Page 2 - Desert Lightning News, Nellis AFB, July 7 2017

2 July 7, 2017 www.aerotechnews.com/nellisafb
by 2nd Lt. William M. Collette
Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
“A man goes to work, tries to run home, sees a man with a mask, and then turns around to go back. What is his job?”
This riddle is just like the many challenges we face in the Air Force. We all have different ways of solving problems, and arrive at solutions at different times using different strate- gies.
This isn’t to say that one way is al- ways better than others. It just means that we’re all different, and as a result, have different ways of coming up with answers.
And keep in mind, there isn’t always just one way to solve every problem. Abraham Maslow reminds us that “it
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other people’s solutions and what caused them to reach their respec- tive conclusions
Think about this next time you’re
faced with a challenge in your unit. There are probably many different possible ways to reach a solution. The question is, how long will it take you, and what will you do to reach your solution?
I’m sure you’re wondering about the solution to the riddle. If you don’t want to know, stop reading here.
The answer is that the man is a pro- fessional baseball player. He’s running home, referring to home plate, and the man in the mask is the catcher waiting to tag him out. Remember the strategies here when you tackle your next problem. The solution could be as easy as a home run.
Riddle me this
is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.”
When your unit might be handling a massive influx of customer orders, or MICT is throwing more flags than NFL refs, or you’re unable to com- municate to your fellow Airmen how important the fitness test actually is, there are always many solutions to each of these challenges.
How you go about solving each one and how efficiently you solve them is something that will define you as a leader. Do you seek outside help? Is time managed well? Are you using all of your resources? Do you collaborate with a team? Do you take notes on what hasn’t worked so far, so that you don’t repeat mistakes?
The same strategies can be applied
to solving a riddle. I’ve given the above riddle to almost everyone in our unit. Some were able to solve it in 10 sec- onds, while some took over 30 minutes to come up with the answer.
Those Airmen who collaborated, thought critically about each detail of the riddle, and had creative questions were able to solve it quicker. Those who sat in silence and pondered pos- sible answers took the longest.
Following suggestions found on Quora.com, the best tips for solving a riddle (or any problem for that matter) are the following:
1. Read the question carefully
2. Learn to question what you read
first to make sure you fully un-
derstand the problem
3. Pay attention to detail
4. Learn from people — analyze
Taking ownership
by Master Sgt. Gerald Morey
Peterson AFB, Colo.
“Shirt, it was not my fault.”
“Shirt my supervisor failed me.”
“Shirt, the commander and chief are just out for me.”
If someone asked any other first sergeant how many times they have heard this, they probably would start to smile.
They smile because it is what we as first sergeants hear on a routine basis.
However, I learned two important things way before I joined the military more than 20 years ago, and if we, as Airmen, abide by these, most of these com- ments I mentioned above would not exist. The two things I would like to talk about are ownership and accountability.
I remember to this day when my high school foot- ball coach would yell at me and say “Morey, own that position and take accountability when you do not.” I played the cornerback position, and if I did not do my job, receivers would run pass me and catch touch- downs all day.
Fast-forward to my joining the Air Force — it’s the same concept.
and accountability for your actions
As a new security forces member, I owned the main gate. No-one was going to enter the installation with- out proper credentials. When I allowed someone to pass through the checkpoint, I took accountability of my actions. Only now with higher stakes. Instead of touchdowns being scored on me, it was people’s lives at risk. Taking ownership of that checkpoint was a job which I was entrusted to do.
This concept also applies to personal decisions we make.
Committing a sexual assault or child pornography to drinking and driving are choices we make for which there are consequences.
When we make good choices, such as volunteering or taking college classes, we reap positive rewards. No matter what choices we make, take ownership and accountability for your actions.
That being said, I will be the first to tell you that it is okay to make a mistake every once in a while. Waking up late for work, forgetting about your medical ap- pointment, or miscalculating your funds are mistakes. We are all human, but still take ownership and learn from these mistakes.
If I told you that you will fail at nothing or that I never failed, I would be lying to you. Airman could fail their quality control evaluation, Career Development
Course test, fitness assessment or even a college class. These are things that could occur in our lives. But if you should make a mistake or fail, take a realistic as- sessment and own up to that mistake or failure. Take accountability, and I promise you everything will work its way out. May not always be the way you want, but it will work its way out.
You’re probably saying to yourself now, “Shirt, that is not true, we do live in a one mistake Air Force!”
I would beg to differ. Not just because I am a first sergeant, but because I am a product of taking owner- ship and accountability of some decisions I have made in my career, both good and bad decisions.
Taking ownership and accountability of my actions have led me to where I am today, a U.S. Air Force First Sergeant — and I’m loving every minute of it!
So, next time you say to your supervisor or first sergeant, “it wasn’t my fault” or “they’re out to get me”, how about saying “I will take accountability of my actions, but can you help me rebound and steer me in the right direction?”
It will not always be easy, but I promise you, the end results will be worth it. Many of us have been able to progress based on Ownership and Accountability of the decisions we’ve made — I have, I know you can, and I know you WILL!
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