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Greetings PSNS & IMF, this is CAPT Steve Williamson, your Commander. I want to take this opportunity
today to let you know how proud I am to have been allowed to continue to work with such
a great team in my new capacity as your Commander. It's a tremendous opportunity to continue
to be a part of the historic steps we are taking focusing our efforts to support the
mechanic. I want to take just a few moments today, as my first communication to you, to
let you know what I am and will be focused on. I don't think any of it will be surprise
to you, but I wanted you to hear it from me today.
As we progress into our Product Lines and ensure our words of "non-stop support of our
mechanics," are aligned with our actions, there will be three themes I want you to be
able to see in action each day. The three themes are Execution Excellence,
Engineering Engagement and Employee Empowerment. I want to just briefly touch on them and let
you know what I mean. We are an organization of highly talented
people. Our mission is to "Maintain and Modernize our Navy's Fleet." We all know that mission
well. We also know that today, our Navy and our nation need us to be even better. You
can see where we are as a navy and a nation by reading the news, watching the TV or going
online. We have pressure everywhere to do better with an ever-decreasing budget. Fortunately,
we have the team here at PSNS & IMF to do just that. We must focus our efforts on those
warfighters we support every day. So, as we go about our work on the waterfront, we have
to challenge the way we do processes, the way we do every procedure, and we have to
challenge it every minute of every day. This is how we produce Execution Excellence. It
must come from us challenging systems that simply do not work.
As for Engineering Engagement, we are a NAVSEA organization and NAVSEA is, at its core, a
highly-talented engineering-led organization. I am sure you have noticed your talented engineering
teammates out on the waterfront more and more. This is no accident and is part of ensuring
we can get to excellence in the way we execute work. Engineering engagement in the way the
work is done, in how it is written, owning the outcome along with the mechanic. That
is precisely where we are going. Having our engineers as part of the in-process solution
will provide a much needed boost to the potential productivity and eliminate some of the constant
work stoppages our mechanics endure. Finally, Employee Empowerment. So, what does
that mean? Just saying it doesn't make it so. It is not only going to be a welcome addition
to have the newest or most senior employees in any department, shop or product line feel
free to stand up and question a process or something that just doesn't feel quite right—it's
going to be an expectation. No successful organization can sustain improvement without
the entire organization being part of that solution. We recognized this when we, as a
Senior Leadership Team, listened to your comments about how to really support the mechanic,
and set out to develop the Product Line concept—with your involvement.
We have a challenging road ahead of us and we must have everyone involved in voicing
any issue that can help us move forward; and equally important for our managers, being
receptive to those voices. Allowing differing opinions and using them to become a better
organization is at the heart of a diverse work force and is the definition of employee
empowerment. This will also be at the forefront of our safety focus, as
well. So, those are the themes you are going to hear from me and will reinforced at every
opportunity. Again I am so proud to be your 48th Commander
and am particularly energized about being here right now as part of this historic transformation.
Thank you. Be safe! I will see you around the waterfront.