PART ONE OF FOUR
The story behind the ‘one band seven detachment’ concept , which gave birth to a unified Royal Australian Navy Band.
Who We Are, Customer Model, Operating Structure, Segmentation Strategy and Marketing Mix.
This blog outlines the leadership style employed by the Royal Australian Navy Band during my tenure as Director of Music Navy. The text is taken from a review that I conducted at the start of my tenure, which can be found at https://www.bandtuneupsolutions.com/_files/ugd/879e0c_d76758e505bd4f7d876e3332a438ee27.pdf
I welcome this opportunity to present my thoughts on the future direction of the Royal Australian Navy Band in this Leadership Essay.
I would like to commence by making the following unequivocal statements:
The Royal Australian Navy Band is a prestigious unit of the Australian Defence Force, and ‘one of Australia’s premier military ensembles’.
The band plays an invaluable role in keeping Navy’s image in the public consciousness.
Our musicians promote awareness in the community of Navy’s critical contribution to the nation and reflect the quality and values of Navy’s people.
The band’s strengths are its people, its depth of individual and organisational expertise, its ability to provide a highly capable and flexible level of musical, ceremonial and public relations services to the Royal Australian Navy, and its record of service to Navy and to the Nation.
When Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Russ Crane, launched New Generation Navy (NGN) onboard HMAS Arunta on 14 April 2009 he stated that NGN would deliver a Navy that is:
Appropriately prepared to contribute to joint operations when required and to produce forces in an enduring manner.
A training focused organisation with properly trained people well equipped and well supported.
A values based organisation renowned for principled leadership.
A highly regarded and effective contributor to Defence objectives, and supported by a nation proud of its Navy.
He also stated that if Navy wanted to continue to deliver on its long and proud history, it needed to make a change of course to deliver on its future capability.
This essay encapsulates the intent of New Generation Navy, considers key elements contained in previous Musician Category Management Plans, and states the course for the short to medium term. It has been considered after conducting a review of the way we do business and an examination on how best we can position ourselves and the Navy Band during the challenges ahead.
In preparing this essay, I have consulted closely with all members of the Senior Leadership Group and held category and focus group meetings. I hope that this essay will provide a clear statement of direction about Who We Are, What We Stand For and Where We Are Headed. Also included in this essay are my thoughts on the relevant leadership style that should be employed, at all rank levels, as we go about our business. The band’s executive operating documents are also being reviewed to ensure compliance with the intent of New Generation Navy: much of the guidance given in this essay will be incorporated into those documents.
Who We Are
The Royal Australian Navy Band’s history is linked to the various bands of the colonial naval forces—which were in existence prior to Federation—and to the bands of Her Majesty’s Royal Marine Band Service. Throughout its history, the band has performed for thousands of audiences within Australia and around the world. Today, we continue the proud tradition of providing musical, ceremonial and public relations support for the Royal Australian Navy.
To understand Who We Are we need to have a clear understanding of what our business model is, and in particular; who are our customers, what does our operating structure look like; what is our approach to the marketplace, and what capabilities do we need to maintain in order to meet the needs of all of our customers.
Customer Model
The Australian Government has invested significant money in the Defence program—which includes the Royal Australian Navy—and Government quite rightly expects to receive a satisfactory return on its investment. Navy demonstrates its support for the Royal Australian Navy Band by allocating financial and human resources to enable the band to contribute towards Navy’s obligation to the Australian Government; and in order to maintain Navy’s ongoing support and confidence, the band has an obligation to ensure Navy’s expectations are satisfied.
To do this effectively—and paramount to the success of our mission—the band relies upon the unique and creative capabilities of each of its musicians who have a strong understanding of the business and contribute their creative capabilities to the band’s output. The customer model adopted by the Royal Australian Navy Band is one that shows a relationship of mutual obligation between the customer and the supplier. In this model, the band is the supplier of services to the Australian Government as the owner, to Navy as the stockholder, and to its musicians who are key stakeholders.
Operating Structure
Prior to 2003, the Musician Category supported seven separate bands across the nation, each with its own sense of identity and purpose, and controlled by local commanders who were guided by the local Band Officer or Bandmaster who were, in most part, totally responsive and responsible to the local Commanding Officer. The two permanent bands were positioned within Maritime Command and the five reserve bands were positioned within Australian Navy Systems Command. The Director of Music, who was positioned within Maritime Command, controlled the national budget and set policy; but beyond that, had little ability to influence the direction and shape of the services being provided to Navy by the musicians.
When the seven bands transferred to the one Command in July 2004 (Australian Navy Systems Command), the opportunity presented itself to implement a more unified business structure with an enhanced operating system; the ‘one band seven detachment’ concept was borne.
The one band model created a greater level of ownership and control of the business by the stakeholders—the musicians—and facilitated a significant level output; not least of all by getting the musicians back to sea and on operational deployments, in its recording and benchmark activities, and in the delivery and recording of its story. On 1 July this year the band transferred to Fleet Command.
Within the current allowed force structure, we have positions for five officers, 101 full-time musicians and 31 naval reserve positions currently shared by 118 part-time musicians. The band’s structure includes a Senior Leadership Group that functions similar to a Board of Directors whose job is to ‘create tomorrow’s [Band] out of today’s’.
The Permanent Component has two full-time detachments and the Reserve Component comprises four part-time detachments. Small Reserve Support Elements are embedded within each of the fulltime detachments. Detachments are positioned in each capital city of Australia excluding Canberra and Darwin: Sydney Detachment (full-time); Melbourne Detachment (full-time); Queensland Detachment (part-time); Tasmanian Detachment (part-time); South Australian Detachment (part-time); and Western Australian Detachment (part-time).
Segmentation Strategy and Marketing Mix
Selecting the market segment, that is, the type of products maintained within each detachment, depends largely upon the market potential. For example, there is significant opportunity to improve effectiveness by developing marketing strategies based on market location and tailoring musical support based on local requirements. The band’s stockholder has positioned fleet units in Sydney and Perth and conducts recruit training in Melbourne; so the bulk of Navy ceremonial requirements are conducted in those regions. Nonetheless, there remains significant opportunity to enhance Navy’s marketing reach by locating smaller musical detachments in other major centres across the nation.
The band’s approach to the marketplace is a multiple segmentation strategy structured around six detachments in various locations throughout Australia. This multiple segmentation strategy is enhanced by a marketing mix that includes benchmark activities, sea and operational deployments, and maintaining a range of capabilities within each detachment. This approach to the marketplace has achieved higher standards of output and greater flexibility in the delivery of the band’s services: it remains relevant today, and will continue out to medium term.
Comments