Defense establishments have been a prime contributor to performance improvement and performance accomplishment from at least World War I. From mental testing to human engineering to the system approach to instructional design and development, defense organizations in the US and in the free world, as a whole, have shown the way. The basic concepts and tools for performance improvement are “scalable” and may be applied at any level from world-wide to individual performance. A key is to make sure that the overall purpose is defined and agreed-upon before designing and developing the performances of individuals and groups.
Most often unstated formally, the prime purpose of the free world defense has been the creation of peace or the restoration of it. One definition of a mission for a defense organization that has been considered in several establishments was to “overcome or neutralize any enemy threat with zero loss of life.”The referent that focuses on the survival, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and positive quality of life is termed Mega. In Mega Thinking and Planning, the primary client and beneficiary of everything that is used, done, produced, and delivered is society, now and in the future (Kaufman, 2000, 2006, Kaufman, Oakley-Browne, Watkins, & Leigh 2003). It is realistic, practical, and ethical.
Defining and then achieving sustained and measurable organizational success is possible. It relies on three basic elements: