Arrange for Reconnaissance
This is the third in a series of posts on using the Six Troop Leading Steps (BAMCIS) in the War of Life.
Get caught up here:
The next step in BAMCIS is: Arrange for Reconnaissance.
This is where the leader decides what questions must be answered and what information he needs before launching the mission.
As a recon team leader, when I was tasked with gathering intel and collecting information requirements for a commander, I started arranging for reconnaissance by ensuring I was clear on exactly what information was needed.
This might include the viability of a beach landing site, the trafficability of roads and bridges, the enemy's location, strength, and disposition, or guard routines and breach points on a building housing a hostage or high-value target.
It can be easy to get cocky and assume that you know it all. Chances are very good that you don’t.
I would start with a thorough study of a map or satellite image to become as familiar with the problem as possible. If available, I would talk to other teams who had been in the area to gather any information they might have.
Some people skip reconnaissance because they are arrogant. They assume they already understand the problem and mistake confidence for competence.
Others skip reconnaissance out of fear. They do not want to see the truth. They would rather preserve the image in their head than confront the facts on the ground.
Both errors are dangerous.
In the War of Life, arranging for reconnaissance means identifying what information you need before you build the final plan.
If your mission is fitness, you may need to know:
What is my true body weight?
What is my waist measurement?
How many calories am I really eating?
What is my current training capacity?
What workout schedule can I keep?
If your mission is pro dev, you may need to know:
What skills does the next level require?
Who is already doing what I want to do?
Where am I weak?
What am I avoiding because I am not good at it?
If your mission is spiritual or relational, you may need to know:
Where am I out of alignment?
What patterns keep repeating?
Who do I need to ask for honest feedback?
What conversations have I been postponing?
What am I pretending not to know?
Arranging for reconnaissance is not an excuse for stalling.
Eternal preparation is a form of avoidance.
You can read a hundred books on nutrition and still not track what you eat.
You can watch leadership videos all day and not implement anything you learned.
You can study writing and still not write.
You can listen to podcasts about discipline and refuse to get out of bed in the morning.
You will never have answers to all of your questions before you step off. You just need to identify the things that matter most to mission success.
Your reconnaissance plan should help answer:
What do I need to know?
Where can I find that information?
Who will tell me the truth?
How long before I step off? What is my NLT (No Later Than) time to complete my reconnaissance?
That last question keeps your reconnaissance from turning into planning paralysis.
Arrange the reconnaissance, then go conduct it.
Confirm or deny your planning assumptions, gather the critical information to move forward, and always remember that a good plan, well-rehearsed and violently executed today, is better than a perfect plan next week.
If you want to get better at getting better, you need get eyes on the objective.
Today’s Tactic:
Identify three information requirements about the terrain beyond friendly lines and set a deadline for gathering that information.
Get better at getting better
John - Your arms dealer for the war of life
What is something you have been avoiding gathering information about because you are afraid of the answer?
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Good advice, John. 👏 Failure to follow your good example of “I started arranging for reconnaissance by ensuring I was clear on exactly what information was needed” is the classic case of “Ready. Fire! Aim.”
John, your use of reconnaissance captures something essential: the environment must be read before it is crossed. Space is never neutral; it contains hidden rules that shape behavior, risk, and decision-making. And competence begins with accurate perception, not with speed. That is a principle I deeply respect. I work at the intersection of several disciplines, and my current research is focused precisely on how the environment and the space in which modern people live shape their choices, their lives, their safety, and much more.
Your line — “They assume they already understand the problem and mistake confidence for competence” — is exactly right. That is where most human failures begin. A person mistakes familiarity for understanding, and once that happens, the risk is often already in motion.
The physical world remains stubbornly unpredictable. It is complex, resistant to total automation, and it still requires real human competence. That is why your work matters: it changes the angle of vision, asks the reader to look at the problem through another discipline, and forces serious attention to everything that must be understood before action begins. You are not treating the subject superficially; you are treating it structurally, and that is rare.
My research has only just begun, but its purpose is clear: to help people become capable navigators of uncertainty rather than passive occupants of systems designed by others. I have already begun publishing a series of materials on this topic, and I value any serious exchange with colleagues and like-minded thinkers.
John, I would be grateful if you would take a look at my first piece and, if you find it worthwhile, share your thoughts from the perspective of your own experience and practice:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-201177971