DUKE FIELD, Fla. – “Do you have a bias for action?” said Chief Master Sgt. Clint Grizzell, 492nd Special Operations Wing command chief, as he stood before the more than 45 Combat Aviation Advisors assigned to the 6th Special Operations Squadron.
The auditorium filled with silence.
As he noticed those in attendance pondering the question, he elaborated.
“What personal perceptions prevent you from asking questions or checking on those around you?” Grizzell added.
Slowly, the attendees in the room began to share their answers.
“Privacy; minding my business; not wanting to meddle,” each answer coming from a different attendee sitting on opposite sides of the room.
“Understandable,” Grizzell replied back to the individuals who answered.
He then slowly made his way to the center of the room and with the calm and welcoming demeanor those who know him have come to expect, he retorted.
“Everyone around you is your responsibility,” Grizzell said. “It is our duty to look out for each other and not let our own biases for action prevent us from engaging with those who are obviously in need or even those who aren’t.”
The hour-long seminar, appropriately themed, “Bias for Action,” was presented by Grizzell to members of the 6 SOS, Sept. 25, 2020, at the beginning of the squadron’s roll call in the squadron auditorium on Duke Field.
Grizzell saw this briefing as an opportunity to reconnect members of the squadron, many of which hadn’t attended the same training together since the COVID-19 pandemic adjusted the way the 492 SOW conducted training and meeting back in March.
He wanted to emphasize that practicing social distancing doesn’t mean being socially distant — and reiterated that the strength of the Air Force Special Operations Command community is the bond each of them share both on and off duty.
During the course of the seminar, Grizzell articulated aspects that prevent us from acting when we see people in trouble including uncertainty, fear and in some cases disengagement. These variables prevent us from acting quickly and providing the help that someone may need.
“As many of you said earlier, we each have our own preconceived notions on when to engage with others or when not to,” said Grizzell. “However, if you see somebody struggling, it is never wrong to act too early and always a fail to act too late. Having a bias for action means you're not afraid to make decisions and take action, even when you face the uncertainty of that ‘uneasy’ feeling you have about possibly being wrong.”
“Our commitment to one another does not end when we take this uniform off,” Grizzell said. “We have a bond that few in America can say they have. We are more than just Airmen, we are family.
Throughout the seminar, members were also able to share their own emotional stressors and identify how to recognize and cope with stressful situations. They also had an open and honest conversation on recognizing personal biases and how to overcome them. In order to do this, Grizzell invited members in attendance to share their own personal stories about situations where they had to overcome their personal bias to address an issue or to look out for a fellow Airman.
One individual shared his own struggles with approaching leadership from a past squadron and how the outcome prevented his bias for action throughout his career.
At the conclusion, Grizzell discussed and took suggestions on how to improve each Airman’s comprehensive fitness and recognize Airmen for the work that they are doing better.
“We’ve got to get better at knowing ourselves and our teammates,” Grizzell said. “That starts with open and honest conversations. This is how a bias for action begins. This is our call to action.”
| Date Taken: | 09.25.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 11.19.2020 11:05 |
| Story ID: | 383356 |
| Location: | DUKE FIELD, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 92 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A Bias for Action: 492 SOW command chief calls SOF Airmen to action, by MSgt Michael Charles, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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