the DoD Define
• Knowledge Management (KM): is defined as a
discipline focused on integrating people and processes
enabled by tools throughout the information lifecycle in
order to create shared understanding and increase
organizational performance and decision-making.
(Proposed DoDI 8220.AC)
• Military Decision-Making Process (MDMP): is an
iterative planning methodology that integrates the
activities of the commander, staff, subordinate
headquarters, and other partners to understand the
situation and mission, develop and compare courses of
action (COAs), decide on a COA that best
accomplishes the mission, and produce an operation
plan or order for execution. (CALL 15-06)

4. Command A Command B
Organizational Culture
Command C

5. How does a General get their information?
• Briefings/Meetings
• On average a General spends between 8-12 hours a day in
meetings
• Majority of the meetings are informative in nature this is to have
the General situational awareness in the environment that they
are responsible.
• “Read a head” books
• These are typically hard copies of information papers, update
briefing slides, etc. That inform the commander about various
topics.
• Media
• Social Media
• News Channels/Articles/Papers etc.
• “Battlefield Circulation”
• This is when the Commander goes outside of the headquarters
to physically see what is going on with in their operational
environment.

6. Commander’s Decision Cycle

7. Situational Awareness
Meetings
Decision Meetings
What is currently going on in the
operating environment?
What is the topics/issue that
needs approved?
What is the enemy going? Do I have the authority to make
the decision?
What are we doing? What do we
have planned?
What are the risks involved in
making the decision?
What are the Spheres of
opportunities?
What is the impact of the
decision?
Types of Meetings

8. How can Knowledge Management Assist?

9. Purpose:
(State the purpose of the meeting. What questions is the meeting answering for the Commander? How
does this meeting tie into the overall mission? This should be no more than three lines of text in this font)
Frequency:
Every X (Days/Weeks/Month/Quarterly, Annual)
Chair: (By Office Symbol) Co-Chair: (By Office Symbol)
Facilitator: (By Name, Section, email address)
Secretariat: (By Name, Section, email address)
Attendees: (Primaries, Deputies, Executive Officers, DIV Chiefs, AO’s,
Representatives)
Required: (By Office Symbol)
Optional: (By Office Symbol)
Type of Meeting: (Command Board, Functional Board, Bureau, Center,
Cell, Working Group, Planning Team, Situational Awareness Brief)
Meeting Classification: (Classification of the content in the meeting)
Agenda
• Item 1
• Item 2
• Item 3
• Item 4
Products From Whom / Event Time/Method of Delivery
Products To Whom / Event Time/Method of Delivery
Inputs:
Outputs:
Condition Times (I) Physical Location Dial-In/Virtual Location
Primary
Alternate
Contingency
Emergency
Name of Meeting

10. Participation in Meetings

11. Commander’s Decision-Making Flow

12. AFC Topic Flow Diagram
FunctionalBoards
(two+Directorates
Chair)
CommandBoard
WorkingGroup
(longterm/
enduring)
PlanningTeams
(Shortterm/
Projectbased)
SeniorIntegration
Board
OPR: FCSG
Senior
Integration
Board
Command
Board
Functional
Board
Working
Group
Planning
Team
Planning
Team
Planning
Team
Planning
Team
Planning
Team
Planning
Team
Planning
Team
Planning
Team
Working
Group
Working
Group
Working
Group
Working
Group
Working
Group
Working
Group
Working
Group
Functional
Board
Functional
Board
Functional
Board
Functional
Board
Functional
Board
Ideal Hierarchical Decision-Making Flow (Single Command)

13. Four-Star Decision-Flow in Theater