Page 156 - Never Fly Solo

WALK THE FLIGHT LINE | 129

ing (either moving on to other assignments or retiring).
Finally, awards are given out to the top quarterly (or annual)
performers in all areas of operation: Instructor Pilot of the
Quarter, Crew Chief of the Year, Maintenance Technician of
the Year, and so forth. It’s a great opportunity both to gauge
and to stimulate morale and to reinforce the understanding
that we’re all members of the same unified team.
Regardless of your job description, you should gather
your mission-critical wingmen at least once a month and let
them hear news (good or bad) from you. Openly reward your
top performers, and let everyone see that you appreciate
their efforts. If you don’t have a quarterly awards program,
create a simple one—don’t wait till the end of the year to
reward your “top guns.” These meetings should be fun, so
don’t let them devolve into gripe sessions. Allow guest
speakers to share interesting content if time permits, but
above all, keep the meetings creative and interactive, and
always end them on a high note.