Best intentions

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

09.05.2014

Courtesy Story

386th Air Expeditionary Wing

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION - Our Airmen are challenged daily to execute a vital and constantly changing mission as we are charged to “Fight Today.” As challenging and complex as our daily tasks are, “Reinforcing Relationships” may be our most challenging wing priority. Colonel James Downs, the 386th Expeditionary Mission Support Group Commander, shared his relationship-building foundation: remain fact-based, unemotional, and consistent. I would add one more building block: assume best intentions. Always assume anyone you are forming a relationship with has the best interest of the 386th in mind. Eliminate negative beliefs about the motives of others and assume they strive for Wing excellence just as you do.

We are all guilty of working in our functional area vacuum at one time or another. This myopic lens focuses solely on our individual piece of the mission. It fails to illuminate how we fit into the mission and which external relationships we rely upon each day to execute the mission. From this point of reference, we may often feel as if our territory is being invaded; instead of our support being requested, we are being demanded to execute. Although the tone and tenor of e-mails and phone calls may insinuate this, the reality is the person on the other end of the line is almost always in the same situation you are--working to attain greatness for the wing while dealing with added pressure and accelerated pace.

The next time you pick up the phone or draft an e-mail requesting support, internal or external to your organization, take a moment to review your message to make sure it is fact-based, unemotional, consistent and assume this person has the wing’s best interests in mind. Make sure your message is clear: I need your support and I appreciate your efforts. In my previous assignment, I was the division chief in the Air Force District of Washington Contracting Directorate. One of my responsibilities was providing oversight for the Air Force National Capital Region Government Purchase Card (GPC) program. My first day in the job, I called to request support from my financial management counterpart. The basis of the phone call was to request his support processing funds for a new GPC account. His response was, “I would be happy to help once your folks respond to my e-mails from two years ago.” This was my first conversation with this individual, on my first day in the job, and he was a person I was going to have to work with daily. When you receive a phone call or e-mail like this, remove any preconceived notions you may have and look for the actual message: what is he or she asking for and why. Again, assume the individual is coming to you for the right reason and is working for the greatness of the wing.

Eight years ago my commander told me “contracting is easy; it’s relationships that make it difficult.” Clearly this difficulty is not exclusive to contracting. My commander’s point was all of our jobs have proven processes and procedures to successfully accomplish the mission. At times they may be expedited, but their usefulness never changes. What changes is our ability to remain fact-based, unemotional, consistent, and assume the best with one and other. We let our emotions and negative assumptions cloud our judgment and ability.

It is inherent in our chosen profession as military service men and women; we are all here with the best of intentions and fervently seek greatness for the wing. As with any other situation, pressure and pace degrade our ability to maintain emotional integrity. When adversity calls, or sends you a frantic email, take a moment, turn down your emotional frequency and find the basic need in the message. We are all here to support the wing; keep that in mind each day. If we do, reinforcing relationships will no longer be our focus because our relationships will be “Rock Solid.”

• Date Taken: 09.05.2014
• Date Posted: 09.05.2014 07:33
• Story ID: 141225
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)