The concept of Administrative vs. Operational reality comes from a 2005 memorandum, which turned into a white paper, that I submitted while I was working at the Federal Air Marshal Service. I will not disclose the subject of the paper but it is important to know that I coined the term to illustrate the fundamental differences between the Administrative or “top down” approach to something and the Operational or “bottom up” approach. The conflict presented by the opposing approaches is often the struggle between theory and application. Theory often dies in the face of application. The advent of the scientific method defined hypothesis as “a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation”. Often what we see on an operational level is that not all good ideas bear fruit.
I used to watch this dynamic often, as I was growing up, working with and learning from my Dad. My Dad was a fire fighter and a builder, working long days over three decades building things from the ground up with his hands while working other long days over the same timeframe keeping them from burning down. I used to sit at the kitchen table and stare in fascination at a set of blue prints from the site – ideas on a page that he was charged with bringing to life. Early on in school I started drawing, taking drafting classes every year until by graduation I was completing sets of prints on my own. I used to show them to my Dad and he would look at the squared corners and blocked letters and grand designs with that trained professional eye and say, “These look good. Will it work?” Of course it works, I would think to myself, all the corners are square, and the letters are blocked, and all the designs are grand. It took long hours of my own to come to know what he meant. The more and more I worked with him at construction sites the more I began to realize what is drawn on the page is often not possible to make. For every building ever made there exists that final set of prints – the set marked “as built” – covered in carpenter pencil, ink, and grease, that bear witness to the final product. The markings and notes show the changes that needed to be made to an idea in order to bring it to life. The changes chart the path between the Administrative reality of the architect and the Operational reality of the builder. Pen and ink yields to boots and hammers every time.
I have brought this lesson with me in everything that I do. For those of you that work with me you hear me say frequently that I’m not married to my ideas – they are just ideas. Ideas are free. Ideas that bear fruit stay, ideas that yield barren ground must go. If you don’t already use a similar approach I would encourage you to begin looking at your world through the optic of the administrative v. operational reality, because where they meet in the middle is often where we find our lives taking shape.
-Matt
Obama created and continues to enable Isis with supplies weapons and vehicles. We can’t fight Isis until our government stops enabling them. I do not think he has the heart for the fight because he’s part of the problem.
Agreed.
A lifetime in the restaurant business confirms what you’ve said, and it’s been applied in my defensive training this year.
I have to plan everything from the bottom-up and still be prepared to skip A & C when my PACE goes from P to E in moments.
Well written, and thanks!
My father used to make me look at his drafts of the things he was building and ask me to explain what I saw in front of me. One of my grandfathers was a tin smith. Seeing the reality in the tin before you even started cutting or folding was crucial. Great article, Brother. Especially when dealing with life taking and saving endeavors. Thank you.
This lesson was taught to me by a very wise trainer whilst I was studying Education Training & Development some years back, and what an important lesson to have been taught.
I apply this approach as much as possible as an Education Training & Development Practitioner (Instructor) in the police
In the older Americana children worked from a early age . They learned this lesson because they started on the bottom as the person that had to Accomplish the task. We have eliminated child labor thinking we are helping them , but what we see is that we have denied them training that they could never get from a school or class . We have admin that require degrees in things that don’t pertain to the real to the job they have. We have admin with doctorates in things that only respect those with similar back grounds .
They then right the job criteria so the degree is require for the admin job . This elimanates the “lower ranks”
The people with real world ideas and knowledge from the places that set policy . This cycle is the worst in government employment . Give credit where credit is due . Be open to ideas no matter the source
I can understand what you’re saying Mr.Graham and I believe I can start to put this into work for my plans for defense home or in public open closed or armed thank you. Gonna try to set ( sneak) funds for a class .
Your approach to this particular writing is very interesting. I had to read it, go back then read it again for it to sink in to the open areas of my mind. Thank you for putting these ideas and thoughts down for us to look over and soak in.
Thank you
Robert.w
W.T.D.
Keep up the amazing works guys I’ve you guys to blogroll.