Building Better Teams; Start with Purpose
The Story of an Incredibly Successful Leader Development and Team Building Initiative - And What We Learned.
This is a story about Leader Development and Team Building.
Early in Brigade Command we started to look for ideas, concepts, and initiatives that would help our Troopers become the best version of themselves. We were living through the tail end of COVID restrictions - all of the mental health, personal wellbeing, workplace effectiveness, and institutional trust issues of the moment.
Our most successful initiative centered around helping our Troopers find their individual sense of purpose and our teams find a sense of common belonging. It sounds like a strange endeavor for an Infantry Brigade Combat Team, but the results were incredible.
In less than a year, across 2,800 participants (four Battalions):
We reduced our number of Serious Incident Reports by 40%.
We reduced the relative risk of a single Trooper committing a serious disciplinary infraction by 83%.
We reduced ‘high distress’ counseling by 49%.
And, if the Army kept track of talent acquisition and retention costs, our return on investment would have been more than 400%.
These are big numbers. We’re talking about reducing our most harmful, toxic, and trust breaking behaviors. Behaviors like alcohol abuse, drug use, assault and harassment all decreased in a very significant way. And, as those behaviors plummeted, our retention rates sky rocketed.
Our program focused on helping our Troopers explore their sense of individual purpose, connect to a higher meaning, and come together as a cohesive team. We used the concept of spirituality as the cornerstone of our program.
The question, obviously, is how do we help people explore their sense of spiritual purpose while respecting all faiths and traditions, respecting all boundaries and beliefs, and without prophesizing religion?
Here’s how it came together.
We had the idea that platoon level retreats might have a positive impact on morale and wellbeing – especially as COVID restrictions started to lift in early 2021. The Army had previously resourced events like this – but they were largely for families and couples – not necessarily the platoons themselves. (A platoon is about 30 people; it’s the basic building block of our Army).
Like most good programs, this one evolved in a series of iterations and prototypes.
Iteration 1. In our first iteration, we simultaneously launched three separate prototypes. We asked three of our Chaplains to each plan a single platoon size spiritual retreat – each with a different venue and learning format. We found the time and money to resource their ideas – and then we did a deliberate assessment.
Prototype A was the “luxury approach to spirituality.” Our first battalion Chaplain took a platoon of Paratroopers to a four-star resort in the Italian Alps, fed them an incredible dinner, and delivered a world class lecture on spiritual readiness and purpose. They loved it; the cost was not sustainable or scalable.
Prototype B was a utilitarian approach. Our second battalion Chaplain kept the Troopers on our base, used our dining facility as his classroom, and used Power Point as the primary mechanism to discuss spirituality and wellness. I’m not sure the Troopers loved it, but our budget officer certainly did!
Prototype C was a novel and slightly adventurous approach. Our third battalion Chaplain took his platoon of Troopers on a strenuous mountain hike; he used a well-known and incredible scenic overlook at his classroom space. His Troopers enjoyed the time outside and the material; they evaluated the experience as enjoyable as the “luxury approach.”
With each of our three prototypes complete, we did a deliberate assessment of both cost and impact. In addition to the relative cost per participant for each prototype, we collected subjective survey data from each of the three platoons (samples) to determine:
How much did the participants enjoy or value the event?
How much knowledge did the participants retain from the event after 30 days?
Did the participants necessarily feel more purposeful or a greater sense of connection (cohesion) with their platoons.
We designed the surveys to understand which aspects of the different prototypes resonated better and which aspects resulted in greater developmental impact.
Our assessment results were conclusive. Participants most enjoyed the “luxury retreat.” But the greatest emotional impact and knowledge retention resulted from the “adventurous retreat.”
Interestingly, the single element of the “luxury retreat” that the participants enjoyed most (and described as inspiring a sense of community) was the shared meal.
With those lessons learned – we created a standard training program with the express end state of inspiring a sense of purpose and enabling greater cohesion among our teams. We coined it “Tough in Spirit.”
We designed each “Tough in Spirit” retreat event to last 48 – 72 hours. Each event would include two days of rigorous outdoor activities – challenging but doable for the group. Retreats were conducted in teams, squads, and platoons – with their leaders present and leading them; nothing was ad hoc. The curriculum included topics such as – Finding Your Purpose, Overcoming Adversity and Hardship, Mindfulness, and Building a Sense of Belonging (cohesion). “Tough in Spirit” events were hosted in affordable accommodations – campgrounds, retreat centers, hostiles, modest mountain hotels – and always included a hearty multi-course family style meal that would last well into the night. And, because Army doctrine, Field Manual 7-22 (Health and Holistic Fitness), codifies Spiritual Readiness as a core domain of Soldier readiness, we were able to pass the right legal reviews to dedicate unit training money to the program. It was time for our second iteration. The average total cost per participant was $225.
Iteration 2. With a single codified concept, we asked each of the three participating Chaplains to run a second iteration with a new platoon – this time using the same model and program of instruction. It wasn’t easy. Chaplains, like all leaders who care, can be protective of their approach and relationship with Soldiers. Asking the Chaplains to compromise their individually preferred programs in favor of an optimized solution took a bit of nuance, some Kotter’s 8 Step Change Model, and a little negotiation…but we got through it.
We again conducted a subjective survey assessment for each of the participating groups. Not surprisingly, the newly tailored “Tough in Spirt” format was better received, led to higher information retention, and led to higher self-assessments of individual purpose and team belonging. We didn’t necessarily know if we were changing behavior…but the results were encouraging. So, we scaled.
Iteration 3. Over a six-month period in 2023 we scaled the “Tough in Spirit” program to every platoon assigned to four participating battalions; in total we would train approximately 2,800 Troopers that were divided into 105 different groups. We had two battalions that couldn’t participate in the program. The reason for their lack of participation is beyond the scope of this essay…but they became a de facto control group against which we could compare impact and effects.
Scaling brought remarkable results. At first, I thought it was just a feeling – a sense that maybe we were doing better and that our Troopers were performing better. But then we started to collect the data.
We first looked at individual behaviors to understand if “Tough in Spirit” participants were more or less likely to generate a Serious Incident Report (SIR). Referring to Figure 4 below, the 619 initial “Tough in Spirit” participants only generated two SIRs in the six-month period that followed their “Tough in Spirit” retreat. Conversely, the 2,848 Soldiers who were not yet “Tough in Spirit” generated 54 Serious Incident Reports in the same time period.
“Tough in Spirit” participants were 83.2% less likely generate a Serious Incident Report in the six-month period following their training. And, using a chi-squared analysis, we were able to demonstrate a 99% chance that the difference between the two groups was a true difference – not random chance. There was something happening; we were making a difference.
We continued to scale ….and collect data.
Within 90 days we began to see significant differences in the organizational behavior patterns of the platoons that had participated in “Tough in Spirit.”
To objectively assess the program impact, we compared data from two different time periods. We compared the October to January time period in 2022 to the exact same period in 2023. Across Army units, and our Brigade especially, there is a predictable annual pattern and corresponding rhythm to the training calendar. Generally, we do the same training, observe the same holidays, and take leave during the same periods of time…during the same weeks…year after year. By looking at the same four-month period in two different years…we were able to get the most “apples to apples” analysis.
The results were remarkable.
In our four prototyping 4 battalions, with ~3,200 people, we experienced:
40% overall reduction in Serious Incident Reports.
62% reduction in sexual misconduct (to include assault and harassment).
49% reduction in high concern counseling engagements.
Conversely, our two de facto control group battalions, with ~1,000 people, experienced:
150% percent increase in Serious Incident Reports.
100% (0 to 1) increase in sexual misconduct.
30% increase in high concern counseling engagement.
The two assessment periods were nearly identical in every way that we could assess – to include leadership stability, training days and operational tempo, etc. The only discernable difference was the introduction of “Tough in Spirit.”
So, it worked. So what? What was the actual return on investment?
Looking back at that chi-squared statistical analysis, we see that for every 64 Troopers that participated in “Tough in Spirit,” we could expect a decrease of one Serious Incident Report.
That’s a huge deal. In our Brigade, when a Soldier generated an SIR, there was a 75% chance that they’ll be separated from service (kicked out of the Army) for that disciplinary infraction.
We calculated the onboarding cost of a single Soldier to be approximately $65,000 (Basic Training, Advanced Training, Airborne School; this number is likely much higher when the total talent acquisition costs are calculated).
The cost per Trooper for a “Tough in Spirit” retreat hovered at $225. The cost to train 64 Troopers, and thereby reducing one SIR, was less than $15,000.
Let me say that differently, for every $15,000 we invested into our team’s sense of purpose and cohesion, we saved the Army $65,000 in talent acquisition costs. More importantly, we were separating less people for misconduct. We became a better unit in every way that the Army measures.
So, why did it work? And are there any lessons that might be more broadly applicable?
We have a few theories.
First. The “Tough in Spirit” curriculum was designed to be individually empowering. The conversations and discussions helped participants discover their own sense of identity, find their own sense of purpose, and to explore their own ability to operate as a member of a larger team. Contrasted to other leader and team development programs, “Tough in Spirit” didn’t “outsource wellness to a consultancy of experts,” but rather provided a foundational set of personal tools and strategies.
Second. Being outside is naturally inspiring. We very deliberately chose locations that were so incredible and so beautiful that we created a sense of awe. Some faith traditions call them “thin places” – those places on earth that are so magnificent that the line between humanity and divinity becomes blurred. Humans gravitate to these awesome places…because they help us put our problems (and ourselves) into perspective.
Third. Challenge is important. In a very real and meaningful way, humans grow when challenged. Termed ‘antifragility’ by renowned author Nassim Taleb, we know that human growth and development occurs in the face of challenge and as a result of perseverance. Just as bones harden from usage, muscles get stronger under load, and cognitive skills sharpen with study, we also strengthen our spirit and character when we are stretched outside our comfort zones. This isn’t my idea – and it certainly isn’t a new idea. Experiencing challenge, perseverance, reflection and growth is a quintessential model to finding passion and purpose.
Fourth. Mealtimes Matter. Not to overstate the obvious, but something happens at the dinner table. Since the beginning of recorded history, our communities have revolved around sharing meals. There is a reason that every major faith and tradition includes food, or the absence of food, on high holy days. There is a reason that they call it “communion” – which literally meant “fellowship and union” in the 14th century. There is a reason that “going out to dinner” is such an important aspect of 21st century dating. For anybody who has been camping with a Scout Troop, you know how much energy, effort, and emotion goes into watching a group of kids cook and eat together. There is so much written and studied about the importance of sharing meals – it’s impossible to emphasize without feeling redundant. All I can say is…the act of sharing a meal and reflecting with teammates after a hard day of physical challenge seemed to be remarkably well received and remarkably impactful.
In closing, I’d like to recognize the incredible team of people that pulled this initiative together. Special thanks include Chaplains Joel Payne, Gabe Pech, and Bert Snyder; MAJ Hourani, MD; and CPT Rachel Koontz. They, along with scores of others, worked tirelessly to make our team better. And, it worked.