I Love It Here!
This is a book written by Clint Pulver, and I’m sure many of you, like myself, have read it and gleaned some great advice that helps improve the hangar work environment.
If you haven’t read this book yet, I encourage you to grab a copy and take advantage of the great advice on relationship and team building Clint provides.
Clint’s presentation at last year’s Vertical MRO Conference in Kelowna was a key takeaway for me — and for many others.
Let me take this idea of “loving it here” a step further by looking at not only why, but how.
In my last article, “Listen to the pilot: How informal conversations can help with aircraft maintenance and safety,” I briefly mentioned the concept of a toxic work environment. In this article, I’d like to expand on that topic.
I’ve always enjoyed meeting and working with people. Purposefully working with a team that’s all pulling in the same direction has always been a big part of my motivation. There’s a huge sense of pride and satisfaction in seeing aircraft and people hard at work doing what they were meant to do: flying and returning home safely at the end of the day.
I’ve not only valued the work itself but also the relationships. Early in my career, I realized that simply “getting along” with the people you work with is only the foundation of keeping an operation safe and successful. If people within an operation aren’t getting along or communicating effectively, it creates the potential for safety issues.
I recall one person I worked with who, following some issue or incident that resulted from a lack of communication, would declare in a very loud voice, “The only problem we have around here is communication!” Well, it was true, but there was never any follow-through or advice on how to communicate. Everyone would walk away thinking about that statement but not really understanding what to do about it.
An effective way to improve communication is to begin by building good working relationships that can grow into great relationships. Teaching, mentoring, and encouraging co-workers — yes, that means pilots, apprentices, engineers, store managers, operations managers, chief pilots, DOMs, dispatchers, administrators, and owners — not only to talk about their likes and dislikes but also to navigate difficult discussions when they disagree with someone they work with, is essential.
Creating an atmosphere where people feel safe, respected, and accepted encourages good communication between people, which invariably contributes to the overall safety of an organization.
A non-punitive approach to Safety Management is imperative if you want to encourage hazard reporting and transparency.
Moving away from a finger-pointing or “throwing someone under the bus” culture begins with respect. When trust builds between people, a positive working atmosphere can be achieved.
This almost always begins with a company’s leaders, but it can be undermined when people are brought in from other organizations that may not share the same values. As a result, they may unintentionally bring negative cultural experiences with them.
Heading this off with a transparent team orientation from the beginning can pay big dividends as new employees grow alongside others who already understand and support the company’s positive culture.
Assumptions, passive-aggressive comments, fear, anger, accusations, and backbiting gossip are all effective ways to destroy an organization. In aviation, they’re also a recipe for an unsafe environment that can lead to an incident — or worse, an accident.
If there are communication issues, there needs to be a solution. Being open, honest, and transparent takes courage. This starts with a company’s leadership and management, and if they don’t have the necessary training, they need to invest in it.
Most small- to mid-sized aviation companies have key positions filled by engineers or pilots who were excellent at their jobs and were then promoted into management positions that require strong people skills. Many times, it becomes obvious to those working for or alongside them that additional leadership training is needed.
Encouraging a positive and safe work environment is critical to ensuring everyone comes home safely at the end of the day.
Onward and upward!
With over 45 years of experience as an aircraft maintenance engineer, Terrence D. Eissfeldt holds a current Transport Canada license with M1 and M2 certification. His previous positions include director of maintenance, quality assurance manager, chief executive officer, and accountable executive.
