Page 2 - Desert Lightning News So. AZ Edition, May 2019

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May 2019 Desert Lightning News www.aerotechnews.com/davis-monthanafb
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Unleashing innovative spirit of Airmen
by Capts. LYNDSEY HORN and RYAN MCGUIRE
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Ca- lif. — We’re taking the momentum of a renewed focus on innovation and beginning to squander its potential, making it “just the next thing.” While senior leaders continue to emphasize innovation, our Airmen are becoming frustrated with the pace of real prog- ress and the disproportionate focus on innovation theater — i.e. exciting events that fail to deliver real capabil- ity. Our rate of progress is not due to a lack of passion or intellect in our Air- men, but rather bureaucratic attempts to force innovative solutions through standard corporate processes designed in the Cold War.
You have asked the organization to disrupt itself, yet the traditional processes of our organization are built to wring risk out of decisions, not to expedite innovations that very well could fail.
Innovators are disruptors. Disrup- tors understand that innovation is not just technology and widgets. Innova- tion is about solving problems.
We believe Spark can change this narrative if properly supported. Spark provides a valuable outlet for Airmen with a focus on delivering capability to the warfighter. Through multiple iterations over the last two years, Spark has adapted to leverage our Airmen’s abilities, solve problems and
find successes locally.
Spark has failed, learned and succeeded
Spark started as a group of mo- tivated, and admittedly frustrated, individuals. Frustrated with the small nuisances that plagued their day- to-day work life, and how seemingly simple solutions were right outside the gate but just out of reach. Airmen felt frustrated because a simple change was always met with a “no” or a “yes, but (insert long list of illogical bar- riers here).” Spark set out to change that, and did so with all thrust and little vector. The organization rapidly received attention and fed speeches. It held its first pitch session with headquarters — a meeting that failed miserably.
We failed because the first meeting did not focus on problems. It solely looked at solutions, contracting mech- anisms, return on investment, funding streams and legal reviews. While there were many advocates for change, there were even more anti-bodies who were (and are) defending their historical processes.
The trend of these pitch sessions has not changed much; however, the focus at the wing-level has evolved. The organization took a step back and returned to its roots: the Airmen and their problems. The problems encompass process, policy and, if ap- propriate, technology. We found solv- ing Airmen’s problems resonates and the focus of the organization must be
to empower Airmen to identify and solve problems at their level ... rapidly. Spark builds a culture of Airmen who are not going to submit their ideas to a suggestion box. As disruptors, these Airmen don’t think outside the box, they think the box is outdated and part of the problem. Spark provides Airmen either with physical space like an innovation lab, or with education and connections who can assist. The organization’s job is not to solve the problem for the Airmen, for we do not live it every day. Spark’s job is to move
barriers out of the way.
This refocus led to a C-5M Super
Galaxy electronic flight bag mount, adoption of 3-D printing technology in the medical field and a more efficient and effective generator prototype for contingency response forces. It also assisted in the adoption of radio- frequency identification, or RFID, technology for inventory and new partnerships with Air Force Research Laboratory, which included develop- ment of a C-5M loadmaster scanning seat. We worked to procure virtual reality to combat patient anxiety in MRIs as well as better debrief pro- grams and software for aircrew. Spark also praises something as simple as a piece of Plexiglas to prevent doors on passenger buses from breaking, because, at the end of the day, it solves a problem.
However, if the Air Force is to truly harness the power of innovation, our innovators need your help.
What Spark Cells need – theater is important, driving staffs and processes is imperative
Senior leader advocacy, innovation competitions, public affairs stories and new facilities for innovation are avenues for displaying commitment; however, they do not drive staffs or change our culture. These avenues do not address the fact that there are still multiple layers of people empowered to say “no” to the simplest idea. It doesn’t address that innovation pro- grams charged with supporting the unit-level initiative get buried under some agency, directorate or entity with no unique authorities.
Travis Air Force Base’s Spark fell victim to this realization internally. We didn’t solve problems rapidly, we attempted to control people’s time while discovering solutions and we didn’t prioritize “the how” of innova- tion and culture change. We overcame our deficiencies through constantly explaining intent, restructuring our processes, allocating separate lines of resourcing and aligning directly under an O-6 champion.
It isn’t perfect, but it’s a start
The organization also translates innovation jargon into terms the traditional enterprise understands. We aren’t the enemy trying to break rules or act unethically. Innovators are simply people who see things dif- ferently, those who want to get things done. We stopped asking for money and
See INNovAtIve, Page 12
Lead people effectively, not efficiently
by JOSEPH COSLETT
90th Missile Wing
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. — A good test of leadership is how your team reacts to a fire drill. In the moment of a crisis or exercise, will your team be professional or juvenile? How the team handles a drill or an exercise directly reflects on how well you prepared them.
Throughout my career, I was instructed on my responsibility to get out of the building within minutes during a fire drill, and also where people needing assistance should go. I also learned about the roles people play to ensure a successful evacua- tion. All this sounded great ... then came the alarm. The drill started, I witnessed people questioning the need for the fire drill, the way to exit, who was responsible for what role, what they needed to do before they exited and what they were not getting done. People went to the bathroom, talked, laughed and treated the drill like a joke and/or an inconvenience.
Let us pause for a moment and draw a comparison to how we lead people.
According to “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” by Stephen Covey, you have to lead people effectively, not manage them efficiently, to build trust and an effective team.
Most supervisors, managers and leaders can state what steps are needed to lead people ef- fectively. They give clear guidance, roles, expecta- tions and feedback. They may even have some cool catchphrases like: “People first, mission always” or “people are our priority.”
After the initial introductions, people are consid- ered part of the mission and, in many cases, become an afterthought. We have a tendency to focus on the mission and run people as another transaction through email or by assigning tasks. Supervisors, managers and leaders will run people efficiently to get to the next task. This forms a habit of transac- tional leadership.
When change or conflicts arise in a transactional environment, drama will ensue. Because people are creatures of habit, we will resort to quick-fix solutions, such as simple punishments or resolu- tions. However, if we don’t take the time to find the underlying reason for the conflict, it will repeat and generate dysfunction within the team, preventing you from accomplishing the mission.
According to “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” by Patrick Lencioni, the main team dysfunctions are absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of com- mitment, avoidance of accountability and inatten- tion to results. Does your team have some of these challenges? Then you may be a team in name only.
A supervisor, manager or leader practicing transactional leadership will deal with inappropri- ate behavior during the fire drill by issuing mass guidance or group discipline and expect a change in behavior. That will last right up until they check their email – forcing them back to the real mission. This sends the message that other things are more important, it takes too much time to properly deal with, and it is not worth the conflict.
This is efficient, but not effective leadership.
The true goal is to use transformational leader- ship to create a culture of commitment. Leaders need to sell change or growth by using motivation and inspiration to promote change, proactive en- gagements and prioritizing group progress over individual.
The solution to building a good team and success- fully completing a fire drill are similar.
First, establish a clear vision. In the fire drill example: Everyone gets out quickly and safely to save lives. The objective is to get more than 150 people outside within two minutes. The leader can find efficient processes to save time, but to meet the vision you need to get people to change their behaviors. There cannot be a time limit to change their behavior. We are what we constantly do, which
See LeAD, Page 12
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