DoD Professional Military Comptrollers School: the "perspective" student guide to success

Air Force Comptroller, July, 2003 by Yolanda E. McCarden

If you are a regular reader of this section then you know that most of the recent articles for the DoD Professional Military Comptroller School (PMCS) focus primarily on the attributes of the school itself. These articles are excellent at showing what the school has to offer and how it benefits students. We at PMCS are very proud of the curriculum (resource management), faculty (nine field grade officers from all Services), guest speaker program (60-70 per class with 25 percent being flag/general officers or senior executive service personnel), and student demographics (military/civilian from all Services and DoD agencies). These facets work together to enhance the learning process; however, there is another part of the school that has not been addressed, that is, what it takes to be a successful student and how to prepare yourself to come to PMCS. For the past three years I have had the distinct pleasure of being the Navy representative on the PMCS faculty, and in that time have taught many seminars, given numerous briefs, and observed hundreds of students; consequently, I have developed a clear-cut idea of what it takes to be a successful student. Some students see PMCS as a ticket-puncher for promotion, not an enlightening educational experience, but in order to maximize their time here, there are certain things perspective PMCS attendees need to know, digest, and accept before leaving home. So, here is my Professional Military Comptroller School Student Guide to Success.

First and foremost, one's attitude will determine how successful they are at PMCS. To have an enlightening experience, students must arrive with a positive attitude. Having the right attitude is important to anything one does in life and attending PMCS is no exception. A student coming with the wrong attitude hurts not only themselves but also their classmates. There is an old saying, A closed mind learns nothing and a wet sponge absorbs nothing. Enter the doors of PMCS eager to meet others, ready to take on new challenges, excited to learn, and the overall experience will be more productive for you and your classmates.

Secondly, it is important that students know and accept that they will have various assignments to complete. PMCS is not a six-week vacation. Students write two papers (i.e., essay and research paper), prepare and present two briefs, lead a guided discussion, and take an end-of-course exam. Assignments are strategically placed throughout the course to ensure students are capable of completing the work; however, procrastination on any of the assignments will lead to frustration and stress. Also, do not bring work from your home station--it will only exacerbate the problem. Time management is important to balancing schoolwork and informal networking with fellow students and guest speakers.

Thirdly, if PMCS had a nickname, it would be flexibility. Due to the tremendous guest speaker program, students must be extremely fluid in handling schedule adjustments. If there is anything PMCS can guarantee, it is that the schedule will change and more likely more than once or twice. Dr Spencer Johnson, Author of Who Moved My Cheese? wrote Enjoy Change! Savor the adventure and enjoy new horizons. Our speaker's travel from all over the country and depending on the weather, and airport problems, there may be delays that ultimately affect the schedule. Accept this ahead of time, so that you won't be frustrated when it happens.

Fourth, teamwork is also extremely important at PMCS. Student's are divided into seminars of approximately 10-12 people and tasked to complete various projects/event, i.e., Econometric Computer Model, group dynamic exercises, quizzes, volleyball, etc. Regardless of a student's expertise, all are expected to work together as a team to accomplish the mission (i.e., assigned tasks). Authors Jon R. Katzenbach & Douglas K. Smith explained it best when they said Teamwork represents a set of values that encourage behaviors such as listening and constructively responding to points of view expressed by others, giving others the benefit of the doubt, providing support to those who need it, and recognizing the interests and achievements of others. PMCS is designed to enable students to understand the importance of working with others and that the achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual. Every student has something to contribute. No matter what the topic, guided discussion, group dynamic exercises, etc., always participate. There are no experts at PMCS--students learn when everyone communicates and shares information. Seminars can go from a no--win situation, students not participating/communicating, to a win-win situation with everyone contributing to the discussion and everyone learning.

Finally, PMCS encourages out-of-the-box thinking. Students should not come to this school expecting to be taught the mechanics of being a comptroller--that is not our mission. PMCS was chartered to provide a course in military comptrollership ... taught at the professional level as education rather than training. We try to develop each student's capacity to adapt to economic, political, and technical environments affecting military organizations with a continuous focus on the primary mission of supporting the commander and the warfighter. With that said, do not expect every speaker to talk about your particular career field. This is a graduate-level course, designed to expand one's awareness of diverse financial management disciplines. Personal interaction is encouraged between speakers through protocol lunches and other students to gain a greater perspective on the resource management community.