Writing about Flying and Learning

Reflect on what you have learned throughout this course. How can you apply what you learned to your own framework of leadership? Based on what you learned in this class, what are some changes you want to make to your own leadership style? I have learned some interesting details and techniques from this class will most definitely assist me in any future managerial position.   I’ve had the confidence to lead people either as a camp counselor or as an event organizer, but these events or items are typically one time or annual events that have a conclusion.    The question to me has been how to sustain a level of success and excellent for the long term, since the challenges in the business world is on a daily basis and never ceases.   These items that have been discussed in our course have provided an insight on how to structure an organization that sustains this level within a daily routine that has an inherent level of proficiency.   This structure (h...

Write a blog entry on task-facilitating and relationship-building roles. In your blog, reflect upon your understanding of how these roles enhance team performance. Consider how you generally relate as a team-member. Do you actively engage your team to accomplish its mission? Do you work to improve the team cohesion and collaboration? Our immediate work group (Flight Standards) is a relatively un-diverse collection of pilots, meaning we all have similar backgrounds that include either military or civilian aviation experience.   While we do have that in common, there most definitely different personalities and personal interests that makes for a unique and fun group.   Although our flying experience and reference point may be somewhat different, through anecdotes and “war stories” we are able to relate common experiences that contain essential information for relating to each other.   Having been together for the last 7 years, there really isn’t much new ...

Empowered!   Describe a time when you have been empowered to accomplish something.   Reflect on how others supported you and how the endeavor was accomplished.   How can you apply those lessons to your own followers? The best example I can provide is when I was tasked to acquire new flight planning software for our airline.   Our operation was struggling financially, but there was reason for optimism due to a new aircraft we were acquiring which stretched our operations into Europe.   This required an upgrade to a new software program that had the capability for international flight planning.   The Chief Pilot and Director of Safety had confidence in me to conduct the research and propose the most capable software for purchase.   The task itself was fairly straight forward, as the requirements were fairly obvious.   What I appreciated from both gentlemen was their counsel on presenting this information to the company owner.  ...

Conflict Resolution First, view the video below. Then use your blog to describe an example of a successful conflict resolution that you have either witnessed or participated in.  ·         What was the conflict? ·         What role did you play? ·         Who were the other participants in the negotiation? ·         Knowing what you know now, how might you have changed your actions or improved the solution? The best example of conflict resolution that I was a participant of was a work-related process issue between two different departments.   The issue revolved around a longstanding stalemate about instructions in a process manual between the flight training group and the fight standards group.   The instructions directed how flight instructors were to receive specialty training and how the records would reflect ...

Motivation...   Dan Ariely outlined what motivates us to work is a sense of purpose. Reflect on what motivates you at work and what gives you a sense of purpose. Why do you do what you do? What do you hope to achieve through your work? In considering how you are motivated, how can you discover not only your own personal fulfillment but that of your followers? Based upon my feelings of the TED video in Discussion 5.2, which was less than enthusiastic, I must say that this was one of the more though provoking presentations I’ve seen.   Mr. Ariely, through various experiments of Lego construction and deconstruction, was able to show the connection people have to their work and their perceived value of that work relative to an objective observer or Lego connoisseur.   Although seemingly common sense, Mr. Ariely relates how this fact can be lost on senior managers or executives when making program decisions that can impact employee motivation and interest (Ar...