NavalX Connecx

NavalX Connecx

By NavalX ConnecxBusiness
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NavalX Connecx episodes

  • EPISODE 36- Reboot

    Welcome back to NavalX Connex. The three new hosts of the show introduce themselves –Rodney Flowers is the Director of Facilitation at NavalX; Brad Goodrich is the Deputy Director of NavalX, and Julie Lemmon is head of Public Affairs and Strategic Communication at NavalX. We get a flavor of what the new and improved show will sound and feel like. Rodney, Brad, and Julie introduce themselves, and welcome listeners back to more conversations about agility, teamwork, and innovative ideas.

    16 min
  • EPISODE 35 - Developing our Future Leaders

    Out of highschool, Lieutenant Colonel Raphael Jimenez was looking for a team, similar to the teammate mentality he was used to playing sports. He followed in his father's footsteps, slipped on a pair of army boots, and hasn't looked back. After 20 years, he became Brigade Support Battalion Commander of 725 in Anchorage, Alaska, quite a different environment from his home in Puerto Rico. Today on NavalX ConnecX, he talks about working in extreme conditions, teamwork, giving constructive feedback, and redefining failure to keep the battalion moving forward.

    38 min
  • EPISODE 34 - Putting Capabilities in the Hands of the Warfighter

    Mel Manor knew before he graduated high school that he wanted to dedicate his career to his country. He jumped out of his cap and gown into a marine uniform and has never looked back. Since then he has gone through diverse phases in his career, from jumping out of planes to answering emails, which has provided him with a holistic understanding of the industry. Today, he is a part of I MIG, helping put emerging technologies into the hands of the Marines to give them an advantage in the fight. He provides mentorship, runs innovation bootcamps, and has had plenty of adventures along the way. Join us on this episode of Navalx Connecx.

    34 min
  • EPISODE 33 - 1 Geronimo & Adapting to Arctic Conditions

    Lieutenant Colonel Todd Tompkins is the battalion commander for the 1st Battalion 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, aka 1 Geronimo. Since World War 1, 1 Geronimo has been finding ways to evolve, innovate, and develop airborne capability. Today, Tompkins is stationed in Alaska operating in Arctic conditions. From jumping into -15 degree water or sliding onto a prototype collapsible sled, he is fostering an innovation cell to encourage people from different battalions to generate new ideas and move the battalion forward, while occasionally peeking at the Northern lights from his backyard.

    20 min
  • EPISODE 32 - Wasted Failures are Lost Opportunities
    Colonel Brian Rideout discusses with Mohawk Matt how failure isn't a waste, lighting the spark of innovation, and having honest conversations with key senior leaders. Rideout has been enthusiastic about the military since he was a kid. His love of drawing military vehicles in kindergarten turned into a real career in the field. 20 years later, he is focused on innovation as the commanding officer at 1st MEF Information Group, a new facet that puts five battalions, 4000 Marines and Sailors, and 170 different primary military occupational specialties focused on the information related capabilities all under one roof. They also discuss the origin story of Matt's now famous nickname, thanks to Rideout.
    18 min
  • EPISODE 31 - Marines put Scrum in Action
    Major Lucas Burke, director of warfighter support division and his Operations Officer, Captain Mike Troncoso at Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity. MCTSSA adopted scrum to track their productivity and actions. These marines discuss the basics of scrum and how it helps the team track information across numerous time zones and commands. They explain how the scrum board is a "living" document that tracks tasks across the to do, doing and done space so there is awareness on tasking. Their goal is to spread scrum far and wide across the organization, and for those interested to reach out to the Marines here to learn more about the Centers for Adaptive Warfighting (CAW) and the courses they offer. How do you implement scrum within your own organization? Just start doing it yourself and visually manage tasking to demonstrate to others how it works. Even when things fail, it allows you to reevaluate when you need to look at each sprint.
    31 min
  • EPISODE 30 - Data is Currency & Innovating Business
    To achieve the goals of the Navy we can no longer have a system silo perspective, and PEO MLB is enabling data sharing across the IT platforms that exist on the Navy team. Data transformation is intended to force the organization to make decisions that can allow for economies of scale for data processing programs within the Navy. Les Hubbard and Kevin Burnett share how they came to lead the PEO MLB (Program Executive Office Manpower Logistics and Business Solutions) and what their mission on that team includes. PEO MLB is built on three pillars: application and enterprise services group, data transformation services, enterprise systems and services innovation support. They shared the importance of utilizing the tools which you are pushing the workforce to use is key to see from leaders so that the Navy can lead by example. Learning to appreciate the processes which keep the Navy running.
    49 min
  • EPISODE 29 - Leader of Character & Unlocking Partnerships
    At age 17, Brandon Newell was already asking himself, "What do I stand for?". Inspired by the service of his family members, Newell decided that the structure of ROTC would set him on the path to answering this question. In this episode, Marine Lieutenant Colonel Newell takes us through family life, travels and 5G along with his time in the Marine Corps, what it taught him about being a leader of character, and how he inspires others to be the same. As a firm believer in the power of passion and innovation and as the director of the SoCal Tech Bridge Lt. Col Newell has leveraged his leadership skills to supercharge the Navy's involvement in the 5G revolution. A collaboration with Qualcomm and Verizon enabled the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to become the first military base in the United states with a small cell 5G tower. His passion for collaboration between industry and the military may have guided Lt. Col Newell to his success, but he knows that without the foundation of character and family, he wouldn't have been able to get it done.
    46 min
  • EPISODE 28 - Embrace the Challenges
    Picture a first generation American as a caddy on a golf course inspired by his family's maritime history and decides to join the Navy! Captain Frank Futcher went from joining the Navy as a way to pay for college and continued to serve because of the multitude of experiences he was exposed to through the Navy. Frank shares about the 60+ countries he has gotten to see through his travels while a Supply Officer in the Navy. Over the years Frank has cultivated his love of wine and found his wine education can help him explore the world through a different lens. Frank shares a little about how in today's military there are more expectations from every sailor and Marine from the ground level up. As the second director of NavalX, Frank has seen his role as providing the top cover for the organization to try and to change the culture that is the traditional military and government. NavalX is meant to grow the culture in a different form by cultivating inclusivity and diversity of thought and oftentimes folks don't understand something that is new and different. Frank brags about his spreadsheet skills but when it comes down to it, the people are the only things that matter in the end.
    52 min
  • EPISODE 27 - Creating space for Innovation at NAS Whidbey Island
    When you want to make changes, the first step is often making the right connections. Put yourself in the path for innovation if you don't find that you will have the opportunity to create it within your own organization. CAPT Matt Arny, call sign Flounder, is currently the Commanding Officer of Whidbey Island, the largest Naval Air Station in the Pacific Northwest. During his time in Sweden he was taught to look around the room and give folks space to add their thoughts if you notice they haven't spoken up. Arny emphasizes the need to take care of yourself so you can perform at your best when you show up at work. Flounder talked passionately about revamping the process for refueling aircraft could be revitalized and it would only take a change to the logistics system. Democratization of the challenges facing the Department of the Navy workspace has really helped elevate problems that can be solved easily once identified. Finding issues throughout the enterprise that seem to be marginal issues but can really make a difference in people's lives.
    39 min

About NavalX Connecx

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Welcome to NavalX Connex. This show interviews individuals from every aspect of the Navy and unpacks their particular challenges and innovative solutions. On the show, we share ideas, highlight…