Greetings my friend, or as they say in your current station, “Aloha, Guten Tag, Salam Alaykoum, Annyeonghaseyo, Hola, etc.” (Insert the daily greeting dependent on your current duty location). I apologize for taking so long to get back to you in addition to the length of this note; I would have made it more precise with time. I am honored that you reached out to me and hope this note and subsequent conversations prove valuable. I typically meet a few “soon to be retiring” Soldiers monthly and have found each conversation to contain many similarities as well as differences. I imagine your contemplation, eventual decision, retirement process, and transition will be comparable—that is the process will be the same; but the emotion, perception, and experience will be exclusive and personal. Truth be told, connection and dialogue like this, with “old Military buddies,” remains an important part of who I am and how I have transitioned.

Below are a series of topics you may find beneficial.  They are somewhat a blend of recommendations, philosophy, lessons observed, and perception. While I numbered the discussion points and attempted to logically group them, they are not prioritized.  I do however start with the “big rocks” and get more tactical towards the end. I hope these topics get you thinking and prove helpful.

1. Have many transition conversations. In addition to gaining insight from others, there are additional benefits. First and foremost, taking time to connect with a colleague over a beer or cup of coffee is a lost art. We text, email, Facebook, face-chat, and a host of other things while also losing the ability to communicate. This is a far cry from spending 24/7 with someone while deployed. Second, future opportunities will likely result from these types of discussions vice submitting a job application and resume. Finally and most important, it is important to stay connected for your well-being.

2. Your separation planning--intent has consequences. Most retirees in industry will not seek you out while still serving—they simply have too much respect for your service and the needs of the DOD. However, many will reach out once you signal your intent and timeline. On the flip side, some in uniform will begin to “write you off” quickly. I am not sure if this is intentional or subconscious, but you will be treated different. Some will look at you with envy, others with anger, and some will even perceive you to be a “quitter.” I share this just to make sure you are intentional and aware. Don’t get mad with them or even attempt to justify your decision; they are situationally ignorant.

‍3. Write down your “non-negotiables” and “priorities.” I recommend doing this with _______ (Spouses Name) and prior to conducting interviews. Get a notebook and clearly document your post military desires. Once done, separate those that are “Non-negotiable.” This is different for everyone. Some common categories include location, salary, job function, etc. For example, a friend of mine’s non-negotiables included living near Fort Benning, a salary that would allow him to pay his house and live modestly, and a clearly defined 9-5 government job Monday thru Friday with no homework. His aspirations were very clear allowing for a thoughtful and focused transition. In contrast, my non-negotiables were less specific as I:

•        Wanted a salary that matched my Army standard of living without touching retirement.

•        Desired a job where I could be paid for performance and outcomes; IE a meritocracy with bonus and promotion options.

•        Needed a job that was project based, IE I did not want to perform the same functions daily.

•        Was only willing to work with a company that would invest in me and the job offer was not contingent upon a contract proposal

•        Needed to feel that the organization’s culture was purpose driven and not complacent.

In addition, I assembled a bunch of other factors that I used as priorities when transitioning. I recommend writing these down before any type of negotiations or discussions to guide your decision-making.  In addition, don’t second guess or question your negotiation once you accept a job. There will always be someone who “gets a better deal;” Good for them. If you have a good vibe, get excited about an offer that meets your non-negotiables, go for it. Get the job, work your ass off, and the opportunities will expand. Finally, understand that your non-negotiables will limit opportunities—which also helps you focus. For example, my desire for a job that paid bonuses for performance eliminated options as a government employee. Also, since many small companies lack overhead resources, my unwillingness to accept a job that was contingent upon winning a contract limited my look to more established companies.

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Fortunately, I was afforded a unique lens with one of the best military medical mentors and educators. As I matured, I observed many cultural challenges, organizational ambiguity, duplicated efforts, strengths and vulnerabilities of entrenched bureaucracies, and variance across the MHS.

My experience in uniform and out tells me that providing the greatest value of medical care to our military personnel depends on integrating capabilities. It starts with communication and transparency. We cannot afford to talk past each other, and need honest and respectful conversations, unconstrained by individual siloes or focused exclusively on immediate tasks. We need to continuously evolve and improve.

The writer F. Scott Fitzgerald noted, “The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”

In that spirit, I will be posting throughout 2018 on key topics for a military health system undergoing formidable change. I’ll explore subjects designed to intentionally spark conversation, including:

        - Innovating around bureaucracy (it’s more than technology)
        - Hybrid organizing and applying the three DoD decision-making systems:
        - Capabilities integration for the unified medical program
        - Cognitive dissonance in the acquisition system—military health as a collaboration, not a commodity
        - MHS transformation and the importance of designing and digitizing an integrated planning, programming, budgeting and execution system (PPBES)
        - Beneficiaries as a communications channel and the importance of experience
        - Total Force Readiness—are we really that different?