Billy McCain embraces change

“The Army’s Agile journey requires a mindset that is open to change,” said Billy McCain, product support manager for the Integrated Personnel and Pay System – Army (IPPS-A) program portfolio. “I consider myself a change agent. Technology is constantly evolving, and we must be open to analyzing these emerging technologies to improve our cost, schedule or performance.”

“IPPS-A has become a trendsetter as our IT programs transition from waterfall to Agile methodologies,” said McCain. “Agile has forced us to be more collaborative in delivering products faster. I've been working with other product support managers along with the PEO EIS Logistics and Property Management Directorate to create better ways to provide product support in this new Agile environment. We've made some great strides, but still have a long way to go.”

McCain retired from the Army as a warrant officer before joining the civil service in 2009 and has earned several accolades, including the International Society of Logistics (SOLE) Logistician of the Year, the Army Acquisition Executive’s Logistician of the Year and the Department of Defense’s Acquisition Workforce Lifecycle Achievement award. He was selected to participate in the 2024 Defense Senior Leadership Development Program, which includes coursework at the Naval War College.

McCain, today’s #PEOEISTeammateTuesday, answered nine questions about his career and life.

Name one thing you can't do without in a day.
My role as the product support manager requires constant collaboration and communication with the triad — the product office, the functional and the system integrator. I can't do my job effectively without constant and effective communication with all three groups.

What did you learn the hard way?
I learned the importance of effective communication. I can't give you direction and expect you to follow it if you don't understand what I'm saying.

Without effective communication, you won't understand how to define the requirement, build the solution or get users to understand how to effectively use it. I can't build a bike and not tell you how to ride it. I can't build a tank and not tell you how to drive it. If you need any type of product solution, I need to be able to communicate what that solution does in order to make sure you can effectively use it the way it was intended to.

What does a good leader do?
As a leader, you are only as good as the people who work for you. When you take the time to invest in your people, it will pay dividends in their performance.

A good leader connects with his or her people to understand each team member’s strengths and weaknesses. A good leader knows how to manage people and get the most out of them. I could have 15 people, and if I don't understand all 15 people, I might get the most out of three of them. However, if I understand all of them — what makes them tick and what their strengths and weaknesses are — I can get the full potential from all of them.

What advice do you have for companies interested in working for IPPS-A?
Do your homework and understand our mission, our requirements, our system architecture and how our product integrates with other systems.

We are striving to operate as an Agile organization. We are adopting an Agile mindset. So come in with ideas on how we can get better. 

What is the best advice you received?
The best advice I’ve ever received was: “Continue to strive to be a life-long learner.” Don’t stop growing your knowledge or seeking self-improvement.

What advice do you have for IPPS-A teammates?
Never stop setting goals. Don't stop reaching for what's next. You wanted to be a web designer. If you are fortunate enough to reach that goal, don’t stop there.  Ask yourself, “What’s next?”

Set goals and map out how you want to achieve them. Reach out to someone who has done what you desire and figure out how they got there.

If you could have coffee with anyone in history or present day, who would it be and why?
I would love to talk to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. about what inspired him to devote his life to the improvement of humankind.

What do you consider the most valuable virtue?
Humility.

How would you like to be remembered?
I would like to be remembered as a person who was humble, walked with integrity, reached his full potential and made a difference.