That's Not My Job

A recent story in the Wall Street Journal reviews several unnerving incidents of close calls between aircraft. The article focuses on the apparent safety tradeoffs within the aviation industry. Overall, we’re safer in the air, but the same is not true on the ground.

My take away from this article was a bit different. As I read the descriptions disaster averted through pilots’ quick actions, it was clear that big-picture thinking played an important role. Looking beyond the immediate and anticipating the unexpected, these pilots compensated for oversights and errors made by others.  Of course, it’s the pilot’s job to ensure the safe operation of the aircraft – no matter what.   

However, any of us, pilots or not can quickly become preoccupied with our own tasks and responsibilities. Big-picture thinking and the ability to quickly react to the unexpected can suffer in these kinds of situations. The common reaction when things go wrong under these circumstances is, “well, that’s not my job…”

Be aware and look beyond the immediate
Photo by Stephen Michaud

As you carry out your daily job responsibilities, especially if you are in a leadership position, consider the lessons learned from these fast-thinking pilots.

• Look beyond the immediate:  There is a whole world swirling around all of us at any time. If you’re immersed in the details and deadlines of a project, it’s easy to miss other things that may be affecting you or your team. Stay aware by making a conscious effort to ensure you know the full scope of expectations, demands and deliverables. Plates may be fuller than you realize.
• Expect the unexpected: Easy to say, difficult to do. How can we plan for events that we can’t predict? Consider the most likely barriers, obstacles or problems that you and your team may encounter. Have a contingency plan in case someone or something unexpectedly arises to upset your strategy.
• Everything is your job:  Just as the pilot is considered to be the sole and final authority for the safe operation of the aircraft, effective leaders take full responsibility for the success of the team. Be ready to respond, even if the threat is caused by another’s mistake. Your team will respect your capacity to solve the problem rather than lay blame for it.

When was the last time you had a day where everything went exactly as planned? Surprises and problems are part of life and especially common in the world of leadership. Learn to expect them, have a plan to respond and take full responsibility for the success of your team.

Recommended further readings for this subject are Making Yourself Indispensible: The Power of Personal Accountability, by Mark Samuel and Runway Incursions by Bill Clarke. The former provides practical advice to derive the benefits of accepting full responsibility for events and situations, while the latter offers actionable strategies for pilots to maximize safety on and near the ground.

Accountability – What Leaders Can Learn from Pilots

In an earlier post, I explored the interesting notion of the value of pilot training for leaders. My post was a follow up to a study citing a possible correlation between effective corporate leadership and general aviation training.

The importance of accountability is widely discussed in leadership circles.  Strong leaders are said to “hold themselves accountable for results” and “drive a sense of accountability in others.” But what, exactly, does accountability mean?

The textbook definition of accountability is, “a form of trustworthiness; the trait of being answerable to someone for something or being responsible for one's conduct.” In other words, accountability is the opposite of blame-shifting. In its simplest terms, accountability means, “the buck stops here.”

Few professions rise to the level of accountability that is expected of pilots. The Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), essentially the rules of aviation, contain a clause that illustrates this point. FAR 91.3 states: “the pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft.”

The authority imparted in FAR 91.3 represents the ultimate level of responsibility and accountability. As a result, the vast majority of aviation incidents or accidents are attributed to pilot error. Even in cases of well-documented extenuating circumstances such as weather or equipment malfunction, the primary cause of aviation accidents is most frequently determined to be pilot error. The consequences of pilot error are often severe, including suspension of license, job loss and occasionally, litigation.

The pilot in command is accountable for the safety of the flight

Imagine if a similar standard was applied in the world of leadership. Consider how often “leadership error” would be cited as the root cause of business problems. How would the business world be different if leaders could not invoke the usual litany of excuses such as “lack of systems support,” “not enough time” or “external economic forces” when things go wrong?

Here are four common workplace challenges. Envision how companies would be different if leaders, as well as the people and boards to whom they report, held themselves accountable:

1.      Chronically poor performing employee: Common excuse: "It's not my fault. He's lazy." Accountable leader's questions: "Did I fail to convey understandable expectations, monitor performance and swiftly intervene with coaching and guidance?"

2.      Disengaged new employee: Common excuse: "No one could have seen this. She interviewed so well and had great references." Accountable leader's questions: "Did I fail to carefully assess cultural and organizational fit? Did I fail to provide an effective orientation and onboarding experience? Did I fail to connect and guide the newcomer?"

3.      Sub-standard project progress: Common excuse: "I'm not responsible. This group is just not motivated." Accountable leader's questions: "Did I fail to provide clear project guidelines, appropriate project oversight, and closely monitor team dynamics?"

4.      Need to lay off staff: Common excuse: "We have no other choice. Market conditions and economic trends are impacting the company." Accountable leader's questions: "Did I lack strategic foresight? Was I paying sufficient attention to income and revenue trends? Did I exhaust all other options before impacting my employees' lives?"

Here’s a challenge to every leader, from CEO to first-line supervisor: Dust off your job description. Review the expectations and responsibilities of your position. Apply the principles of FAR 91.3 to every facet of your work. You, as a leader, are directly responsible for the operation of your group, department or organization, depending on the level of your job. When things go wrong – and they will – stop short of looking for other sources of blame and accept the responsibility at the same level that pilots do.

The buck stops with you. It will be uncomfortable and difficult, but nothing is more disarming or builds trust faster than a strong leader who accepts responsibility and models accountability.

Recommended readings for this post are: The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything, by Stephen M. R. Covey and The Limits of Expertise: Rethinking Pilot Error and the Causes of Airline Accidents, by R. Key Dismukes, Benjamin A. Berman and Loukia D. Loukopoulos.

The Speed of Trust discusses the importance quickly establishing trust to facilitate leadership effectiveness. Although "The Limits of Expertise" focuses on aviation, its message has relevance for decision processes, performance and errors of humans in many professions.

Slow Down or Go Around

There is a maneuver in aviation called the "go around," used when something is amiss on approach to landing. A myriad of situations can cause a go around.  Perhaps the pilot sees an object (inanimate or living) on the runway, has misjudged wind correction, or simply has not sufficiently slowed the aircraft. The go around is generally undesirable, since it results in excess fuel consumption, an uncomfortable situation for passengers and a delay in arrival at the destination. Go arounds are necessary in some cases, but a pilot induced go around due to excess speed is always best avoided.

I vividly recall just such a situation many years ago, while on approach to Runway 22 at Boston's Logan Airport. It was a warm summer weekend day; the air traffic was heavy. As a result, the busy but patient controller was doing his best to ensure adequate spacing among a widely varied mix of aircraft.  At least twice, he asked me to reduce the speed of my King Air, and I of course compiled, but apparently not to the degree needed. Finally, the gentle controller uttered words I recall to this day:  "King Air 9MS; you gonna slow down or you gonna go around..."

Moving too fast for one's team is a common issue that many leaders encounter.  The eager leader generates idea after idea, or enthusiastically sets aggressive and potentially unrealistic project deadlines. Dutiful team members, loyal to the boss and striving for excellence, work diligently to keep up, but eventually limits are reached.  At best, the team calls a time out and convinces the boss to regroup, but at the extreme, this kind of overload can result in lost productivity due to illness or undesired turnover. These unhappy outcomes are the leadership world's version of the aviation go around.

Some situations can lead to a go-around

Here are three ways that leaders can ensure that they slow down before needing to go around:

1. Regularly check in with the team.  Ask for and listen to the team's view of the project pace and competing priorities. Leaders may misjudge the full impact of a particular project or strategy. Those who are immersed in its creation and/or execution can provide valuable reality checks.
2. Reprioritize. Multiple projects are a necessary part of business in the 21st century, but attempting to execute too many strategies at once will result in a splintered focus and may jeopardize the success of each one. If necessary, slow down, refocus and reprioritize.
3. Take time to reflect and celebrate, then move on.  Too often in business, we move from one highly work-intensive project to the next, without pausing to reflect on the success, learn from what's been created and celebrate the accomplishment. Taking time to look back on all that's been done and enjoy the achievement results in valuable recognition for the team and injects a brief but very effective pause into the frenetic pace of business.

Followers of this blog will note that a very long time has elapsed between the prior post and this one. A number of personal and work events occurred at once, on top of an already jam-packed schedule. Unable to slow down, I had no choice but to go around and pause my writing for several months. Indeed, the controller's words from so many years ago still linger in the back of my mind. "You gonna slow down, or you gonna go around..."  Full throttle, gear up ....and bring the plane around a bit slower the next time.

Recommended readings related to this post include Positive Flying: Tested Numbers and How to Fly Them for Precision Performance, by Richard L. Taylor and William Guinther and The Power of Pause: How to be More Effective in a Demanding, 24/7 World, by Nance Guilmartin. Both books emphasize the importance of pace and speed control to achieve a successful outcome - one in aviation and the other in leadership or everyday life situations.

Navigating Storm Clouds

Flying is a pleasure when the weather is CAVU - ceiling and visibility unrestricted. Crystal blue skies and light winds provide a relaxing and pleasant environment for aviators of any skill level.  As enjoyable as these conditions are, they are also elusive. As many pilots know, the more hours logged, the more likely an encounter with nasty weather becomes.

This blog focuses on parallel lessons in aviation and in leadership. Imagine, for a moment, how life would be if employee relations problems, competitive challenges, insufficient budgets and outdated equipment were replaced by perfection in every respect. The leadership equivalent of sparkling skies and smooth air is a business environment devoid of these difficulties. Although it sounds wonderful, this situation is unlikely to exist.

Aviation, leadership and in fact life in general involve a series of challenges. As we encounter each challenge, we have a choice in the way that we respond. Our success is often determined by the approach we take and choices we make when the storm clouds billow in our path.

1.       Acknowledge the likelihood of storms

Simply understanding and accepting that fact that in-flight weather cannot always be perfect – or that not every day as a leader will be ideal – serves as mental preparation and reduces stress. Realizing and acknowledging that storms will erupt or challenges will arise can arm an individual with a degree of alertness and minimize the impact of difficulties.

2.       Understand personal limits

A new pilot is limited in his or her ability to navigate weather. An instrument rating  - the aviation equivalent of an advanced degree – is required for flight in clouds or in low visibility conditions. Wise new pilots typically avoid situations that might result in an encounter with storm clouds. They impose personal limits to ensure safety. These may include flight within a limited geographic area, flights of shorter duration, or flying in the company of a more experienced pilot.

Navigating storm clouds requires skill and strategy
Photo by Lillian LeBlanc

Less experienced leaders can also invoke the personal limit approach. These leaders can ensure that they have readily available mentors and quickly seek assistance when faced with any new situation. In addition, new leaders can choose to defer decisions to more experienced leaders (their own bosses), with very clear indication that they will use the opportunity to observe and learn from the approach of the more seasoned individual.

3.       Consider all factors when choosing the path forward

Navigating storm clouds requires a deep understanding of the weather, a full grasp of the capabilities (and limitations) of the aircraft and crew and a healthy dose of caution. Deviating well off course or a changing altitude may be necessary to ensure a safe and comfortable flight. A savvy aviator gathers all available information and carefully assesses the situation at hand to arrive at the best navigational decision.

Leaders must be nimble and flexible. Two seemingly similar situations can rarely be approached the same way. A simple employee relations matter or a product malfunction could appear, on the surface to be a case of déjà vu, but differences in personalities, timing or peripheral business conditions will influence the appropriate course of action. Responding to a leadership situation based solely on “been there, done that,” carries a high likelihood of failure.

4.       Never be afraid to turn back and land

Not all storm clouds can be safely traversed by even the most skilled pilots. Occasionally, a pilot will continue a flight into conditions that are far worse than expected. As difficult as it may be, a course reversal may be warranted.  Such a decision may result in disappointed passengers, missed appointments or extra expense. A few pilots stubbornly plod along into severe weather simply to avoid these problems. Sadly, some fail to live to tell about it.

Leadership decisions seldom involve life and death in the literal sense. However, leaders can find themselves in situations that call for a reversal of a decision. Altering course, perhaps requiring the leader to admit an error, may be extremely difficult and possibly embarrassing. However, failing to do so could result in serious damage or even derailment of an otherwise promising career. In the leader’s case as well as in the pilot’s case, the wisdom of the decision to change course may never be able to be validated.

Bright sunny days are a pilot’s dream. Happy employees and problem-free operations are wonderful for leaders. As pleasant as these times are, the realities of life enable storm clouds to brew. The best pilots and the most skilled leaders accept these conditions, while learning and understanding  the most effective ways to manage them.

For additional reading on this topic, consider Severe Weather Flying by Dennis Newton and The Stress Effect – Why Smart Leaders Make Dumb Decisions and What to do About It. The former offers pilots valuable advice on the subject of thunderstorm and windshear avoidance. The latter is filled with practical strategies to make better decisions by understanding one’s own situation.