Define, Analyze, and Test - Training to Build Better Working Environments Published April 22, 2024 By Senior Airman Alexis Pentzer 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Communication is a fundamental part of professional and personal aspects of life. Learning how to relay information effectively can sometimes be a challenge. Beale introduced the Warfighter-Centered Design(WCD)/Military Scrum Master (MSM) dual course to all members of team Beale as the latest effort to teach open-minded, team based cooperation, and problem solving skills. WCD/MSM is a focused application of design thinking and human-centered design principles that have been practiced in industry for years. Starting with connection to the human experience and the "pain points" a customer is experiencing, the students are taught methods to spend more time thinking divergently and creatively to fully define the problem, create a large number of possible solutions, and then rapidly prototype and test those solutions to find the best result. “I learned a lot of things that I wish I had known younger in my career how to manage,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brandy Parker-Lopez, WCD/MSM student. “As a tech sergeant, I've had many troops over the years and if I had known this process, I would have been able to help them better understand the who, what, where, when and why of getting a product together, it would have made my life a lot easier. It would have made for a more transparent relationship.” MSM presents the Agile/Scrum methodology, initially applied in the software industry here in a military context to provide participants with a toolset featuring transparency, adaptability, and open inspection of outputs. The course is now universally applied in multiple fields and positions, such as establishing ways to spread information across an entire squadron to simple supervisor-troop communication. This two-day workshop equips learners with a comprehensive and effective "nuts and bolts'' operational capability to apply MSM in their workspace or personal lives. WCD centers on Agile problem solving and opportunity development. MSM centers on the Scrum project management methodology. Participants are divided into groups and given hypothetical situations and topics to solve together and present to the class for feedback. For example, in one of the exercises, one group was tasked to come up with an idea to utilize social media and email platforms as communication tools within the unit. After, the group would present in front of the class for feedback. “The Air Force really does a great job of providing Senior Leader Development to O-6s, G-Os, and Chiefs in various positions across the force,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Breana Oliver, 9th Reconnaissance Wing command chief. “This course focuses on the same techniques and fundamentals we are provided in some of those courses. I feel honored that the 9th RW was able to provide this type of training to Beale AFB. I can’t wait to see and hear about how these techniques are put to use locally and wherever those who participated in the training end up throughout the AF and beyond.” The U.S. Navy supports delivery of WCD/MSM to help warfighters make better decisions quicker, with greater impact. Airmen need to be smarter about resource utilization (money, time, people, etc.) and need to work to bring new and effective ideas to bear on some of the complex challenges our services face today. WCD/MSM help the service to accomplish this. “The WCD and MSM courses are open to literally everyone,” said John Larson, Defense Acquisition University professor of systems engineering. “We offer the courses to every service branch. The courses are open to pay grades from E-1 all the way up to Flag officers. The courses are open to Active, Reserve, and Guard personnel, Department of Defense civilian employees, contractor-partners, and even spouses/young adult children of attendees have attended, and there is no cost to attend.” WCD/MSM is another example of how the Air Force is committed to investing in the development of its personnel. Airmen work to cultivate the ability to build better working relationships by understanding how to be open-minded, act transparently and focus on what matters most.