Learning to Love Paperwork

There was a significant classroom component in my recent flight refresher course. The instructor used a blended learning approach, combining live instruction with a variety of e-learning programs.

One of the e-learning courses, produced by the FAA Safety Team, highlighted the importance of well thought out decision-making. It included a video segment featuring a senior air traffic controller, discussing the difficulty that pilots have when they are faced with a situation that requires them to declare an in-flight emergency. “You would be surprised how many pilots want to avoid declaring an emergency, even in the worst situations,” he said. “They simply don’t want to be inundated with paperwork. So when things go really bad, we often have to declare the emergency for the pilot.”

The word "paperwork" is usually associated with visions of bureaucracy, long and confusing forms and wasted time. Consider the incredulous statement I quoted above. Many pilots actually make a conscious decision to shun the potentially life saving priority handling and support that is offered when an emergency is declared, simply because of the paperwork that may follow.

During my long career in Human Resources, I have had many opportunities to interview candidates for various positions. Never once have I heard someone say, “I just love paperwork! The more paperwork, the better!” On the other hand, it’s common to hear people expound on the positive attributes of a job that would be otherwise perfect, “but for the paperwork.”

Pilots Maintain Detailed Flight Logs
Photo by Lillian LeBlanc

1.   Paperwork Has a Purpose

Reflect on the various kinds of paperwork that we encounter as pilots, as leaders or in daily life. Aviators must complete flight logs, weight and balance forms, flight plans and medical applications.  Business leaders encounter performance evaluations, disciplinary action documentation, meeting minutes and project justifications. At home, we have checkbook registers, rebate forms insurance applications, and, of course, tax returns.

As much as we may complain about paperwork, it does serve a purpose. Paperwork documents the facts of a situation for current action or future reference. Paperwork acts as the backup system for human memory, which has an interesting tendency to revise or erase key facts.

2.   Positive Aspects of Paperwork

Certain paperwork has intrinsic value. Invoices, rebate forms and expense reports put money in one's pocket. Many people still bemoan the need to complete these forms of paperwork, despite the reward that will follow.

Other forms of paperwork have benefits, although not as apparent. Consider the positive side of recording facts by completing paperwork. Flight logs provide a permanent record of our travels as aviators. The logs document our experience, but they also provide a lasting collection of memories of our aviation adventures. A performance evaluation may be time consuming for the leader, but I know of many employees who have retained every performance evaluation ever received, and warmly reviewed the documents in the later years of their careers. Even disciplinary action forms can have a positive side. It’s encouraging for a leader to reflect on the success achieved by transforming a struggling performer into a key contributor. In the case where performance doesn't improve, solid disciplinary documentation is critical to support a termination decision.

3.   A New Approach to Paperwork

Paperwork is a part of any job or any life situation; pilots and leaders alike can benefit by taking a fresh approach to it. Rather than curse the difficulty, diversion of time and complexity that the paperwork brings, consider its positive attributes. Completing the post-emergency documentation may help another pilot avoid a similar situation. Taking time to document your employee’s performance problems can help you spot a pattern of behavior caused by a serious underlying personal issue that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.

Paperwork documents the as-is, provides a reliable record of facts and in the happiest case, takes a snapshot in time that can serve as the basis for future memories. Learning to love paperwork may be a bit of a stretch for most of us, but we can put it in perspective by understanding the value that it adds.

The recommended readings for this post are designed to help you more effectively manage the paperwork that you will inevitably encounter as a pilot or a leader. Logging Flight Time and Other Aviation Truths, Near Truths and More Than a Few Rumors That Could Never be Traced to Their Sources is authored by William Kershner, noted for his wonderful ability to teach technical subjects with a heavy dose of humor. The Manager's Guide to HR, written by Max Muller, can help any leader with the nuances of documentation that is a necessary part of the leadership role.