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Leadership roles: Train versus Educate
Stepping into my first leadership role was awkward for me. I was a good technician and knew I could help others be better at their trade too. However, I was not sure how to function in this new role and I wasn’t given any clear guidelines. It almost felt like a sink or swim scenario…
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Only You get Yourself Promoted
I was asked recently, just after I had moved into a new position; “So, where are you going next? QA Superintendent? I hear that’s promotable.” This question had me perplexed. I had just moved to the new position—not six weeks prior—and was settling in to my new role. Not only that, but I like my…
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Good Enough for Government Work
When you are given a task to complete, are you just checking off the boxes or actually providing the best possible product? We have all experienced that moment when we were technically finished with the assigned task and still had some time leftover. What you do with that time is difference between good and excellent.…
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The Small Moments
“I remember when I was brand new to the line and you pulled me aside to show me how to use the inspection cards better. I have used that technique every time I have taught someone.” This is something that a TSgt shared with me a while back. He was telling me at his going…
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That’s too Taboo
Our Air Force and world around us is more tolerant and open to different lifestyles and embracing diversity like never before. This is a good thing for the most part as we are all Americans and all deserve equal opportunities. Where it is bad is in our ability to be vulnerable or even curious as…
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Introduction: Discovering my True Passion in Life
Hi, my name is Donald and this is my first post to this blog. I would like to summarize some of my experiences retiring from the military and some lessons and insights I have learned along the way. My job in the Air Force was a crew chief working on F-15s and A-10s. I have…
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Are Leaders Required to be Technical Experts?
As we are coming up in the ranks, we strive to become technically sound in our profession. We learn the ins and outs of our job and continue to hone these skills. Eventually, we make rank and gain some supervisory roles. If we are quasi effective in these new roles, we gain even more rank…
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Disagree, but don’t Disrespect
It is blatantly obvious that people are getting their feelings hurt a lot lately. Whether it is a disagreement over politics, religion, social views, affiliations with groups, or whatever the ideology; emotions are running high. This is not beneficial to anybody. It is not productive. It honestly comes across as childish. We all have opinions…
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Mired thinking
In the military, we often note that some of what we do is inextricably linked to traditions. Our rank structure, uniforms, customs, courtesies, and values are often tied to what we’ve always done and that serves to perpetuate our organizational identity as a whole. While most of that makes sense, we also easily become mired…
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Are you Pushing the Snooze Button on your Goals?
It is a goal of mine to read more, learn more and to mentor more each day. One way I do this is by waking up before my family so I can have some quiet time to reflect and work towards this. This morning as my alarm was going off at 0405, I hit snooze.…
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