Red teaming

TRAINING · 2 replies · 875 views · 2 followers

Arthur Emanuel Kelderman

over 3 years ago

Dear Warrior Poets,

My name is Arthur, originally from the Netherlands, but now I live/work in Vietnam. I work here in different roles related to strategy advice, risk management, and organizational development. I divide my time between work in Ho Chi Minh City, and the farm of my parents-in-law in the countryside. One of my passions is Red Teaming (decision support Red Teaming) for which Fort Leavenworth (Kansas) has a great program; I help organizations here with civilian application.

As Red Teaming has great tools for dealing with critical thinking, cognitive bias, awareness, perception, ego mitigation, groupthink mitigation, decision making, expanding/liberating our mind, alternative perceptions, scenario planning, etc. I think it would be such a great thing to share within the Warrior Poet Community.

So my question is if anyone has worked with Red Teaming Tools (decision support or in security situations), which tools/techniques did you used, what are your experiences when using these tools/techniques, and what the effect was on outcomes/preparedness/quality of decisions/etc.?

Yours,
Arthur Emanuel Kelderman

Captain Canada

over 3 years ago

Hi Arthur, Red Teaming is a new term for me although i have heard the term in the past. Perhaps we call it something else here in Canada. That said, i'm a strategic planner "out of the box" thinker sometimes brought into projects for all the above reasons. My background is Sig-Int at the operational and planning level, with a strong tech background. So i have designed and developed command and control software that combines EBAO Logic into goal attainment systems. Bias's not included. My current project is designing the PCR (ETM) Essential Task Matrix into a planning software, launching ideally with Ukraine reconstruction efforts. My wife is a World leading post-war reconstruction expert, and we work in your areas of interest. What are you working on, what were your thoughts around collaboration?

Arthur Emanuel Kelderman

over 3 years ago

Dear Captain Canada,

Thanks for your message. Everybody is biased, and red teaming is especially needed when we think that we are not or that our plans/strategies/mental products we produce are not biased.

Blindspot bias is a bias that makes us think we are less biased than others as bias is more recognizable in the behavior of others.

The reason why I posted this is that awarenss and actively dealing with the flauws in our mind can help us prepare better. Plans, most of the time, are not perfect and do not survive first contact with the enemy; this also goes for predictions and forecasts.

Yours
Arthur

Captain Canada

over 3 years ago

Hi Arthur, Thanks for the second explanation. My experience with Red Teaming was traditionally in Mill Simulation and scenario planning. The bridge of this systems/thinking to private sector use case was where i was lacking a fuller understanding. Of course this is a great methodology for better predicting strategies for success in any case use. I also found some of this thinking in Lean 6-Sigma models which are more private sector focused. My only question is 1. where would the scale warrant the spending/budget for red teaming in the private sector? Without big Government dollars<$$

Arthur Emanuel Kelderman

over 3 years ago

Dear Captain Canada,

Many techniques do not require lots of money or time, just skeptical and aware brains...Example:

Every plan is based on assumptions, some explicitly stated, some implicit. Making those assumptions visible, selecting the ones that are vulnerable and load baring (if they break the plan breaks), coming up with shaping actions (making the assumptions stronger), coming up with hedging actions (making the impact smaller in case they do break, having contingency plans,...etc can be done for most civilian applications in a few hours to a day.

Pre-mortem...quick tool can be applied quickly and easily.

Devils advocate is a great tool which does not require lots of investment.

Defection or sabotage games (dry fire) can be done with staggering results in half an hour...

Etc...

Other notes:

Scenario planning is made on the premise that we cannot predict the future. That's why scenarios are made so we can more easily recognize when a certain scenario is starting to develop so we can react to it.

A cautionary remark on 6 sigma...its not Red Teaming...its there to reduce variability, Red Teaming is there to increase variability and learn from the expanded variability. I have worked a lot with 6 sigma and its great for killing creativity and innovation.

Captain Canada

over 3 years ago

Arthur, Could this business system be developed into an app? (A gaming app)? Seems like you can build a "You sunk my battleship" kind of military or war fighting theme. I agree with Lean 6 Sigma being less suited to red team modeling. Have you used or gone through the (business model Canvas) process? I think it might be the closest modeling to what your suggesting? In any event, i'd be interested to participate in developing a biz/tech/product for market if your leaning in that direction. I also happen to know two leading USA/Canadian NATO MNE leaders in this space and collaborate with them fairly regularly. This is their jam... If a product for market can be developed, solve a problem and advance thinking. I'm suited to support the investor relations and fundraising.