SOUTHWEST ASIA –
I am not much into fist-pumping speeches or flowery phrases to get a point across, so here is the important fact: teamwork.
Teamwork is vital for our success every day in and around the base.
When I was a squadron commander, I used to show a video clip from a commercial. It showed several hundred very small fish in an unorganized mass fleeing a large shark. As the shark was about to gobble up several of these fish, the animation changed and all of the smaller fish aligned to become an image of a much larger fish than the shark. They then turned on the shark and chased it away.
I was struck by the simplicity of the commercial and the way it portrayed teamwork in action. Several individuals -- in this case, the small fish -- coming together to face a challenge and achieve what they could not do individually. I could speak at length about the importance of teamwork and never achieved the simple message that came from that 30-second commercial.
Teamwork is a must for our challenges in the Air Force. I don't have a neat acronym for the word "team" to help remember some basic principles, but I do offer some observations from 24 years in uniform that I found helpful in building teams. It's simple in its prescription, but goes against the efficiencies those wonderful gizmos the 21st century offers like text messaging, e-mail or similar communication methods.
I think everyone has heard at some point in their life that communication is the key to success. I am going to put a different spin on this and emphasize good, old-fashion face-to-face communication. While the size of the team can and does matter, you can still build a team or be a better team member by seeking to do business in person. This may be less efficient than e-mail, but it helps build relationships as you continue to meet other challenges.
I make a plea today to everyone reading this: Get away from the computer; go out into the shops, flightline or wherever and work issues face-to-face. Push the chair back, put your hat on and go find those who you need to make it happen.
Secondly, if you are a team leader, try and articulate your goals as clearly as possible. I use to call it the lowest common denominator when I was a squadron commander, and to me they were the fundamentals. Find those critical pieces that will enable success within your team; things like adhering to technical data while doing a maintenance task or being a good wingman 24/7. Then stress those verbally over and over wherever possible. These fundamentals should never leave your vocabulary and should be repeated at every opportunity.
Be a vocal and supportive team member. Even at the highest ranks, we are members of a team and have learned to become effective within that team by offering assistance, speaking up with solutions, and rallying behind the effort. Some people believe that since they are not one of the formal or informal leaders of a team, they cannot contribute. They could not be more wrong. Being a good team member means listening, acting and being vocal with your ideas, support and suggestions.
Finally, communicate wherever possible in person to get your message across. This will show your personal involvement and in turn, commitment to solving a challenge. People are much more willing to work with you and help solve a problem, if you show that level of concern and commitment. Be an active team member -- be a voice to be heard and have a piece in solving the issues confronting your team.