CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Have you ever noticed a plant or flower that really caught your attention? Its stems and flowers were perfectly shaped and blended in the right pot or vase as if it were meant to be. We don't stop and think about the planning and execution that made it all come together because we're so impressed with the initial appearance. If all our Airmen made that kind of impression, we would safely assume their performance will match their appearance.
Those outstanding members of our Air Force who catch the eye of their respective first sergeant and are recognized as diamond sharp award winners, promoted below the zone, and Stripes for Exceptional Performers promotes are those prize-winning flowers. You're not one of these sharp Airmen by accident. It takes teamwork and it starts with a dedicated supervisor. You've heard the old saying, "success breeds success." Good supervisors expertly manage the right environment to ensure their Airmen grow and develop properly.
What happens when Airmen are not set up for success? Failure is not always the answer, but we lose valuable members of our enlisted force because they don't feel the love and care required to be successful. I ask supervisors to view themselves as gardeners, and treat their Airmen like seeds. I let them know they have to make a choice and decide whether their seeds will fall on the hard path, the rocky soil, among the thorns or on the good soil.
Seeds that fall on the hard path never have a chance to grow. Birds come and swoop them away as fast as they fall. Airmen who enter a section unwelcomed tend to feel the same way. They can't wait for a permanent change of station or temporary duty assignment orders to give them a new beginning.
Supervisors who plant their seeds on the rocky soil are setting their Airmen up for failure. The seeds will not take root and form a solid foundation, but they will grow and become scorched by the sun. When training is taken lightly, inspections and evaluations will prove that the supervisor did not thoroughly train their Airmen. Safety is compromised and the unit cannot accomplish its mission.
When supervisors don't mentor their Airmen, they're guilty of planting seeds among the thorns. Those thorns eventually overcome the Airman and the garden (unit) is overrun with undesirable weeds. Outstanding performance goes unrecognized because substandard behavior overshadows the good in the organization.
When supervisors view themselves as gardeners and take the necessary steps to ensure their troops are outstanding, the unit will thrive and prosper. When supervisors don't recognize they have the touch of a gardener, their prize winning plants (Airmen) will never succeed.