By Arlo Taylor
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
While some Air Force people begrudgingly plod out their required 1.5 mile fitness test run, one Little Rock Air Force Base captain ran the equivalent of more than 17 fitness tests on his day off when he completed the Marine Corps Marathon Oct. 25 in Washington, D.C.
Capt. Jacob Johnson, a 41st Airlift Squadron pilot, took second place among the race’s 21,405 finishers -- both highest and fastest performances in his seven years of marathon racing.
“I was surprised that I finished second. I thought some other guys would beat me; however, I had trained to run 2:25, and that’s what I ran, so that didn’t surprise me,” he said. “I started running marathons about seven years ago because I realized I wasn’t fast enough to really compete in a 5K or 10K, and I was looking for a new challenge.”
Running a marathon is not unlike flying a C-130 - training and planning are essential, he said.
“To me, the key to running successful marathons is training hard and smart (don’t overdo it), and to have a solid, realistic race strategy that you stick to on race day,” Captain Johnson said. “It’s very easy to get carried away in a marathon and run the first half way too fast and then hit the proverbial ‘wall.’ It’s also important to have a hydration plan in a marathon; you have to take in some fluids and some carbohydrates as you go, or you could be in trouble when mile 20 rolls around.”
“To prepare to race a marathon, you have to put in a lot of miles, and you need to be sure you get a lot of marathon-pace training accomplished to get your body used to running the pace you want it to run when you are tired. Once the training is done, you need to get some rest and trust that your training was adequate,” he said.
While running marathons isn’t for everyone, running 1.5 miles is something every Air Force member must do to pass their fitness tests. Captain Johnson offered simple advice to those looking to maximize their run times.
“My advice is pretty simple in theory, but not so much in execution. You simply need to run more! Don’t just settle for going out and running a mile and a half a few times a week; work to get yourself to the point where it’s easy to go out and run three or four miles or more. If you can do that, the PT test is a piece of cake,” he said.
For those looking to add distance to their runs, Captain Johnson said the secret isn’t in sports drinks, power bars and or latest gizmos and gadgets to set a blistering pace, it’s avoiding blistering feet.
“For those looking to go to the next level of distance running, the most important piece of advice I can give is to be sure you have a good pair of running shoes. Don’t buy the cheapest pair of shoes; go get fit at a running store,” he said. “Secondly, you have to stick with it. You can’t become a better runner overnight. Give yourself several weeks to improve and let your body adjust to the extra mileage and build it up slowly, adding no more than 10 percent to your weekly mileage total every week as a good rule of thumb.”
Thursday, December 17, 2009
COMMENTARY>>Little Rock Air Force Base NCO Academy graduates
Seventeen technical sergeants graduated Dec. 17 from the NCO Academy at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. They are:
Tech. Sgt. Casey Boyer, 19th Logistic Readiness Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Brandon Bowers, 53rd Airlift Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Douglas Cunningham, 19th Maintenance Group
Tech. Sgt. Stevie Eskridge, 19th Force Support Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Jaison Gibson, 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Brian Harris, 314th AMXS
Tech. Sgt. Michael Heister, 19th Equipment Maintenance Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Jayson Huddleston, 19th MXG
Tech. Sgt. Kelly Hutchinson, 19th Operations Support Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Bobby Jones, 373rd Training Squadron Detachment 4
Tech. Sgt. Adam Lowe, 53rd AS
Tech. Sgt. Jesse Lemons, 19th OSS
Tech. Sgt. William Reynard, 19th Airlift Wing
Tech. Sgt. Joseph Scalisi, 50th Airlift Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Gregory Shadman, 19th LRS
Tech. Sgt. Cynthia Tackett, 19th Communications Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Matthew Williams, 19 AMXS
Tech. Sgt. Casey Boyer, 19th Logistic Readiness Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Brandon Bowers, 53rd Airlift Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Douglas Cunningham, 19th Maintenance Group
Tech. Sgt. Stevie Eskridge, 19th Force Support Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Jaison Gibson, 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Brian Harris, 314th AMXS
Tech. Sgt. Michael Heister, 19th Equipment Maintenance Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Jayson Huddleston, 19th MXG
Tech. Sgt. Kelly Hutchinson, 19th Operations Support Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Bobby Jones, 373rd Training Squadron Detachment 4
Tech. Sgt. Adam Lowe, 53rd AS
Tech. Sgt. Jesse Lemons, 19th OSS
Tech. Sgt. William Reynard, 19th Airlift Wing
Tech. Sgt. Joseph Scalisi, 50th Airlift Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Gregory Shadman, 19th LRS
Tech. Sgt. Cynthia Tackett, 19th Communications Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Matthew Williams, 19 AMXS
COMMENTARY>>As my brother goes off to war
By Col. Kirk Lear
314th Airlift Wing vice commander
This morning I spoke with my brother, our last talk before he leaves his home for another year of combat operations “downrange.” A Soldier in his third decade of service, he was to head home to celebrate an early Christmas this afternoon with his wife and two daughters. His daughters will awake the day after tomorrow to a house without their dad, as if he’s simply gone off to work on yet another day.
Tonight, as his girls fall asleep, he’s packing bags and spending a few tentative hours with a resilient wife of 13 years. He knows it will be hard for him not to think of the flight ahead and the controlled chaos that awaits him far away, helping to lead 4,000 troops into combat. His first troops are already there and engaged with the enemy – word came yesterday of the brigade’s first Soldier wounded in action. My brother’s understandably thinking most of his troops, I suppose, and not his family. His wife understands – he is, after all, a Soldier – he will focus on the mission and the troops he’ll lead. Tomorrow night, she’ll forgive him those words he leaves unsaid, as she did on the last deployment, knowing he’ll think of her and the girls in every quiet moment of his next year.
Our conversation reminded me of a talk long ago with my great-uncle Stanley, who stepped off a glider onto French soil in the second week of June, 1944. With training stateside, a long preparation in England for that epic D-Day invasion and subsequent combat across France and Germany, he was away from his new bride for 33 straight months. He longed for her every day, and dreams of Louise finally saw him safely home.
Every day our service members leave their cherished homes and routines to serve overseas. America’s best and brightest -- volunteers all -- wonder how well they’ll perform their mission and how they’ll fare under pressure. Like Uncle Stanley, they set off on the uncertain adventure, confident in their training and leadership, and hope that they’ll return to find their lives as perfect as they left them.
I’m grateful for my brother’s service and for the Soldiers who have his back. I’m thankful for his devoted wife and my two young nieces, who’ll cherish occasional phone calls and e-mails and look longingly at pictures of him next year. I’ll pray for the families left behind, who’ll knit themselves together, take care of each other’s needs as best they can, and eagerly await the return of their Soldiers.
As my brother goes off to war, I thank God for the giants’ shoulders on which his brigade stands – two centuries of American patriots who have climbed uncertainly onto horses, trains, transport ships and aircraft bound for imminent battle with our enemies. These veterans - the long line Gen. Douglas MacArthur poetically anointed “a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray” - are our greatest legacy and hope, unselfishly setting America apart from all other nations.
314th Airlift Wing vice commander
This morning I spoke with my brother, our last talk before he leaves his home for another year of combat operations “downrange.” A Soldier in his third decade of service, he was to head home to celebrate an early Christmas this afternoon with his wife and two daughters. His daughters will awake the day after tomorrow to a house without their dad, as if he’s simply gone off to work on yet another day.
Tonight, as his girls fall asleep, he’s packing bags and spending a few tentative hours with a resilient wife of 13 years. He knows it will be hard for him not to think of the flight ahead and the controlled chaos that awaits him far away, helping to lead 4,000 troops into combat. His first troops are already there and engaged with the enemy – word came yesterday of the brigade’s first Soldier wounded in action. My brother’s understandably thinking most of his troops, I suppose, and not his family. His wife understands – he is, after all, a Soldier – he will focus on the mission and the troops he’ll lead. Tomorrow night, she’ll forgive him those words he leaves unsaid, as she did on the last deployment, knowing he’ll think of her and the girls in every quiet moment of his next year.
Our conversation reminded me of a talk long ago with my great-uncle Stanley, who stepped off a glider onto French soil in the second week of June, 1944. With training stateside, a long preparation in England for that epic D-Day invasion and subsequent combat across France and Germany, he was away from his new bride for 33 straight months. He longed for her every day, and dreams of Louise finally saw him safely home.
Every day our service members leave their cherished homes and routines to serve overseas. America’s best and brightest -- volunteers all -- wonder how well they’ll perform their mission and how they’ll fare under pressure. Like Uncle Stanley, they set off on the uncertain adventure, confident in their training and leadership, and hope that they’ll return to find their lives as perfect as they left them.
I’m grateful for my brother’s service and for the Soldiers who have his back. I’m thankful for his devoted wife and my two young nieces, who’ll cherish occasional phone calls and e-mails and look longingly at pictures of him next year. I’ll pray for the families left behind, who’ll knit themselves together, take care of each other’s needs as best they can, and eagerly await the return of their Soldiers.
As my brother goes off to war, I thank God for the giants’ shoulders on which his brigade stands – two centuries of American patriots who have climbed uncertainly onto horses, trains, transport ships and aircraft bound for imminent battle with our enemies. These veterans - the long line Gen. Douglas MacArthur poetically anointed “a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray” - are our greatest legacy and hope, unselfishly setting America apart from all other nations.
COMMENTARY>>As my brother goes off to war
By Col. Kirk Lear
314th Airlift Wing vice commander
This morning I spoke with my brother, our last talk before he leaves his home for another year of combat operations “downrange.” A Soldier in his third decade of service, he was to head home to celebrate an early Christmas this afternoon with his wife and two daughters. His daughters will awake the day after tomorrow to a house without their dad, as if he’s simply gone off to work on yet another day.
Tonight, as his girls fall asleep, he’s packing bags and spending a few tentative hours with a resilient wife of 13 years. He knows it will be hard for him not to think of the flight ahead and the controlled chaos that awaits him far away, helping to lead 4,000 troops into combat. His first troops are already there and engaged with the enemy – word came yesterday of the brigade’s first Soldier wounded in action. My brother’s understandably thinking most of his troops, I suppose, and not his family. His wife understands – he is, after all, a Soldier – he will focus on the mission and the troops he’ll lead. Tomorrow night, she’ll forgive him those words he leaves unsaid, as she did on the last deployment, knowing he’ll think of her and the girls in every quiet moment of his next year.
Our conversation reminded me of a talk long ago with my great-uncle Stanley, who stepped off a glider onto French soil in the second week of June, 1944. With training stateside, a long preparation in England for that epic D-Day invasion and subsequent combat across France and Germany, he was away from his new bride for 33 straight months. He longed for her every day, and dreams of Louise finally saw him safely home.
Every day our service members leave their cherished homes and routines to serve overseas. America’s best and brightest -- volunteers all -- wonder how well they’ll perform their mission and how they’ll fare under pressure. Like Uncle Stanley, they set off on the uncertain adventure, confident in their training and leadership, and hope that they’ll return to find their lives as perfect as they left them.
I’m grateful for my brother’s service and for the Soldiers who have his back. I’m thankful for his devoted wife and my two young nieces, who’ll cherish occasional phone calls and e-mails and look longingly at pictures of him next year. I’ll pray for the families left behind, who’ll knit themselves together, take care of each other’s needs as best they can, and eagerly await the return of their Soldiers.
As my brother goes off to war, I thank God for the giants’ shoulders on which his brigade stands – two centuries of American patriots who have climbed uncertainly onto horses, trains, transport ships and aircraft bound for imminent battle with our enemies. These veterans - the long line Gen. Douglas MacArthur poetically anointed “a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray” - are our greatest legacy and hope, unselfishly setting America apart from all other nations.
314th Airlift Wing vice commander
This morning I spoke with my brother, our last talk before he leaves his home for another year of combat operations “downrange.” A Soldier in his third decade of service, he was to head home to celebrate an early Christmas this afternoon with his wife and two daughters. His daughters will awake the day after tomorrow to a house without their dad, as if he’s simply gone off to work on yet another day.
Tonight, as his girls fall asleep, he’s packing bags and spending a few tentative hours with a resilient wife of 13 years. He knows it will be hard for him not to think of the flight ahead and the controlled chaos that awaits him far away, helping to lead 4,000 troops into combat. His first troops are already there and engaged with the enemy – word came yesterday of the brigade’s first Soldier wounded in action. My brother’s understandably thinking most of his troops, I suppose, and not his family. His wife understands – he is, after all, a Soldier – he will focus on the mission and the troops he’ll lead. Tomorrow night, she’ll forgive him those words he leaves unsaid, as she did on the last deployment, knowing he’ll think of her and the girls in every quiet moment of his next year.
Our conversation reminded me of a talk long ago with my great-uncle Stanley, who stepped off a glider onto French soil in the second week of June, 1944. With training stateside, a long preparation in England for that epic D-Day invasion and subsequent combat across France and Germany, he was away from his new bride for 33 straight months. He longed for her every day, and dreams of Louise finally saw him safely home.
Every day our service members leave their cherished homes and routines to serve overseas. America’s best and brightest -- volunteers all -- wonder how well they’ll perform their mission and how they’ll fare under pressure. Like Uncle Stanley, they set off on the uncertain adventure, confident in their training and leadership, and hope that they’ll return to find their lives as perfect as they left them.
I’m grateful for my brother’s service and for the Soldiers who have his back. I’m thankful for his devoted wife and my two young nieces, who’ll cherish occasional phone calls and e-mails and look longingly at pictures of him next year. I’ll pray for the families left behind, who’ll knit themselves together, take care of each other’s needs as best they can, and eagerly await the return of their Soldiers.
As my brother goes off to war, I thank God for the giants’ shoulders on which his brigade stands – two centuries of American patriots who have climbed uncertainly onto horses, trains, transport ships and aircraft bound for imminent battle with our enemies. These veterans - the long line Gen. Douglas MacArthur poetically anointed “a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray” - are our greatest legacy and hope, unselfishly setting America apart from all other nations.
COMMENTARY>>LAMC commander: ‘Time to celebrate, relax’
By Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr.
Air Mobility Command commander
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. – Since taking command just four short weeks ago, I can honestly say I’m more excited than ever to be back in Air Mobility Command! Whether I am visiting our Guard and Reserve partners on the East Coast or our deployed Airmen in Southwest Asia, it’s clear to me you are the finest Airmen in the U.S. Air Force. The intensity and overwhelming passion with which you accomplish your mission impresses me.
You and your family are the heartbeat of this great command. Your tireless efforts and extraordinary teamwork get our mission done.
This holiday is a time to celebrate and relax with family and friends – you’ve earned it – but please make safety a priority. Don’t let drinking and driving, fatigue, speeding, or failure to use seatbelts ruin your holiday. Have a plan before you set out, and stick to it. I want to see each of you after the holidays strong and healthy.
Holidays can also be a stressful time, especially for those who can’t be near their loved ones. Remember those who are spending the holidays alone and let them know you care. Make their holiday a little brighter with a phone call; invite them to dinner or by keeping them in your thoughts and prayers.
It’s an honor to be your commander. Your incredible spirit makes our command and Air Force great. From the Johns family to yours, please have a joyful holiday season and we look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!
Air Mobility Command commander
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. – Since taking command just four short weeks ago, I can honestly say I’m more excited than ever to be back in Air Mobility Command! Whether I am visiting our Guard and Reserve partners on the East Coast or our deployed Airmen in Southwest Asia, it’s clear to me you are the finest Airmen in the U.S. Air Force. The intensity and overwhelming passion with which you accomplish your mission impresses me.
You and your family are the heartbeat of this great command. Your tireless efforts and extraordinary teamwork get our mission done.
This holiday is a time to celebrate and relax with family and friends – you’ve earned it – but please make safety a priority. Don’t let drinking and driving, fatigue, speeding, or failure to use seatbelts ruin your holiday. Have a plan before you set out, and stick to it. I want to see each of you after the holidays strong and healthy.
Holidays can also be a stressful time, especially for those who can’t be near their loved ones. Remember those who are spending the holidays alone and let them know you care. Make their holiday a little brighter with a phone call; invite them to dinner or by keeping them in your thoughts and prayers.
It’s an honor to be your commander. Your incredible spirit makes our command and Air Force great. From the Johns family to yours, please have a joyful holiday season and we look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!
TOP STORY > >Green Hornets swarm to Iraq mission
By Arlo Taylor
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
More than 60 members of the 61st Airlift Squadron deployed Dec. 9 to fly C-130 combat airlift missions supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.
The deployment is first in more than three years in which the Green Hornets have deployed as a squadron instead of individual deployers.
“This is really the first we’ve done a full squadron deployment in a long time,” said Lt. Col. Ken Kopp, 61st AS director of operations, who will be leading the squadron deployment. “It’s going to be a good thing for us. You spend four months together with all the folks in your squadron, and you’re going to get closer because you’re there together.”
Colonel Kopp said deploying as a group helps tighten the ties of teamwork and reinforce the family mindset that has been a hallmark of flying squadrons over the years.
The squadron’s key spouse program will provide a vital link for family members while their loved ones are deployed. Colonel Kopp said the program is part of taking care of Air Force families.
“I encourage our spouses to lean on each other, call each other and take care of each other. If there is something going on, we can’t help you if we don’t know about it,” he said.
The squadron’s key spouses aren’t strangers to deployments and will be calling family members during the deployment to make certain they are okay. The experience of key spouses helps also help family members left behind during the deployment with many issues they may face, said Lt. Col. Bill Otter, 61st Airlift Squadron commander.
“There is some value in getting a phone call. We use our key spouses because there are some issues that spouses may share with [them] that they might not share with [unit leaders],” he said.
The squadron will be part of the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron or “Triple 7 Dueling Dragons,” the largest deployed airlift squadron in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Comprised of more than 100 Airmen and a fleet of C-130 Hercules aircraft, the 777 EAS has five primary missions: hub-and-spoke air-land missions, airdrop, aeromedical evacuation, distinguished visitor airlift and communications, and command and control for Joint Airborne Battle Staff support to coalition forces on the ground. The squadron is expected to return in late spring.
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
More than 60 members of the 61st Airlift Squadron deployed Dec. 9 to fly C-130 combat airlift missions supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.
The deployment is first in more than three years in which the Green Hornets have deployed as a squadron instead of individual deployers.
“This is really the first we’ve done a full squadron deployment in a long time,” said Lt. Col. Ken Kopp, 61st AS director of operations, who will be leading the squadron deployment. “It’s going to be a good thing for us. You spend four months together with all the folks in your squadron, and you’re going to get closer because you’re there together.”
Colonel Kopp said deploying as a group helps tighten the ties of teamwork and reinforce the family mindset that has been a hallmark of flying squadrons over the years.
The squadron’s key spouse program will provide a vital link for family members while their loved ones are deployed. Colonel Kopp said the program is part of taking care of Air Force families.
“I encourage our spouses to lean on each other, call each other and take care of each other. If there is something going on, we can’t help you if we don’t know about it,” he said.
The squadron’s key spouses aren’t strangers to deployments and will be calling family members during the deployment to make certain they are okay. The experience of key spouses helps also help family members left behind during the deployment with many issues they may face, said Lt. Col. Bill Otter, 61st Airlift Squadron commander.
“There is some value in getting a phone call. We use our key spouses because there are some issues that spouses may share with [them] that they might not share with [unit leaders],” he said.
The squadron will be part of the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron or “Triple 7 Dueling Dragons,” the largest deployed airlift squadron in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Comprised of more than 100 Airmen and a fleet of C-130 Hercules aircraft, the 777 EAS has five primary missions: hub-and-spoke air-land missions, airdrop, aeromedical evacuation, distinguished visitor airlift and communications, and command and control for Joint Airborne Battle Staff support to coalition forces on the ground. The squadron is expected to return in late spring.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
COMMENTARY>>Lorenz on Leadership: Spotting disasters
By Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz
Air Education and Training Command
commander
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – “I can hear that train coming down the tracks.”
If you’re like me, then you’ve heard people use this analogy to describe an inbound issue or challenge. We all face challenges each and every day -- they are nothing new. The challenges range in significance and in ability to impact our organizations.
Although the potential challenges do have unique characteristics, all have one thing in common: the sooner a leader can spot them, the more a leader can do to manage how the challenge will influence their organization.
In reality, it’s pretty easy to know when a train is coming down the tracks. They are big, make lots of noise and are typically accompanied by warning lights and bells. Trains typically run on a schedule, making it even easier to know when to either step to the side or hop onboard. We rarely get the same notification from an impending crisis in the workplace. More often, they appear, seemingly from out of thin air, and immediately consume more time than we have to give. Through frustrated, tired eyes we wonder where the crisis came from in the first place. Even though we vow never to let it happen again, deep down we know that it’s only a matter of time before the next one hits our organization by surprise.
Such an outlook is what helped create an entire school of thought called crisis management. We have crisis action teams, emergency response checklists and we build entire plans describing how to effectively deal with the train that we never saw coming. These impacts can be hard to absorb and typically leave “casualties” behind. Wouldn’t it be better to prepare for specific contingencies and not rely on generic crisis response checklists? Wouldn’t it be better for the organization if a leader knew about the train long before it arrived?
So, how does a leader get the schedule for inbound trains? In many cases, just getting out of the office and talking to the members of an organization can help a leader identify potential issues and areas of risk. By the same token, if you are a member of an organization and know of an upcoming challenge, it is your responsibility to research and report it. Candor within an organization is critical to success; information must flow in all directions to maintain efficiency and effectiveness.
In addition to cultivating a culture of candor within an organization, a successful leader must be able to maintain objectivity in order to spot inbound trains. After all, allowing emotion to creep into a leader’s perspective may provide short-term success, but will eventually create mid- and long-term unintended challenges. Rising above the issues at hand makes it far easier to hear the potential challenges and competing interests before they arrive.
Candor and objectivity alone will probably help catch 90 percent of the issues before they impact an organization. In order to achieve 100 percent, a leader must work hard to avoid complacency. When things get quiet within an organization, it doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is being handled successfully. In fact, the hair on the back of every leader’s neck should start to stand up when things get quiet. After all, it probably means the leader isn’t involved enough in the daily operation of the unit and that the first two elements, candor and objectivity, are being overlooked. This is the time to be even more aggressive about candor, information flow and objectivity.
Leaders who work hard to enable candor, remain objective and discourage complacency get a unique opportunity to steer their organizations in the best direction when challenges or crises loom. As they identify the inbound trains, leaders can decide whether to maneuver clear or to hop onboard. You see, each inbound train is an opportunity. It is a chance to fight for new resources – money and/or manpower – and to unify their team toward a common objective. Leaders should anticipate inbound trains as a means to improve their organizations.
Now, crisis action teams and emergency response checklists certainly aren’t bad things. After all, no matter how hard you try, there will always be something that catches your organization by surprise. When you see a train coming down the tracks, don’t just stand in front and brace for impact. Be ready in order to take full advantage of the opportunities they create. Not only will you be more efficient and effective, but you will ensure that your organization will continue in the best direction to achieve short-, mid- and long-term objectives.
Air Education and Training Command
commander
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – “I can hear that train coming down the tracks.”
If you’re like me, then you’ve heard people use this analogy to describe an inbound issue or challenge. We all face challenges each and every day -- they are nothing new. The challenges range in significance and in ability to impact our organizations.
Although the potential challenges do have unique characteristics, all have one thing in common: the sooner a leader can spot them, the more a leader can do to manage how the challenge will influence their organization.
In reality, it’s pretty easy to know when a train is coming down the tracks. They are big, make lots of noise and are typically accompanied by warning lights and bells. Trains typically run on a schedule, making it even easier to know when to either step to the side or hop onboard. We rarely get the same notification from an impending crisis in the workplace. More often, they appear, seemingly from out of thin air, and immediately consume more time than we have to give. Through frustrated, tired eyes we wonder where the crisis came from in the first place. Even though we vow never to let it happen again, deep down we know that it’s only a matter of time before the next one hits our organization by surprise.
Such an outlook is what helped create an entire school of thought called crisis management. We have crisis action teams, emergency response checklists and we build entire plans describing how to effectively deal with the train that we never saw coming. These impacts can be hard to absorb and typically leave “casualties” behind. Wouldn’t it be better to prepare for specific contingencies and not rely on generic crisis response checklists? Wouldn’t it be better for the organization if a leader knew about the train long before it arrived?
So, how does a leader get the schedule for inbound trains? In many cases, just getting out of the office and talking to the members of an organization can help a leader identify potential issues and areas of risk. By the same token, if you are a member of an organization and know of an upcoming challenge, it is your responsibility to research and report it. Candor within an organization is critical to success; information must flow in all directions to maintain efficiency and effectiveness.
In addition to cultivating a culture of candor within an organization, a successful leader must be able to maintain objectivity in order to spot inbound trains. After all, allowing emotion to creep into a leader’s perspective may provide short-term success, but will eventually create mid- and long-term unintended challenges. Rising above the issues at hand makes it far easier to hear the potential challenges and competing interests before they arrive.
Candor and objectivity alone will probably help catch 90 percent of the issues before they impact an organization. In order to achieve 100 percent, a leader must work hard to avoid complacency. When things get quiet within an organization, it doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is being handled successfully. In fact, the hair on the back of every leader’s neck should start to stand up when things get quiet. After all, it probably means the leader isn’t involved enough in the daily operation of the unit and that the first two elements, candor and objectivity, are being overlooked. This is the time to be even more aggressive about candor, information flow and objectivity.
Leaders who work hard to enable candor, remain objective and discourage complacency get a unique opportunity to steer their organizations in the best direction when challenges or crises loom. As they identify the inbound trains, leaders can decide whether to maneuver clear or to hop onboard. You see, each inbound train is an opportunity. It is a chance to fight for new resources – money and/or manpower – and to unify their team toward a common objective. Leaders should anticipate inbound trains as a means to improve their organizations.
Now, crisis action teams and emergency response checklists certainly aren’t bad things. After all, no matter how hard you try, there will always be something that catches your organization by surprise. When you see a train coming down the tracks, don’t just stand in front and brace for impact. Be ready in order to take full advantage of the opportunities they create. Not only will you be more efficient and effective, but you will ensure that your organization will continue in the best direction to achieve short-, mid- and long-term objectives.
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