VIEW FROM THE TOP >>Knowing your people

By Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Brinkley
314th Airlift Wing command chief


I want to direct this article to the first-line supervisor. It’s been said that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Our most important asset is our people, and I want to encourage each of you to take the time and invest actively in the lives of those around us. My question is “how well do you know those that work around you?”

One thing that has been abundantly evident is we have some great people and unique characters here at Team Little Rock. Yet, sometimes we spend too much time on the technical aspects of our vocations at the expense of developing and nurturing professional relationships. It is important to be technically sound; it is equally important to understand what motivates those around us and where their passions lie.

Do you know their spouse’s and children’s names? Are there special needs that they have to deal with every day, such as an ailing relative? As a first-line supervisor, when is the last time you visited your Airmen in the dormitory? These are just some of the things that you, the first-line supervisor, need to explore. The other question is: how can you be an advocate for someone that you don’t know?

Our Airmen and civilians do great things for us every day. We owe it to them to be informed about their lives. If you are fortunate to have someone working for you, then be the best advocate and support for them that you can. They will become the leader that they see. This is the one thing that all of us must get right. If we cannot take care of our people by first knowing them, then everything else suffers. Team Little Rock, thanks for doing all you can to better know and support those around you.

Combat Airlift!