General Patrick O'Reilly and Clear Communication

Maintaining an efficient, healthy work environment is dependent on how well a company communicates. General Patrick O'Reilly has spent the better part of four decades mastering the art of communicating within the workplace, and is here to give some free advice on communication.

General Patrick O'Reilly always stresses the idea that communication is much more than verbal conversation and direction. Good communication is based on both verbal and non-verbal cues. Neither is necessarily more important than the other, as clear communication cannot take place without both. General Patrick O'Reilly believes communication starts from the top down, and as a former Director of the Missile Defense Agency charged with overseeing eight thousand people, he knows a lot about communicating clearly.

General Patrick O'Reilly always makes sure his subordinates know exactly what he expects of them. When people know what is required, they are less likely to shy away from their duties. If people are unclear of what is asked of them, more times than not they won’t do anything at all. Letting people know their job is key. General Patrick O'Reilly also stresses creating open lines of communication between all hierarchies. He believes that the lowest person in the company should be able to contact the highest, and vice versa. A company should be striving to create a unified product or service, so it only makes sense that the people within the company be unified and on the same page.

Effective non-verbal communication involves carrying yourself with respect. This means companies should have policies on dress code, interpersonal relationships, or similar policies. General Patrick O'Reilly believes unity within the company creates a willingness in people to work together. Creating and enforcing standardized rules, whether that is just a few or a whole list, is an important step to fostering this unity.

Traveling with General Patrick O'Reilly

General Patrick O'Reilly has held a variety of important positions in the United States Military and Government, and as such has spent many years traveling to over fifty countries multiple times. Through all the travels, General Patrick O'Reilly has learned the best and most efficient ways to do so. What follows is list of some of the dos and don’ts General Patrick O'Reilly has come up with:

(1) If you are flying, make sure you take advantage of the online check-in feature most airlines have. This can save you crucial time in the airport before your departure. General Patrick O'Reilly never arrives at the airport without already being checked in.

(2) If you are traveling for business, it is likely that your lodging has already been taken care of. If you are the one in charge of finding your hotel, find it ahead of time. General Patrick O'Reilly says you can save time and money by booking ahead of time.

(3) Do not just assume the weather will be the same wherever you are traveling to. Just because it was warm last summer, does not mean it will be the same this year. By packing properly you not only will be more comfortable, but you will also look appropriate for future clients or employers. General Patrick O'Reilly is a firm believer that good first impressions are vital to professional relationships.

(4) If you are only going somewhere for a few days, there is usually no need to check your baggage on a flight. General Patrick O'Reilly prefers to save time and hassle by packing everything in his two carry-on items. Not only does General Patrick O'Reilly save time by not having to wait around baggage claim after landing, but he also removes the risk of the airline losing his luggage.

General Patrick O'Reilly and the Missile Defense Agency

From 2008-2012, General Patrick O'Reilly served as the Director of the Missile Defense Agency. General Patrick O'Reilly was appointed to this position by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. In the year prior, General Patrick O'Reilly held the title Deputy Director of the Missile Defense Agency.

The Missile Defense Agency is a part of the United States Department of Defense and is responsible for defending the homeland from foreign missiles and ballistics. Former names for the agency include the Strategic Defense Initiative and Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. The agency is entering its 30^th year of existence.

As director of the agency, General Patrick O'Reilly was responsible for an eight thousand person, eight billion dollar a year, Federal Agency. During his time in charge, General Patrick O'Reilly directed some 29 Department of Defense and international programs. General Patrick O'Reilly was also the primary technical advisor for President Obama’s strategy on missile defense. General Patrick O'Reilly also developed and justified budgets to the US Congress, and integrated missile, space, and radar technology into operations. General Patrick O'Reilly oversaw the construction of an additional missile field and command control center in Alaska.  General Patrick O’Reilly the largest number of missile flight tests and the greatest expansion of operational missile defense capability in the history of the agency.  Based on his leadership and success, General Patrick O’Reilly was asked, and he accepted, a one-year extension in his directorship.

General Patrick O'Reilly describes the phases of missile defense as the boost, ascent, midcourse, and terminal phases. General Patrick O'Reilly oversaw the development of greater missile defense capability in every phase.  General Patrick O’Reilly was responsible for a new architecture for missile defense in Europe and presented those plans to NATO and the governments of many of our Allies.

Post-Military Career General Patrick O’Reilly

General Patrick O’Reilly has only been retired from the United States Military for less than one year and has already started blazing a new trail for himself. His expertise on weapons defense is called upon in various interviews with news organizations. He feels he will always be involved in the military as it was such a large and integral part of his life for so many years. In addition to those one-time opportunities, General Patrick O’Reilly will be offering his consulting services to companies, universities or individuals.

General Patrick O’Reilly would prefer to consult on a part-time basis in order for him to continue his volunteering and work for non-profit organizations that is his passion. He truly enjoys entering an organization and figuring out how to best address their issues for near-term and long-term results. Given his great breath of experience over a broad spectrum of industry, General Patrick O’Reilly enjoys the creativity and independence of consulting. 

General Patrick O’Reilly relishes the freedom that retirement affords to pursue his passion to help our society address the challenges of the 21^st century. He is publishing articles addressing trans-Atlantic issues and often contributes to Washington DC think tanks that influence government policy. However, General Patrick O’Reilly also enjoys being an American Red Cross volunteer and assisting charity organizations to help the poor.

One of General Patrick O’Reilly’s passions is to help high school science, technology, engineering and math teachers. For this reason, General Patrick O’Reilly prefers to work with non-profit organizations, high schools and universities. His passion for education and the advancement of institutions whose cause is for the greater good of the American people fit right into these organizations. General Patrick O’Reilly is looking forward to the new journey ahead of him and expects to be successful as he was before.

General Patrick O’Reilly Becomes Consultant

General Patrick O’Reilly’s approach to retirement was to look for opportunities to help others and respond when others sought his help. After several requests by industry, non-profit organizations and universities for help and advice, he decided to become a consultant. While General Patrick O’Reilly had many leadership, technical and management skills, he also was conscience of his limited experience in business and financial matters. Therefore, was trying to be as helpful as possible, he also rejected offers for him to consult when he felt his contribution would be limited.

General Patrick O’Reilly began his venture in January 2013 and has been working with a variety of organizations such as non-profits, businesses and universities. He is able to help emerging organizations and businesses on public policy, industry/university collaborations and project management. General Patrick O’Reilly is passionate about working with youth on finding their niche, particularly in careers that feature technology and all aspects of engineering. 

General Patrick O’Reilly is an effective consultant because he can easily review an organization as a whole and understand its mission and purpose. He focuses on the individual or individuals who want to achieve their own goals within that organization. General Patrick O’Reilly coaches individuals in leadership positions to value the employees who make the most contributions as well. He sees a need for that in the private sector particularly and is always pointing out how to acknowledge and empower successful employees. 

General Patrick O’Reilly is glad that he listened to advice of friends and many experienced mentors as his started his new career. General Patrick O’Reilly enjoys advising at all levels of organizational performance, especially mentoring emerging leaders to think strategically. While always mindful of fundamental principles for success, General Patrick O’Reilly emphasizes the need to be adaptive to the specific circumstances of any issue.