individuals: hidden gems
I VIEW SUBORDINATES IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT THAN MOST OF MY PEERS. WHILE MANY IN THE SUPERVISION TIER CARE ABOUT THE FINAL PRODUCT, I TEND TO BE DETAIL ORIENTED. I CARE MORE ABOUT THE PEOPLE DOING THE WORK THAN THE WORK ITSELF. THIS ‘SUBORDINATE FIRST’ MINDSET, AS IT IS KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE MAINTENANCE COMMUNITY, IS SURPRISINGLY UNCOMMON. THERE ARE MANY WHO EMBODY THE LAISSEZ-FAIRE LEADERSHIP STYLE, WHILE MINE IS MORE HANDS ON.
IN THE MILITARY COMMUNITY, A SUBORDINATE’S REPUTATION PRECEDES THEM. THIS REPUTATION, GOOD OR BAD, CAN OFTEN IMPEDE A SUPERVISOR FROM PROPERLY PERFORMING THEIR DUTIES. IF AN AIRMAN IS DOING GOOD, THEN THERE IS NO NEED FOR INTERFERENCE FROM A SUPERVISOR. SIMILARLY, IF A NEW SUBORDINATE IS BELIEVED TO BE LESS THAN PERFECT, A SUPERVISOR MAY NOT WANT TO ‘WASTE THEIR TIME’ ON MENTORING. TOO MANY TIMES, A SUBORDINATE’S SKILLSET IS UNDERUTILIZED, OR THEY MAY BE DEALING WITH EXTRACURRICULAR ISSUES AND, THEREFORE, CONDEMNED WITH A NEGATIVE REPUTATION.
THE ‘SUBORDINATE FIRST’ MINDSET CAME WHEN I WAS AN INSTRUCTOR IN A PRODUCTION WORK CENTER. MY SHOP HAD JUST RECOVERED FROM A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY AND INHERITED A MANAGER WHO PLACED ALL IMPORTANCE ON RESULTS, AND NONE FOR CARING ABOUT PEOPLE. WITH THE EXPEDITED WORK PACE AND THE LITTLE THOUGHT THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE MINDSET OF THE WORKERS, PRODUCTION AND MORALE IN THE WORK CENTER BEGAN TO DWINDLE. CMSGT KALETH WRIGHT HAS DETERMINED THAT THE DECREASE IN MORALE HAS SLOWLY BEGAN TO IMPACT THE ENTIRE AIR FORCE. WHILE THE BOSS BECAME ANGERED WITH WHY CERTAIN TASKS WERE NOT GETTING ACCOMPLISHED, I WAS CONCERNED WITH MY COWORKER, WHOSE FATHER HAD JUST BEEN ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL. UNSURPRISINGLY, THIS MATTER EMBEDDED ITSELF WITHIN HER MIND, AND WORK WAS OF LITTLE CONCERN TO HER.
THE LACK OF PROPER LEADERSHIP ENLIGHTENED ME. I BEGAN TO PONDER ABOUT WHICH TRAITS I VALUED IN A LEADER. FIRSTLY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOUR PEOPLE. IT IS A SECRET GOAL OF MINE TO LEARN EACH OF MY SUBORDINATE’S FIRST NAME. THIS MAY SEEM STRANGE, BUT IN THE MILITARY, YOU ARE CONSTANTLY CALLED BY YOUR RANK AND LAST NAME. LEARNING NAMES MADE INTERACTIONS MORE PERSONAL. SECONDLY, EACH SUBORDINATE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE GREAT, AND IT IS MY JOB TO GUIDE THEM. AS ALBERT EINSTEIN WROTE, “EVERYBODY IS A GENIUS. BUT IF YOU JUDGE A FISH BY ITS ABILITY TO CLIMB A TREE, IT WILL LIVE ITS WHOLE LIFE BELIEVING THAT IT IS STUPID.” THIRDLY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO WITHHOLD JUDGMENT IF A SUBORDINATE IS NOT LIVING UP TO THEIR EXPECTATIONS. WE ARE ALL HUMAN AND THEREFORE WE MAKE MISTAKES FINALLY, I REALIZE THAT LIFE HAPPENS AND THAT WHAT I DEEM IMPORTANT MAY NOT BE ANOTHER’S DRIVING FACTOR.
IN THE MILITARY COMMUNITY, A SUBORDINATE’S REPUTATION PRECEDES THEM. THIS REPUTATION, GOOD OR BAD, CAN OFTEN IMPEDE A SUPERVISOR FROM PROPERLY PERFORMING THEIR DUTIES. IF AN AIRMAN IS DOING GOOD, THEN THERE IS NO NEED FOR INTERFERENCE FROM A SUPERVISOR. SIMILARLY, IF A NEW SUBORDINATE IS BELIEVED TO BE LESS THAN PERFECT, A SUPERVISOR MAY NOT WANT TO ‘WASTE THEIR TIME’ ON MENTORING. TOO MANY TIMES, A SUBORDINATE’S SKILLSET IS UNDERUTILIZED, OR THEY MAY BE DEALING WITH EXTRACURRICULAR ISSUES AND, THEREFORE, CONDEMNED WITH A NEGATIVE REPUTATION.
THE ‘SUBORDINATE FIRST’ MINDSET CAME WHEN I WAS AN INSTRUCTOR IN A PRODUCTION WORK CENTER. MY SHOP HAD JUST RECOVERED FROM A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY AND INHERITED A MANAGER WHO PLACED ALL IMPORTANCE ON RESULTS, AND NONE FOR CARING ABOUT PEOPLE. WITH THE EXPEDITED WORK PACE AND THE LITTLE THOUGHT THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE MINDSET OF THE WORKERS, PRODUCTION AND MORALE IN THE WORK CENTER BEGAN TO DWINDLE. CMSGT KALETH WRIGHT HAS DETERMINED THAT THE DECREASE IN MORALE HAS SLOWLY BEGAN TO IMPACT THE ENTIRE AIR FORCE. WHILE THE BOSS BECAME ANGERED WITH WHY CERTAIN TASKS WERE NOT GETTING ACCOMPLISHED, I WAS CONCERNED WITH MY COWORKER, WHOSE FATHER HAD JUST BEEN ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL. UNSURPRISINGLY, THIS MATTER EMBEDDED ITSELF WITHIN HER MIND, AND WORK WAS OF LITTLE CONCERN TO HER.
THE LACK OF PROPER LEADERSHIP ENLIGHTENED ME. I BEGAN TO PONDER ABOUT WHICH TRAITS I VALUED IN A LEADER. FIRSTLY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOUR PEOPLE. IT IS A SECRET GOAL OF MINE TO LEARN EACH OF MY SUBORDINATE’S FIRST NAME. THIS MAY SEEM STRANGE, BUT IN THE MILITARY, YOU ARE CONSTANTLY CALLED BY YOUR RANK AND LAST NAME. LEARNING NAMES MADE INTERACTIONS MORE PERSONAL. SECONDLY, EACH SUBORDINATE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE GREAT, AND IT IS MY JOB TO GUIDE THEM. AS ALBERT EINSTEIN WROTE, “EVERYBODY IS A GENIUS. BUT IF YOU JUDGE A FISH BY ITS ABILITY TO CLIMB A TREE, IT WILL LIVE ITS WHOLE LIFE BELIEVING THAT IT IS STUPID.” THIRDLY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO WITHHOLD JUDGMENT IF A SUBORDINATE IS NOT LIVING UP TO THEIR EXPECTATIONS. WE ARE ALL HUMAN AND THEREFORE WE MAKE MISTAKES FINALLY, I REALIZE THAT LIFE HAPPENS AND THAT WHAT I DEEM IMPORTANT MAY NOT BE ANOTHER’S DRIVING FACTOR.