Off Topic - Why I Wrote an Aviation Book

My blog is focused on helping organizations maximize their strengths to become great places to work. However, I am stepping slightly off topic to explain why I wrote a short book about aviation. There are some connections to my standard topic, though and I hope you will find the insights to be of value.

Like many people who publish blogs, I am a writer at heart. Writing comes naturally to me; words generally flow easily from my head to my fingers. Put simply, I love to write. Publishing a book has been a long-held dream.

In 1978, I took a flight lesson - followed by another, and more still. Within nine months, I held a pilot's license. My husband, Roger obtained his pilot's license less than two years prior; together we flew throughout the Northeast and even as far as the Bahama out-islands. Flying provided us with a perspective on life that few people ever know.

Unlike writing, flying did not come easily to me. It was a challenge, every step of the way. I worked harder than most to earn my private pilot's license and the same is true for every rating that followed. As a result, flying bolstered my confidence in ways that no other life experience has yet matched.

In 1991, my family moved to Maine when I was offered a position as VP of HR at a regional healthcare system. Soon after the move, Roger launched an aviation business in the community of Auburn-Lewiston. Measured by population, the area is the second largest in the state, and is home to a reasonably good-sized airport. Through sheer perseverance and an unwillingness to listen to the naysayers, Roger built the business into one of the most respected aviation companies in Northern New England. When the business was in its eighth year, I left my job at the healthcare system to help manage the now sizeable company.



Beechcraft King Air B-100
The aircraft featured in The Flight Level Chronicles

My years with our company were, without question, the most enjoyable of my career thus far. I wore many hats: pilot, chief marketing officer, head of HR, government relations liaison, hangar sweeper, toilet cleaner and more. Roger and I frequently flew together, especially after we sold the company and spun off a one-airplane charter operation with our Beechcraft King Air. Along the way, I kept a diary of sorts, recording some of the most interesting flights and memorable characters that we were privileged to fly. Those recordings became the basis for my book, The Flight Level Chronicles.

Writing this book brought me back to an interesting time in my life. Through this process, I am experiencing valuable lessons that one can apply to daily life, business, leadership, or organizational transformation.

1. Pursue your passion. Everyone says it, few of us do it. There's always a reason to put off the "want-tos" in favor of the "must-dos." Pursuing my passion has improved my writing, taught me the nuances of publishing, introduced me to online marketing, and, like flying, has given a boost to my confidence.
2. Listen to your fans - but listen more closely to your critics. Family and friends served as pre-readers for my book. The praise felt wonderful, but real improvement came through honest, candid feedback.
3. Understand what you want to accomplish - and why. Some of my readers asked, "Who is your audience?" Others asked, "What is your goal; why are you writing this book?" Understanding the answers to those questions was critical to making the book the best it could be and determining what, if any, post-publication plan to implement.
4. Even great can always be better - but focusing on perfection can hinder success. I am a near-perfectionist, a bit of an obsessive type. I read four proofs of the book and each time, I found a word to change, punctuation that wasn't quite right, or tense that wasn't consistent. After the fourth proof, Roger instilled a bit of reality. "You will always find something to change," he said. "If you continue on this path, the book will lose the voice and the charm of the author. Just let it go." And I did.

Finally attaining my goal, holding my tangible, published book in my hand is a dream come true. I will be honored if you'll read it, either in paperback, Kindle or Nook format. If you find the book enjoyable, I will be even happier that I was able to provide you with a pleasant diversion through the pastime I truly love to pursue.

The Gift of Time

I have been spending quite a bit of time recently talking with leaders in various organizations. My information quest seeks to identify what leaders need most from their organizations. Here's what I've learned:

1. Universally, leaders want to be great - not just good, but great.  Not one person has stated or even implied, "Don't bother with support; I'm quite happy being mediocre." Most leaders do see themselves as good leaders, each believing that he or she gives the best effort each day. A desire to improve, a willingness to learn and a commitment to the team is consistently evident among the cross-section of leaders I've encountered.




Leaders are consistently asking
 for more time to be leaders


2. Every leader has more to do.  Job responsibilities have expanded horizontally or vertically, and sometimes in both directions. This is true even in the few organizations that avoided layoffs during the Great Recession. Companies that were in survival mode are transitioning to growth mode and all are hesitant to add staff. Doing more with less is the norm; leaders are directing larger numbers of staff and in some cases, supporting the team by performing staff-level work when necessary.
3. Leaders have a hard time saying "no."  Staff members need help. Bosses need help. Leaders, with a desire to do their best, rarely say no. Instead, they stretch themselves thinner and thinner, in an attempt to satisfy all.
4. The little things go first. As leaders work to juggle priorities and manage time, some activities fall from the list. Out of necessity, leaders resort to doing less of what they perceive will have least impact if undone. The list often includes informal chats with staff, brief check-ins on project teams, self-development and time for personal reflection.

These recurring themes are escalating into a crescendo from leaders to their organizations. "If you truly want to help us be good leaders," they say, "Give us more time."

Good leaders need time so that they can develop the skills needed for a breakthrough to greatness. Great leaders rely on time as a critical strategic element in their toolkit.  Yet, even these great leaders are asking organizations to review the pace of change, assess projects, and reorder priorities so that they can get back to basics. Basics include face-to-face communication with staff, personalized interactions and caring dialogue. Back to basics is all about allocating time to laugh, enjoy each other, and function as a cohesive team.
The senior leaders of the very best organizations are taking notice.  They are listening and evaluating, determining how best to balance the very real need to maintain constant forward momentum with a renewed focus on the human element.

In the meantime, leaders can benefit from reading and reflecting upon two great articles: 

1. Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time, by Tony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthy, published in the Harvard Business Review, October, 2007.
2. No Work-Life Balance? It's Your Fault, by Rachel Emma Silverman, published in The Wall Street Journal blogs on April 7, 2011.

Reflections from the 2011 Great Place to Work Conference

I recently enjoyed two days of idea exchange with many of the best companies to work for in America. The 2011 edition of the annual Great Place to Work conference was hosted in Denver, Colorado. The event centers on content-rich keynote addresses and meaningful workshops. Unlike many HR conferences, there is no cavernous vendor hall or constant pitches for the latest commercial product designed to solve every workplace dilemma.

This marked my third trip to the Great Place to Work conference and as has been the case in the past, I came home not with a goodie bag full of plastic desk toys, but with actionable best practices to adapt for my organization. Here are a few of my key takeaways from this year's event.

1. Never Rest: Even organizations that are already recognized as best places to work need to be constantly attentive to their employees. The best of the best do not bask in their accolades. These companies are constantly striving to maintain high levels of employee engagement and ensure ongoing employee satisfaction. The rewards are high workforce retention, excellent customer satisfaction and industry-best financial performance.




Employee perception is the real driver of best place status


2. Listen, Clarify, Listen Again: Best place status depends largely on the perception of the employees who work for the organization. It is possible to win workplace awards that are simply a stamp of approval for a well-written application. Truly meaningful awards, such as Fortune's Best Companies to Work for in America depend on input from a random sample of employees. The single best way for an employer to understand and respond to employee needs is to listen continuously. A future blog will take a closer look at tools and techniques used by the best of the best.
3. Adapt, Don't Adopt: Building upon the strategic importance of listening, it is important to respond to the specific needs of the employees within the organization. It's tempting to grab the latest glitzy employee benefit, but any action taken to improve employee engagement must resonate with your staff.
4. Basics First: Maslow's Hierarchy has survived over time for a reason. It's accurate and it works. Companies on the road to attain best place recognition must start with an audit of the basics. In workplace terms, these are pay, benefits and environment. Ensure that these elements solidly address the needs of employees are positively perceived before introducing more sophisticated perquisites.

There were many other learning points from this conference. The most valuable experiences were gleaned from small group or one-on-one conversations with colleagues willing to share what has worked for them and what has failed. Continuous learning is a hallmark of best places, and there is no better way to learn than to dialogue with organizations that are constantly striving for excellence.