Case Study: Peter Owens's 4th ABCT

LTC (P) Peter Owens will assume command of the 4th ABCT, a unit of which he previously commanded. The unit has recently returned from Afghanistan and will begin preparation for its deployment to the National Training Center (NTC). Using feedback provided by the Center for Army Lessons Learned, previous command climate survey and his observation; LTC (P) Owens has highlighted some significant issues he believes is affecting the unit’s ability to make decisions, communicate effectively, and operate as a cohesive team. LTC (P) Owens has concluded that the challenges facing the 4th ABCT are attributed to the organizational culture and climate because of the command’s failure to maintain a positive command climate. A commander is responsible for both the culture and climate of their unit. They set the tone and the behavior of the organization. As the in-coming commander, LTC (P) Owens has made it his number one priority to change the culture and climate of the organization by using Kotter’s Eight Step Change Model. After assuming command LTC (P) Owens decided that it would be
His first step in leading change is creating a sense of urgency by explaining why change is needed, how it will benefit the organization, and what can happen if change is not implemented. One of the first things LTC (P) Owens does as a commander is issue guidance on works hours to allow Soldiers maximum time to take care of their families. This will create expectation management and possibly cut down the divorce rates. Taking this initial step will set the tone going forward and gain the cooperation and buy-in from Soldiers. As he departs the meeting, LTC (P) Owens tasks the S1 to initiate command climate surveys within the next 30 days to gather feedback on the perceptions and views of the