Those of us who attended the In2:InThinking Forum in April 2009 may recall Deb Lewis and her husband Doug Adams offering very moving descriptions of their Forum experience. We are very pleased that they have stayed connected to our efforts, despite the demands of command (for Deb anyway; Doug is retired and very active), and pleased to invite you to join us in conversation about her recent experience in Iraq.
 
During an extremely turbulent and dangerous time in Iraq, COL Deb Lewis was assigned to the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Gulf Region Division where she commanded Central District (GRC), and was responsible for reconstruction missions within Baghdad and Al Anbar Provinces. Reconstruction projects included schools, health clinics and hospitals, water treatment plants and electrical substations, courthouses and judicial facilities, police and fire stations, and barracks.  As a member of Deb's team, Doug will share his home front perspectives as well.

 
The Thought Piece for this Ongoing Discussion is actually a collection of a variety of documents and media compiled by Deb's administrative staff and troops. Among the many stories, reports and books written about that period of time, perhaps the following three key records capture her experiences best.  First, the monthly written updates prepared by GRC's Public Affairs Officer, Norris Jones, a retired Navy Captain.  Second, the short 2-3 minute videos (see links in the Thought Piece), prepared by GRC's Broadcast Journalist, Troy Rolan, a retired Army Sergeant First Class.  Third, many Postcards from Iraq were prepared by individual deployees, are also referenced in the Thought Piece.
 
Construction is Hard Anywhere... and especially in Iraq.  Challenging to do on time, on budget and to quality standards in a contingency status.  Project management in 120F heat.
 
What were some of the challenges?  Funding delays, communication/language challenges, user requested changes, religious holidays, permit delays, coalition rules affecting workers/quality inspections/ material delivery/security of site, immature Iraqi construction industry, contractor inefficiency, civil unrest and sectarian violence, workers threatened/ beaten/ kidnapped/killed, weather, insufficient time allowed in contract, data errors, increasing Iraqi coordination requirements as the Iraqi government stood up (good reason!), material was hijacked and drivers were killed or kidnapped.

As you read the Thought Piece, here are questions to consider as you ponder others;
 
· What are some questions we might ask about these challenges from the perspective of InThinking, Investment Thinking, Parallel or Lateral Thinking, and Systems Thinking, and Enterprise Thinking?
 
· What are we curious about regarding the nature of leadership in this situation?
 
· What would you like to know about Deb Lewis's vision for the missions she commanded, and how she communicated her vision to others?
 
· What are some questions we might ask about the nature of "help" under such conditions?
 
· What can we say about mental models and assumptions that we bring from our culture into another culture, in the context of trying to help?
 
· What questions can we ask about the nature of learning in this system? It what ways was rapid and shared learning critical to the mission?
 
  
Learn more about Doug and Deb in the Thought Piece.