Expanding Mental Models in Intelligence Through Diverse Perspectives

Abstract

Intelligence organizations need a workforce that draws on a variety of perspectives, as do other types of organizations. The U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) was created to address the conflict situations of the last century. The early workforce reflected the requirements of that time; it had strong ties to the military, was of primarily European heritage, Judeo-Christian morality, was righteous about democracy, and mostly male. Today’s security problems extend well beyond situations of state conflict, to include transnational crime, crises of the natural environment, and other fluid issues that defy the previous expectations. National security intelligence workforces must be both knowledgeable and agile. This combination of knowledge and mental agility is, paradoxically, difficult to achieve. The heritage of the IC created modes of thinking that are at odds with the current need to imaginatively consider interconnected factors and various perspectives. The IC is stymied by its own culture, structures, processes, policies, and thinking patterns. Increased inclusion of diverse points of view will better enable assessment of complex, dynamic global issues. This article discusses mental frameworks as they affect intelligence work, drawing conclusions about the value of diversity in an intelligence and national security workforce.