Page 2 - Desert Lightning News, Nellis-Creech AFB Edition, Oct. 15 2021

2 October 15, 2021 www.aerotechnews.com/nellisafb
Commentary
Desert lightning news s. nevaDa
Facebook.com/NellisDesertLightningNews
Expertise and the importance of humility
by Lt. Col. Zane Hershey
Dover AFB, Del.
“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”
— Epictetus
Over my time in the Air Force, I have constantly pursued expertise in various domains — athletics, aviation, leader- ship, academic endeavors, etc.
There were times when I was behind my peers in gaining mastery of a certain skill (such as air refueling!). At other times, I achieved levels of expertise ahead of those with more flying hours or years of experience. In that same span of time, I’ve also seen a common misconception that experience equals expertise.
Our expertise is foundational to pro- viding “airpower anytime, anywhere.” Experience does not equal expertise.
Experience, as defined by Merriam- Webster is, a: direct observation of or
participation in events as a basis of knowledge, or b: the length of such par- ticipation.
Likewise, expertise is defined as elite, peak, or exceptionally high levels of per- formance on a particular task or within a given domain.
Do not get me wrong, some degree of experience is required to achieve exper- tise. However, the passage of time does not make an expert. We’ve likely all en- countered people in various career fields who have reached a point where their motivation ended, they began to over- assume their abilities and they stopped progressing. Those individuals continued to accrue experience, but failed to turn that experience into true mastery. The biggest difference between experience and expertise is the concept of practice (the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories relating to it).
An individual could spend years on a
baseball team sitting on the bench game after game, idling through training, and accumulating experience. This person might gain a great deal of insight about the game of baseball: the rules, the pat- terns and the strategies. At the same time, without constant and meaningful practice to determine strengths and uncover weaknesses, this same person could still be a terrible baseball player, with zero understanding of their own skillsets and not a single step closer to expertise.
For us, expertise means using each opportunity we get to discover our weaknesses, focus our energy and take meaningful steps toward mastery. As Airmen, expertise is the expectation. We are sculpted toward mastery in a career field the moment we enter the Air Force ... but expertise is not guaranteed or permanent. Gaining and maintaining mastery requires diligence and, most im- portantly, humility. We all gain our skills
in a certain context or environment, but we will not operate in the dated context of yesterday in this ever-changing world. If we buy into our own hype, we’ll start to lose focus and over-assume the relevancy of our (potentially) once-great skills...or we’ll stop well short of expertise thinking we’ve already arrived.
Humility is the enemy of complacency. A humble mind is considerably more open and malleable, more capable of maintain- ing the razor-sharp edge that our de- manding missions require. Humility helps us admit that we, and our little slice of the overall mission, can always improve. Humility prevents us from saying “I’ve been doing this for 3 (or 15 or 20) years, and this is the way it’s always been done.”
Are you simply accruing hours of “experience” letting the clock tick by in an ego-insulated comfort-zone or are you maintaining self-awareness through humility and pushing yourself and those around you toward true “expertise”?
Continuous effort drives motivation, accomplishment and excellence
by Chief Master Sgt. Wesley Helseth
Dover AFB, Del.
Looking back on my Air Force career, the effort that I put into my work has in return widened my knowledge base, created opportunities, expanded my network and has allowed me to have a positive impact on those around me.
Effort is a driving force that is de- veloped and strengthened over time through our interactions and experi- ences.
I have been lucky to have had great supervisors and colleagues who have trusted me enough to put me in situa- tions to succeed and taught me how to be the best technician and team member to accomplish the mission; that provid- ing my best effort everyday was highly valued and was instrumental in being successful. Effort is also influenced by experiences early on in your life and can change as your personal and professional development and goals change. What has given me the drive to give maximum ef- fort are not just the successes earned but
also the teachings from my family. First, my grandfather, a retired Ma- rine, taught me that it is right to maxi- mize effort in all things and to leave things better than received. I have brought this with me throughout my
career.
Second, my wife Jill adds to this foun-
dation. She reminds me to be myself, to remain positive and productive.
Just like my grandfather and wife do for me, I believe that everyone benefits from having people in their lives to mo- tivate them to do well. I challenge you to find someone who will be your mentor or coach and to expend the effort in paying it forward to your subordinates and col- leagues. There are many ways to expend effort in a positive way to better succeed as a follower, supervisor and leader.
As an Airman, there is room to excel at applying effort daily. Start by arriving to your designated area of responsibility a few minutes early to allow time to assess and plan your day. In doing so, you can maximize your time and effort toward relevant and/or needed areas. Take own-
ership of your skill level and be proactive in getting needed training. Nobody cares more about what you need or want than yourself, so do not let your time idle. See if you can provide some assistance to your peers or other sections getting after the day’s tasks. You will learn more being where the action is.
As a noncommissioned officer you will build upon what you leaned as an Airman and master your skill set.
However, in this supervisory role, you will also focus on supporting the Air- man in your work center as a front-line supervisor.
To be effective you must be willing to push yourself to be engaged with your Airmen and have honest discussions about things that matter to them. For example: mental, physical and spiritual health, race relations, suicide preven- tion, family, finance and fun. On top of knowing your people, noncommissioned officers must also create an environment where their efforts and the well-being of others can flourish.
Here are four ways to set this tone:
One, be a positive role model and challenge the norms within your work center and unit. If you are willing to do what you are asking of your Airmen, then you will earn credibility and build trust.
Two, challenge the status quo. Do not accept doing things because they have always been done that way. Look for ways to improve the job or the quality of life for your Airmen.
Three, be the trainer and supervisor you would want for yourself. Set high but attainable standards that are measur- able and provide constant feedback and correction.
Four, be accountable for your actions and your Airmen’s performance. Admit when you are wrong, highlight what was learned and correct appropriately when needed. If you are consistent and fair, you will find that your Airmen will respect you and your actions.
At a basic level as a senior NCO, your scope of responsibility and the need for your effort in leadership will
See EFFOrT, on Page 5
Desert Lightning News Staff
Paul Kinison, Publisher, Aerotech News and Review Stuart Ibberson, Editor
Tinna Sellie, Editorial Layout
Sandy Bueltel, Advertising Sales
CONTaCT: Editorial Staff at 334-718-3509
For editorial staff: e-mail editor@aerotechnews.com CONTaCT: advertising Sales at 661-945-5634
For display ads: e-mail sbueltel@aerotechnews.com or billwhitham@aerotechnews.com
For classified ads: e-mail classifieds@aerotechnews.com
Desert Lightning News, So. Nevada edition is published by Aerotech News and Review, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force. Contents of Desert Lightning News, So. Nevada edition are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, Aerotech News and Review, the U.S. government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force.
The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts and supplements, does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of Defense, the
Department of the Air Force or Aerotech News and Review of the products or services advertised.
Everything advertised in the publication shall be made available for purchase and use of patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.
The deadline for submissions to Desert Lightning News is no later than Monday, 4:30 p.m., the week of desired publication date.
For all submissions, a name and phone number of a person to contact must be included in the event questions arise.
All material is edited for accuracy, brevity, clarity and conformity to the AP Style Guide, to include military ranks and proper writing etiquette.
Corrections: Desert Lightning News staff members strive for accuracy each week. If you notice an error in fact, contact the Desert Lightning News staff at 334-718-3509, or e-mail editor@aerotechnews.com, and we will consider publishing a correction when appropriate.
Desert Lightning News, So. Nevada edition can also be viewed online @ www.aerotechnews.com Printed by Aerotech News and Review, Inc. (877) 247-9288 • www.aerotechnews.com