Message from CPCC leadership team: Update on Defence Team Consultation

January 13, 2022 -  Defence Stories

Happy New Year from CPCC!

As we forge ahead into 2022, we wanted to take a moment to update you on the Defence Team Conduct and Culture Consultation, which is fundamental to our efforts to reshape and renew the Defence Team culture.

First, a huge thank you to everyone who has engaged with us so far. We are impressed by your willingness to share your experiences and appreciate the ideas that you have contributed. While we are only at about the half-way point in the consultation process, discussions to date are already helping us better define the problem space and guide our initiatives and strategy.

Over the last two months, we have connected with Defence Team members in 11 locations, held over 130 sessions, including town halls, leadership discussions, listening sessions and culture dialogues. All told, we have engaged with over 5,000 members so far. The Consultation runs until February 2022 and there are still plenty of opportunities for Defence Team members to join the discussion.

These discussions are imperative for the entire Defence Team. We are facing complex challenges, and we must tap into the power of our people to find solutions. These consultations are about opening up the channels of discussion—to get the ground truth about our culture and to get input from the people who are living it every day.

It is too early to draw any firm conclusions, but here are a few key points—positive and negative—that we have been hearing:

• Pride of service. Defence Team members often underline the pride they take in serving Canada and their role in protecting and defending our country, its citizens and infrastructure.
• Problem solving capacity. Many members have talked about the capacity for the DND/CAF to meet the challenges before it and their belief that the organization is working to get it right.
• Complaint system is causing unintentional harm. We are being told that people feel more affected by the way complaints are managed than by the incident itself.
• Microaggressions are a big deal. Many people are saying they are being negatively affected by comments, inappropriate language or actions that are subtly hostile. While they may often be unintentional, these microaggressions are making people feel like they do not belong.
• Leaders are highlighting the need for skills and tools to enable them to deal better with conflict situations. Many members feel leaders are not equipped to deal with the complexity of interpersonal conflicts and the challenges they present for the individuals directly involved.
• It is difficult to be open about the mistakes made along the way. Many have noted that people feel it is not acceptable to make mistakes and will hide them if possible, which could be inhibiting our organization’s ability to learn and grow.

This is not an exhaustive list and there are still many more discussions planned. However, the consultation process has already made one thing absolutely clear: Leaders at all levels across the Defence Team must realize that they have a tremendous amount of influence on their teams. To paraphrase the comments of one junior member, there is a deeply ingrained belief that toxic behaviours are out of the leaders’ hands, that they are not the ones making decisions, and that our junior members must experience misbehaviours like everyone has done before them. This is absolutely false. Agents of change are everywhere. We all have the capacity to influence and shape our institutional culture every day. Treating everyone with dignity and respect is the standard that we must all strive for.

The opportunity to build a better workplace is before us and every voice matters. Join the discussion. Get involved. We will do this together.

 

Lieutenant-General M.A.J. Carignan, CMM, MSM, CD

Chief, Professional Conduct and Culture

 

Chief Warrant Officer Bob McCann, MMM, MSM, CD

Command Chief Warrant Officer,

Professional Conduct and Culture

 

Marie Doyle

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister,

Professional Conduct and Culture