Welcome to the first edition of the PreProd Dispatch where we’re stoked to share the latest insights gleaned from the PreProd Book Club and other Proacity news.
You’re here because you know that real transformation in govtech goes beyond reading buzzwords and jumping on the latest tool—it’s about building a community of thinkers and doers, change agents who want to bridge the gap between innovation and outcomes with mission impact.Read on for the key takeaways from our last book club session where we unpacked the learnings from Lean Enterprise: Part I.
1. Command and Control vs. Mission Command: Bridging the Alignment Gap
“Everyone knows command and control doesn’t work, but mission command—that takes real effort and empathy.”
Mission command acknowledges that people on the front lines have the best intel to make decisions. It’s the foundation of effective military leadership, yet it’s vastly underutilized in government. Too often we see a top-down approach, where leaders assume they know and never ask the operators what they need. One attendee pointed out, “Operators in our squadron started building their own tools at night to solve daily problems because they were never asked what they needed.”
True mission command isn’t about pushing “empowerment” in an email memo; it’s about fostering collaboration between strategic and tactical levels. It’s acknowledging that your operators on the ground may see bottlenecks you don’t. If we want continuous improvement, we have to let teams closest to the problem lead the solutions.
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2. The Horizon 1-2-3 Problem: Exploring Before We Exploit
“In the federal government, we obsess over efficiency, optimizing processes before we’ve even proved they work.”
The government often jumps straight into efficiency mode without confirming whether actions or projects actually work. It’s classic horizon-zero thinking—keeping zombie projects alive while the innovation funds are thrown at horizon-three fantasies, like AI and blockchain, instead of today’s meaningful improvements in mission-critical areas.
In Lean Enterprise, horizons are split into three categories: Horizon 1 is for maintaining mission-critical operations; Horizon 2 is for growth and mission advancements; Horizon 3 is for R&D. But government agencies tend to pour funding into Horizon 0 (zombie projects) and Horizon 3 (futuristic initiatives) while ignoring real mission pain points in Horizon 1 and the realistic future capabilities in Horizon 2.
To break this cycle, we need a renewed focus on the seemingly “boring” Horizon 1 efforts—systems that deliver real value today—before getting swept up in far out R&D. If we don’t we stand to be the disrupted, rather than the disruptor, on the battlefield. For everyone who has spent years watching “innovation” chase the next shiny object while operations suffer, this is an ongoing challenge worth championing.
3. Responsibility Over Fault: Leadership Requires Empathy and Action
“Fault and responsibility don’t go together…it might not be your fault something is broken, but if you want change, it’s your responsibility”
As government change agents, we know you’re often handed a mess you didn’t create and told, “It’s your problem now.” Lean thinking teaches us that leadership isn’t about pointing fingers—it’s about building bridges. We talked about empathy as the cornerstone of transformation. Leaders must understand the obstacles others face and do what it takes to align teams, sometimes even accepting pain points to create a cohesive solution.
Responsibility here means building empathy-fueled bridges, even if it feels like a one-way street. When you meet people where they are—understanding their challenges and creating shared values—you don’t just get compliance; you get genuine support and that’s how real culture change happens.
Closing Thoughts
This first PreProd Book Club session proved that there’s an appetite to tackle bureaucracy head-on, and we’re just getting started. The goal is to use these discussions as a springboard for actionable change. Join us next time as we continue Lean Enterprise and delve deeper into bridging the gaps between bureaucracy, innovation, and mission success.
PS: Here are the links to the follow-up reading we discussed at Book Club Session 1:
- This American Life Episode about Nummi
- Simon Wardley’s Video Crossing the Water by Feeling the Stones
- The Art of Action
- DON CIO Investment Horizons Charts
