One of the changes that Moore made was to overhaul ship inspections. Moore eliminated outdated or redundant inspections, reducing the total number to 11. Sailors now spend 40 more days of their home-port time with their families, rather than on duty for needless inspections. Then the class presents its recommendations to the undersecretary of the Navy. The class's roster of lecturers includes a filmmaker, a futurist, and a renowned photographer.
Some participants are a bit shell-shocked by the class's format.
So working in an environment that encourages creativity and risk taking is a challenge. That's never been done before in my 15 years in the Navy. Two weeks after one such presentation, upper-ranking officers were still abuzz about the suggestions from those thirtysomething attendees. Frew was exuberant about the responses from senior officers. But more important than whether or not those suggestions will be implemented, Frew says, is the dialogue that they have created.