Vince Hayes is “Mission First, People Always”

Vincent “Vince” Hayes is chief of the Lifecycle Management Division for Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army (IPPS-A). He’s held numerous positions within IPPS-A over the years, including lifecycle deployment manager and training coordinator. He is a family man, a huge fan of continuous learning and today’s #PEOEISTeammateTuesday.

Where are you originally from, and what helped you decide to join the military workforce?

I grew up in a little town in South Central Kentucky, right on the Tennessee border. I went to school in a very rural area of Kentucky. I initially joined the Army for two years with the intent of earning some college money and getting out. I found that I enjoyed it and reenlisted for four more years, then went on to serve almost 27 years. I started in 1982 and retired in 2007. I had a job as a contractor for a few years, then got back into government service. I've been with IPPS-A since 2015. I think more than anything, the camaraderie and the personal relationships were what made me want to stay in the Army. Everything I did in the Army prepared me for the position I'm in now.

What was something you appreciated learning about IPPS-A when you first joined the program?

I was familiar with the Defense Integrated Military Human Resources System (DIMHRS) effort that was in the process of being launched when I was still on active duty. I recognized from my personal history that there was a need for something like this. My initial job as training manager once I joined the team was solely focused on creating training content and getting that delivered as part of new equipment training. I only had that job for about a year when I moved into a role as a branch chief, and now I'm serving as a division chief. I think the fact that this is something we're doing for Soldiers and their families is what resonates with me about the mission. We deployed IPPS-A Release 2 to the Army National Guard, and they're using it successfully. Once we get Release 3 deployed to the active component and Army Reserve in September 2022, I think it will be a very positive thing for the HR community, which will be the primary user, as well as Soldiers and families.

What is one aspect of IPPS-A that you see evolving over time to help the Army serve its Soldiers?

Because of the way we're designing the system, we're deploying a minimum viable solution. The great thing about that is we're going to provide a foundational level of service that HR professionals need for us to subsume what I call the “Big Five HR systems” that are currently out there. Once we provide that minimum viable solution, we will add more capabilities over time. Some things that the field isn't going to get right out of the gate will come very quickly in subsequent releases, and the way we are organized to do that will make for a better product, better usability and better functionality.

What is one quality about leadership you don't hear mentioned often but think is important to see or mention to others?

You frequently hear leaders talk about how important people are. One of the monikers we had when I was growing up in the Army was “Mission first, people always.” You always want to prioritize mission accomplishment over everything, but you need to keep your people in mind as you're doing that. You can't say you have a mission-first, people-always mentality and then not treat people well. You need to lead by example, treat people with respect and build interpersonal relationships. To me, that's how organizations are successful from an acquisition standpoint. We have the program office here that I'm a part of, and we have our requirements owner, which is the Army G-1. And then we have our systems integrator, and none of us can be successful without the other. We just have to keep in mind that if we take care of one another, we will get this done. And we can all share in that success.

If you could go back in time and meet yourself as a kid, what's one thing you would assure him of?

I would say you need to keep working hard and that you will eventually reap dividends from it. And you just have to keep at it. Continue to apply yourself, and you will see the fruits of that labor over time.

Is there any book or movie you'd like to recommend to colleagues?

I'm actually rereading “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Franklin Covey. One of the tenets of that book is to start with the end in mind, which correlates with the conversation we just had. I think that book on how to be an effective person really translates into effective leadership, effective team building and effective organization. Although the book’s a little dated, I certainly think its philosophies still hold true. As you read it and interact with folks on a daily basis, you will see the book’s lessons materialize in front of your eyes. How do I want to take that information and internalize it into my leadership style to be more effective and to assist my organization with the accomplishment of its mission?

What are some things you enjoy doing after you log off for the day?

I enjoy reading, exercising, spending time with family, and I subscribe to lifelong learning. A lot of people find it a chore — earning continuous learning points and taking classes in their free time — but I actually enjoy that kind of thing. The Defense Acquisition University started a relationship with Coursera, a website that hosts massive online open courses, and they provide professional development in a lot of areas. Many of the courses are related to program management and are specific to software and IT project management. Watching those videos, listening to podcasts during the commute — all of that helps me relax and “sharpen my saw,” if you will.

Is there any advice you'd like to give to colleagues?

It's really those leadership values that we talked about earlier on: building your interpersonal skills and interpersonal relationships across the workforce — regardless of whether the person represents the program office, the requirements owner or the vendor that's helping us provide capability to the Army. If you approach it from a mission-first, people-always perspective, I think you will be more successful as a team. It’s easy to lose sight of that, so I think it's important to keep in mind.

The other thing I would share is something I learned as a very young Soldier — from my drill sergeant, believe it or not — in 1982. One of the things he told us was that to be successful in the Army, you only need to do three things well: be on time, be in the proper uniform and have the right equipment. You can replace the components of that saying with the things that you're doing in your adult life as a civilian employee of the Army. When I think of being on time, part of that is being sensitive to other people's time. I would use the “showing up with the right equipment” analogy with being prepared for meetings or following up when people ask you to do something. It’s something I continue to think about even 40 years later.