Change Agent Pod Cast Interview with Louis Andre - Chief of Staff, Defense Intelligence Agency - Part 1
June 28, 2006
Last week, we had the unique opportunity to spend an hour with Louis Andre, a change agent and senior executive we were privileged to get to know during the creation of the Change Agent paper in 2005. Louis is a seasoned executive who speaks with clarity and an understanding of what it really takes to enact change within an agency. Last week's conversation was candid, straightforward and features advice for other change agents to consider both inside and outside the government
For those who do not know much about DIA, the site, www.intelligence.gov supplied this background:
Established in 1961, and in 1986 designated a combat support agency, DIA’s mission is to provide timely and objective military intelligence to warfighters, policymakers, and force planners. The Director of the Agency is the primary adviser to the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on military intelligence matters. Under the auspices of the Military Intelligence Board, DIA unites the Defense Intelligence Community on major issues dealing with support to deployed forces, assessments, policy, and resources. In addition, to assist weapon systems planners and the Defense acquisition community, DIA plays a key role in providing intelligence on foreign weapon systems.
Our wide-ranging interview with Louis covers a host of topics, including:
- A day-in-the-life as COO and Chief of Staff at DIA.
- Where he finds best practices from inside the private sector; including the avoidance of siloed decision making, and enterprise content management.
- DIA's initiative around six-sigma. What is this, and how does it affect project leaders within the agency.
- The continued drive to alter the principle operating environments of the agency.
- What it means to have urgency in terms of change across an agency.
- How he keeps a pulse on the agency through feedback and reporting, and what he calls a, "day to day focus on consistency of values" within DIA.
- Is DIA feeling the "brain drain" that is occurring across the Federal government? His point of view on attrition rates might be surprising.
As always we welcome your feedback. Part II of this Pod cast will be posted on Friday.
Thoughts or reactions? Please send them to us.