'CIA INTER !'iL use.. ONLY
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f b` 2 0 MAR 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Support
Profile for the Support Officer of 1980
This paper is submitted in response to your
STATINTL invitation to describe what a typical Support
Officer might look like in 1980. As in any theoretical
effort which is normative in scope certain basic assump-
tions are required; therefore, this paper makes the
following assumptions:
A. the Support Directorate, which generally
functions as a reactive organization, should
strive to become more proactive in its
relationships with the other Directorates
and Independent Offices;
B. it is a desirable goal for the management
of the Support Directorate to achieve full
parity with the managements of the other
Directorates and Independent Offices in terms
of participation in Agency goal setting and
decision-making;
C. the Deputy Director for Support (DD/S)
recognizes that the performance of the
Directorate is to a large extent a function
of the prevailing attitudes of its officers
and their perceptions of the Directorate's
value system.
ILLEGIB
2. As implied by the above assumptions, the Support
Directorate has been indirectly controlled by the other
Directorates and Independent offices because it has tra-
ditionally taken its behavioral cues from these other
decision-makers and their respective value systems. if
the Deputy Director for Support subscribes to the postulated
goal of changing the Support Directorate to a proactive
organization which functions as a coequal participant in
Agency goal setting and decision-making, three dimensions
of the Support Officer must be recognized: (1) the Support
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Officer as a self-conscious and knowing actor within the
Agency's environment; (2) his understanding, acceptance
and commitment to the Directorate's goals, objectives
and value system; and (3) his feeling of full acceptance
by others to participate in Agency goal setting and
decision-making. While the problem can be analysed on
an individual level, it is obvious that the proactivity
of one officer will not transform the Directorate. A
transformation of this magnitude will require the concerted
effort of all Support Officers, each of whom must activate
his respective organization. Collectively, this new
proactive attitude and behavior pattern will have an
impact on both the Directorate and the Agency.
3. Given an acceptance of the three major dimensions
of molding a proactive organization, the central element
would seem to be the individual actor. In the case of the
Support Directorate, the individual actor is the Support
Officer.l Consequently, this paper, while recognizing the
importance of the other two dimensions, will concentrate on
the modest objective of describing a profile for the Support
Officer in 1980. In general, three basic skills would seem
to be required of any Support Officer in the performance of
his job; that is, each officer must possess a certain ad-
mixture of technical, human and conceptual skills. These
skills are defined as follows:
ILLEGIB
Technical skill--a knowledge or expertise in a
gig ven-discipline and the facility to apply the
methodology of that discipline, e.g., technical
skill is acquired and practiced within each
functional office of the Directorate and by the
"S" careerists whose expertise is a general
knowledge of the support: process;
Human skill--a facility for developing good
interpersonal relationships and working effect-
ively as a leader or member of a group;
Conceptual skill--the intellectual ability to
perceive one's organization and its goals as part
of a larger and more complex institutional setting
and to act accordingly.
As a general observation, we can say that the relative import-
ance of the mix of these three skills to an organization is a
1Support Officer is defined generically as any officer
xecuting a support function and under the command jurisdiction
If f the DD/S.
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function of one's place in the organization hierarchy.
For example, technical skill should have its greatest
importance at the lower levels while conceptual skill
becomes critical at the highest levels of management
responsibility. By extension we can hypothesize that
while technical skill becomes relatively less important
as one progresses in responsibility, the importance of
conceptual skill increases exponentially and becomes
critical at the most senior level of a given organization.
Unfortunately, most organizations are not overstaffed with
people who can function equally well on all three skill
levels, and the Support Directorate cannot be touted as
an exception to the rule. For example, the Support Officer
who demonstrates exceptional technical skill is not
necessarily capable of demonstrating a comparable level
of conceptual skill. If the ability to conceptualize a
problem, define alternatives and select an optimum course
of action is not a common skill among all men, how can
we begin to identify and develop this skill in our officers.
It is the position of this paper that the development of
conceptual skill is a function of experience and formal
education, and neither on-the--job experience nor academic
achievement alone can commonly result in the conceptual
skill required at the more senior levels of management.
4. Whereas the development of a closed and rigid system
would be dysfunctional to the Directorate in the long run,
it is imperative that we begin to identify the general mix
of experience and education that should be expected of Support
Officers in 1980.2 While Support. Officers may eventually
share common attributes and commitments to the Directorate's
goals, objectives and value system, there should also be
distinct and observable differences in the performance require-
ments and credentials for officers at each level in the
organization. This paper is not asserting that the profiles
illustrated below are necessarily complete; it is, however,
suggesting that certain combinations of experience and education
should be basic to a given level of achievement within the
Directorate. Three achievement, levels or groups have been
selected to illustrate basic profiles:
A. Junior Level (GS-07 to GS-11). Professionals
entering a`E-tfie junior level (direct hires or career
trainees) should be college graduates who have
2
See Tab A which suggests that by 1980 more CIA officers
in general will have participated in post graduate study, and
more Support officers in particular will have completed post
graduate work in their chosen field.
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articulated an interest in an administrative
career. While it may be desirable to recruit
a certain percentage of junior officers who
have completed post graduate programs in
specialized fields where they will be working,
e.g., engineering, personnel administration or
accounting, post graduate work is not seen as
an essential element for entry into the junior
levels of the Support Directorate. In terms of
past work experience some junior officers will
enter from the college campus, some from military
service and others from work experience in both
the public and private sector. What is important
for the junior professional is that he understand
that he is expected to develop a proficiency in
certain technical and human skills (see above)
and improve his knowledge of both his chosen
speciality and the field of public administra-
tion.3 For the purpose of this paper, it is
not relevant to attempt an identification of
a desirable mix of line and staff experience .4
What is important is that the junior officer
acquire and develop basic technical and human
skills, understand the Directorate's goals,
objectives and value system and demonstrate an
interest in improving his professional knowledge.
B. Middle Level (GS-12 to GS-15). While
there are obvious gradations between expected
performance levels, personal attributes, exper-
ience and education required for professionals
in the middle level of their work life, there are
still basic requirements we can identify for
these Support Officers. For example, it does
not seem unreasonable to expect these officers
as a group to have demonstrated an ability to
conceptualize problems, develop viable alter-
natives, choose and implement a rational course
of action. They must also possess the ability
3
This requirement recognizes public administration as a
professional discipline and not as a "second career," and
prescribes that any specialist, e.g., engineer, psychologist,
computer specialist, lawyer, etc. who has managerial aspirations
seek formal training in public administration to enhance his
chance for success and ultimate value to the organization.
4For an interesting evaluation the relevance of line and
staff experience, see Tab B, an abstract of Phillip Kelley's
article Reappraisals s of Appraisals," Harvard. 'Business May.-June 1958, p. 13 Review,
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to apply both technical and human skills when
such knowledge is required. Moreover, it does
not seem unreasonable to expect officers at this
middle level to display initiative, creativity
and knowledge of the field of public administration.
Since knowledge is a perish-able commodity, it is
important that these officers demonstrate a pro-
fessional's interest in keeping abreast of the
latest developments in public administration and
related fields.5 For example, participation in
professional organizations, attendance at pro-
fessional conferences and Civil Service seminars
and post-graduate study would all be acceptable
indicators of professional. interest. In short,
middle level officers who aspire to management
positions must not only perform well in their
assigned jobs, but should also demonstrate that
they have executive potential and a professional's
interest in keeping abreast: of the latest research
and developments in the general field of public
administration.6
C. Senior Level (GS-16) to EPS). A senior
level officer should be a public administrator
par excellence. He should be an executive who
possesses full mastery of his area of responsibility,
a generalist's appreciation of the Directorate
and Agency's culture and their respective con-
stituencies, and an ability to apply the knowledge
and experience gained over time to the challenge
of leading others and managing activities to a
successful conclusion.
In terms of executive style, he should
be self--actualizing, proactive and capable of applying
5
Related fields could be defined as information science,
public financial and personnel administration, organization
behavior, management science, public policy, and public law.
6A few professional associations that would seem relevant
to the Support Directorate are: American Society for Public
Administration, American Association of Information Sciences,
American Society for Training and Development. Society for
Personnel Administration, American Medical Association, American
Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association,
Association of Federal Investigators, Federal Accountant's
Association, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineers.
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both his knowledge of the organization and his
profession to problems. He must, therefore, be
openminded enough to alter his choices as he
receives fresh information from the environment
around him and objective enough to redefine
problems, identify new alternatives and convert
decisions into rational actions. Most importantly,
the senior executive must be futuristic in orientation;
that is, he should be able to anticipate problems
before they are manifested and apply his sense of
creativity in ascertaining possible solutions. The
senior officer of 1980 will also be required to have
an appreciation of the problems inherent in the
managing of organization change; consequently,
he will need a professional's respect for new ideas,
techniques and methodologies and a willingness to
try new and often bold approaches that may not
always guarantee success.
In terms of personal attributes, he should
display a professional's acumen of the fundamental
distinction between the concept of leadership
(the ability to motivate superordinates, peers
and subordinates) and the concept of management
(the planning, and control of programs or activites).
As for professional credentials, it does not seem
unreasonable to expect him to hold a graduate
degree in public administration or related field,
be involved in a program of continuing education
and be.active in professional associations.?
In short, the senior, level executive should be
the personification of a true generalist.
5. Having identified the magnitude of the problem of
moving the Support Directorate to a more cohesive and pro-
active posture, the admixture of professional skills required
at various levels of work within the Directorate and general
profiles for Support Officers of the future., one might ask
what has to be done now to transform the Support Directorate
into a successfully proactive and equal member of the Agency
management team. How does one achieve a new order without
completely destroying the confidences of colleagues earned
over the years. I-low does one change prevailing attitudes
7 One's active participation in professional associations
would, of course, be a function of his cover situation; however,
at.the senior level, cover is nct usually a major constraint.
6
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within an organization without reverting to edict and the
ramifications of arbitrary action. Part of the answer
lies in understanding what organizational leadership is
and part in conveying this concept to others on the manage-
ment team. Leadership is a function of three rather complex
variables: the individual, the group of followers and the
organizational environment. To overcome the current reactive
nature of the Support Directorate, a new style of leader-
ship must be exhibited--a leadership style that communicates
a clear sense of direction and a consuming sense of urgency.
While the development of dynamic leadership is the respon-
sibility of all officers in managerial positions, the catalyst
must be the Deputy Director for Support (DD/S). He must
think and act not just as a manager in the traditional sense
of that term but as a strategist and an architect of change.
This posture means that the DD/S must seize the initiative
in identifying problem areas and encourage new and innovative
solutions; it means supporting people who articulate new
approaches or who take issue with the status quo; it means
rewarding those who are willing to tackle major policy issues
or established procedures; and,. finally, it means convincing
talented young professionals that the future of the Directorate
depends to a large extent on their willingness to think
creatively and to act professionally in helping more exper-
ienced officers shape the organization's future.
. 6. To recapitulate, neither academic achievement nor
work experience alone can ensure that an individual officer
will be equipped to handle the future problems of the Support
Directorate; namely, the management of change, the leading
of people and the developing and managing of a flexible
organization which is capable of meeting internal and external
pressures for change. Too frequently, the experience factor
has received a disproportionate emphasis in the Support
Directorate. Too many Support Officers have spent too much
time analyzing past actions in search of clues on how to
respond to -today's problems. The Support Officers of 1980
cannot afford to remain service technicians; they must have
the trained public administrator's ability to meld past
experiences with a healthy skepticism toward existing policies
and practices. Experience will always be a valuable guide,
but the status quo deserves no special reverence.
7. In conclusion, it is the position of the writers of
this paper that the Central Intelligence Agency of 1980 will
require leaders who are futuristic in orientation and possess
the ability to understand, stimulate and manage change. As
part of the Agency's management: team, the Support Officer of
the future must be a professionally educated and experienced
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public administrator; he must be receptive to new ideas and
methods; and he must have earned the professional respect of
other Agency colleagues.
STATINTL
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TABA - EDUCATION OF SEN I OR CI I E S :RVi CE ENIPLO EES
BY GRADE, AGE AND DEGREE ( as of 1971 A
LESS THAN BACHELOR
DEGREE
BACHELOR BUT
NOT A MASTERS
MASTERS AND PH. D
GS 15 AND GS 15 AND
EQUIVALENTS EQUIVALENTS
UNDER 50 50 AND OLDER
GS 16-18 AND
EQUIVALENTS
UNDER 50
GS 16-18 AND
EQUIVALENTS
50 AND OLDER
A. EXECUTIVE MANPOWER fN THE FEDERAL G'
S hVlCE BUREAU OF EXECUTIVE
MANPOWER, U. S. CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION {7572).
B. AWFprTdVed6fbrRRld& 2O0 1O848) T-CIARDP83d3QQ$ ROOD Q.2$QWgz%IVALEN T
C. OF THIS 54%, 31% HOLD MASTERS DEGREES AND 23% HOLD THE PH. 0 OR EQU!VALENT
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cultics ill making salary decisions and appraisal,
particularly in those positions where quality or
Creativity may be the 1)('rfor1nance index rather
than quantitative factors.
As costs rise and profit margins shrink, such
positions draw the quickest attention for mana-
gerial cost control. Part of this can undoubtedly
be attributed to what Peter Drucker calls the
"obsolete vocabulary of business." Drucker feels
that terms such as "overhead," "productive hi-
bor," and "nonproductive labor" arc semant.i-
ca11y misleading. As he points out, the produc-
tivity differential between Western Europe and
the United States is not a matter of capital in-
vestment but of analyzing, planning, re-examin-
ing, and innovating." And it is true that the
greatest contribution, to profitability may stern
from those areas labeled "overhead."
I am not sure, however, that this fact is gen-
erally understood. For the concept of dcterm:in-
ing contributions to profitability in terms of the
immediately pleasurable "productive activity" is
the warp and woof of the American tradition,
Part of this concept stems from early time-and-
Illotion study concepts of prod uctivit.y, Cost ac-
countability, and measurement which still per-
meate much management thinking. Another
part of the concept undoubtedly do's f;o back
to traditional ideas about line and staff ---- with
the line seen as the "productive" phase of all
organization, and the staff seen as "ovverhead."
'These ideas cattle from an era when the chief
need was to "turn out the goods" to fill the ex-
panding needs of both United States and world
economics; the line job of "turning out the
goods was the in,tjor and overriding interest,
and staff work :vas seen as merely a supporting
activity of the line.
But in today's fast-tightening Competitive pic.-
ture, tvc may tied the traditional roles reversed,
with line din activitiC in solppoorrt of yf
too it w'-11- ctim, (port heavi , ccntrrcd arotim
trtJ1 4~~ti j(d` I or (lie real VI gills oL)iou t
d ility'_tl~c'sc-r. -. slie in ~t7~ail;is c mcilt's abi~itr
to lm1 ze and~7l ur to ,tt in a sensitivity to
Ch ul"calld to dcvc ob) 17 i fity to res'j ii1
cft)icl;ly to new conditions. lcin s ;:ucnas tic
tyc hccrnlic illCanlr, 'Iris n tcr tilt-
.
el,tt io51:11 concept for r v er ' ,tc tie ity is concerned
with orwhicirtt' notimmn t,rolit,~bi ',.
vat inn and sttoncnlcnt through physical work.
Mamlgentent analysts link this to sonic of our
national built-in predilections for seeuririJ; to
"keep busy," and I Suspect that these prcdilcc-
tions may unconsciously influence our starulards
of managerial 1x'havior and pcrformance. TO
what extent is our appraisal philosophy auto-
matically loaded in favor of the obviously "busy"
executive - and action for action's sake? Let
us consider a few examples:
QI here is Executive X, amiable head of a sizable
department. His phone is constantly bits)'. lie
dashes from meeting to meeting, carries home heavy
loads of work, takes a certain delight in overtime
work, and never takes vacations. Those of his staff
who have not moved out may be withering on the
vine for lack of a chance to show what they can do.
A real one-man band, his clcrnise will find a weak
organization, ill-prepared to carry on now that the
kingpin has gone.
Actually, Mr. X might cease to be so busy if lie
were willing to delegate, to organize better, to be a
manager rather than a doer. In fact, to be brutally
blunt, if he would take the time to sit down and
meditate, he might discover that go ,7(, of his ac-
tivity Could be saved by the clarification and issu-
ance of a few policy decisions.
Cl On (lie other hand, consider Mr. Y -- quite
the opposite of Mr. X. Ile never seems harassed.
Ile spends a good deal of time on plannin;; and on
staff wore.. Ile gives out both responsibility and
recognition freely, worries more about his people
than himself. Constantly at work at the incon-
spicuous job of developing others, lie has fostered
a flow of people to key posts in the conipan\. And
if lie were to vanish tomorrow, his departmc nt
would continue to function smoothly and well.
To what extent. does our management tra-
dition of "obvious busyness" lead us to rate
rsEr. X's performance and contribution over dlr.
Y's? Should lnanagcrnent reappraise not only.
its appraisal methods hut also its basic ideas of
what constitutes real and meritorious perform-
ance? For, in truth, the "good" manager. Ilk, it
topnotch performer in any field, "makes it leink
easy." 'l'hc better lie does his work as ;t le;tdcr-
nullialger, the less "noise" lie males avid [lie less
other well will appreciate his accowplishmetlt.
Ile will not continually seek to grab power or
credit, but to give it, so that lie will attract less
s-
Ile should be a teacher and coach, able to make clear to his
subordinates the relationships between what they are doing
and other events and techniques around them.
5. He naz4-st be crsatiue. Creativity means the
`viliinl; ss to experiment withh the nove 1 and be open to the
untried. Its characteristics are the ability to suspend
judgment and toy with the absurd, to see beyond
technological limitations to possibilities of bringing
together discrete elements or people into new relationships
and projecting likely results.
6. He _ wz!+ sB_ 2uc to b, a rn ar er,_ His desire to
manage must arise from his recognition that it is file kind
of work that most suits his abilities and inclinations.
Yearnings for power, prestige or promotion should not
be dominant motives-
Selecting and Train-in, Manager's
From the foregoing it should be clear that most of the
qualities sought in a manager can be sharpened, shaped,
and enhanced through training, but training will not instill
or create tlz rri. S lection, then, is a key to success.
Tests have been developed for all the qualities listed as
requisite for the manager. Some of these tests are still
primitive, but they are at least reliable enough to be used as
indicators. 1~fhere the tests are markedly imperfect, as, for
S
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example, are indices for creativity, NS,. research
psychologists can work toward improving them, in
consultation with outsiders from academic and business
circles. Work of this sort takes time and money, but the
results should for outweigh the costs.
Aside from testing, observing people on the job can be
useful for the 'identification of traits needed in
management. The major problem here is training
supervisors to be on the lookout for personnel with these
traits. A clear definition of what the traits are and possibly
training on how to recognize them might be helpful. A
revision of performance appraisals or the use of personnel
evaluation forms tailored to elicit remarks on management
potential are other possible devices.
Recruitin. g college graduates who manifest the defined
attributes is yet another possibility. Young men and women
trained in such fields as psychology, business
administration, management science (or its equivalent by
other names) and public administration are likely
candidates for Agency management training.
These and other systems of selection should be used in
concert to assure that young people selected for
management training do in fact possess management
potential and that all likely candidates are considered.
Because of their individual weaknesses, any one of these
systems of selection may, on occasion, disqualify the
qualified and admit the unqualified.
In keeping with the definition of a manager posited
earlier, the training of a potential mat ger must stress
disciplines most likely to (a) strengthen the ability to work
through l eople, and (b) enhance the aptitude to make
sound decisions. Toward the first of these goals, a potential
manager should be rti:Cll.uired to develop ruome col ;pete nce in
as penny of the following fields as possible: psychology,
sociology, communication (written and oral), behavioral
science, organizational theory, and managemartt science (or
administration). The last three are admittedly hybrid
studies that have not attained the status of classic academic
disciplines. But their usefulness for training managers is
patent.
Toward the second goal-sound decision-
mzl:ing- training should stress mathematics, philosophy,
systems analysis or operations research, general semantics,
linguistics, computer technology, statistics, economics,
vaiirsus kinds of engineering, and such new devices as
I) ::.I'HI and decision tables- The point of these studies is
to reinforce the ability to use vi,.riOus kinds of logic for
comparing options and building alternative mixes.
Both '_;oa.ls. can be aided by new techniques designed to
increase awareness of the self and its relationship to its
environment. When used properly, these techniques can
hone perception and promote awareness of personal
strengths and weaknesses--including those which can be
improved. Schooling in still-experimental fields--such as
r,.
1 Utrtrl sin, c l l.atl'V ply, aL.ll al.lileverileAll-' ; 1..? ...,,-t2
investigating as an aid to expanding the ability to project
and relate.
The Manage lent Ca 'eer Panel
The precariousness of projecting ideas from a definition
which is in itself open to dispute will no doubt have struck
the reader. I do not maintain that there is an empirical
basis for these ideas; they represent no more than a
rudimentary attempt to build the theoretical framework on
which to hang a management professionalization program.
How, then, might we go about producing a flesh-and-
blood management program for NSA? One step would be
to establish a panel for managem nt made up of
exceptionally well-qualified proffessionals representing, a
Wide ran f Bil1l,nth. c .7 R LLILJ+S ft L? 1L,,....tion r_ ,. RJUA ~, (JO 1VAAU Ytci i_.. 5.-51.._-.i.
'range of ti yr VUl l
assure a good mix: (a) senior Agency managers, ideally
Group chiefs or higher; (b) management experts from the
Personnel Organization and the National Cryptologic
School; (c) outstanding young managers from the branch
or division level; and (d) qualified experts from outside
NSA----from universities, consulting firms and businesses.
The group assembled from these sources would he given
the charter of (a) defining NSA management and the
attributes required; (b) identifying criteria for
professionalization in management; (c) establishiri,,
selection criteria for management interns; arty (d) defining
training both for forum managers and for those sere'i ig as
n-i_~r~arin:c
Were the panel to proceed along, the line of the theories
VL1t2131CCE above, It fvCi.iclC+ liri`-UCD1 xy i... ,.`l~ ..
r nis`^z: -o t e
intern programs to those who (:+.) were recommended by
their supervisors, (b) had already spent scene time at NSA
(perhaps three or more and (c) could qualify
through a battery of tests. The intern program would stress
training in the fields mentioned . above and s=.-or>.
assignments focussed on problem-solving, of both a
technical and human variety, in a real-world environment.
Training; would probably require attendance at schools
outside NSA, including after-hours study. Proficiency in
various technical fields, gained in tours and by extensive
course work, might be tested by a requirement for written
studies on problems in six cified fields such as mathemat-
ics, linguistics, traffic analysis, or signals analysis; each
*An alten:raiv: is the sc Icrt;on of th