Page 15 - Thunderbolt Nov. 2 2016

Thunderbolt NEWS November 2016 15
SUCCESS (from Page 2) professionals truly educated. Click, click, click,
print certificate does not work. Education is a multifaceted process. If you are provided with only a CBT to train you, then supervisors and leaders own any failures as a result.
Third, did you take time to see if the pro- cedures by which your teams operate are broken, inefficient or ineffective? Did the process fail the professional? In the military, we operate in one of the most dynamic en- vironments on the planet. For those in the deployed environment, challenge what you see and how you operate if it is not leading to successful mission execution. When we apply an organize, train and equip “in-garrison” mentality to the deployed environment we run the risk of experiencing mission-impact- ing negative consequences. We risk failing. Processes must be challenged and fixed since we are not organized and resourced like the bases we left. Ensuring your team adheres to disciplined execution of their tasks starts with a sound process supervisors and lead- ers own. Repeat failures usually mean the process is broken and Airmen are being set up to fail. Unless a failing process is bound by the laws of physics or chemistry, fix it.
Before rushing to judgement, as a super- visor and a leader, regardless of rank, apply some critical thinking and ask yourself those three basic questions when analyzing failure.
For the 3 percent who do not know the dif- ference between a mistake and a crime, who willingly disregard technical order guidance and instructions, or who refuse to uphold the standards required in the profession of arms,
http://www.luke.af.mil
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#BETHERE (from Page 2) If I were to hold a glass of water in my hand and stretch it out parallel to the floor,
I could hold that glass for a while, but at some point, my arm would get tired and I would want to lower the glass. Life is like this. Everyone has a different point of exhaustion, and we must be aware of our own breaking point and our wingman’s. While we all cope differently with this exhaustion, building our social, mental, physical and spiritual resiliency is at the core of our strength.
The theme of this year’s Suicide Prevention Month is #BeThere and it stresses the social pillar of resiliency. This campaign resonates strongly with me because if my dad had just one person to give him hope, he might still be here today. It’s no one’s fault he is gone, but I believe that if he felt the care from people who did care for him, he would have given life another chance.
My challenge to you this month is to spend time building your community again. Reconnect with a friend and spend time together. I know we all have limited re- sources that make it difficult to set aside quality time for one another, but those moments build the trust, loyalty and commitment needed to open up to each other when things aren’t going well. Think about who you feel comfortable reaching out to, and ask yourself who feels comfortable reaching out to you. Let’s mean it when we say “I will never leave an Airman behind.” Let’s win the battle to save lives so no one else has to answer that call in the middle of the night. Everyday connections with our wingmen matter.
Editor’s note: If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or depression, seek help immediately. Talk to your wingman, chaplain or mental health professional. Confidential help is also available by contacting the Military Crisis Line at 800- 273-8255, Opt. 1, or www.MilitaryCrisisLine.net.
THERE’S MORE TO THE CROSS AND SHIELD
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we have ways of holding them accountable and we should to the maximum extent pos- sible. We are all responsible for our actions. For the 97 percent, I believe supervisors and leaders owe them the flexibility to learn from mistakes, make the team stronger from those mistakes, and foster a culture that allows the discussion of those mistakes void of unneces- sary repercussions to realize unit success.
If you do not encourage a systemic look at failure when it occurs, you run the risk of destroying effective chain-of-command com- munication, team cohesion, honest feedback and the prospect of the building of effective learning organizations. Honest mistakes are part of everyone’s learning process. High performing professionals and teams are not driven by a fear of the consequences of their actions but rather by the belief they are ac- complishing something of importance with the support of their leadership.
Standards must be set and followed. Fail- ure is rare when taken into context with the billions of actions and decisions our military professionals make daily. However, if an Airman or team fails, first ask yourself, “Do I own it? Have I looked at the big three ... expectations, education and process?” Analyze failure, and then watch your team realize success. If you start there, you may find the great people who have chosen to join the world’s most effective air, space and cyber force will bring forward more issues to solve and ideas for success than you can handle. That is a risk worth taking.
By the way, the failure I first mentioned above was mine to fix. I owned it. As a super- visor and a leader, will you?
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