Presented by CDR Dietmar Teufel, NATO JALLC at the 10th International Lessons Learned Conference (10ILLC) dated 19 May 17.
Lessons Learned in a Multinational Environment. With 28+ allied and partner nations, NATO holds a great deal of diversity in its workforce. Scientific research considers diversity as a “double-edge sword” due to the fact that it bears both risks and benefits for the work. The effects of cultural diversity are not conclusive. Studies show that multicultural teams perform either highly effective or highly ineffective. Additionally to diversity of its people NATO is not a strict military monolithic organization, it is a multi-agency organization with different military headquarters’ at the strategic, operational and tactical level, as well with a branch consisting of civilian lead NATO Agencies.
With this mix of personal diversity and organizational behavior in a multicultural, multi-agency and civil-military organization, it’s a challenge to gather the important Observation, Lessons Identified, and implement Lessons Learned and Best Practice to make NATO to a learning organization. NATO has developed some Best Practice in Lessons Learned to minimize the risk, avoid failure and use the benefits of NATO as a multinational and multi-agency organization. However, avoiding stagnation and regression in the Lessons Learned System in NATO is a daily and never-ending task of a NATO Lessons Learned Staff Officer.
