4-25. Operational art is the cognitive approach by commanders and staffs—supported by their skill, knowledge, experience, creativity, and judgment—to develop strategies, campaigns, and operations to organize and employ military forces by integrating ends, ways, and means (JP 3-0). The purpose of operational art is to provide a set of tools to formulate the most effective, efficient way to accomplish missions by the arrangement of actions in time, space, and purpose, and to overcome the ambiguity and intricacies of a complex, ever-changing, and uncertain operational environment. Elements of operational art are individual cognitive tools that help the commander and staffs visualize and describe the broad operational approach. The elements of operational art are intellectual tools that help commanders and staffs—