Page 44 - Never Fly Solo

CHAIR FLYING | 17
been flown by other pilots, and reams of data are available to
use for planning. Therefore, when planning flights and chair-
flying missions, gathering up-to-date intelligence and learning
from the mistakes of others are crucial to successful
execution.
Business books, magazines, and trade journals can be
great intelligence sources for relevant training scenarios. Look
for specific articles that outline descriptions and procedures
for handling a particular business challenge. With today’s
powerful Web search engines, a minute or two of browsing is
often all it takes to find helpful information. Then mentally
rehearse how the information applies to your specific roles at
work.
Coworkers or colleagues in your industry have already
failed or succeeded at sales missions, marketing campaigns,
and budget forecasts similar to yours. Learn from their experi-
ences about what worked and what didn’t, and then chair fly
the best possible alternative actions. Always debrief after your
chair flights and solicit feedback and suggestions from your
entire team. Every situation or what-if requires its own specifi-
cally tailored response—no one action will work every time.

Always Fly with a Wingman
Rehearse scenarios with a wingman—preferably someone more
experienced than you. There is a limit to how much you can
learn on your own. A good wingman will give you mission-critical
feedback, catch your errors, ask questions, and propose chal-
lenging scenarios to push you to grow in your skills and mental
discipline. And practice especially with those wingmen on your
team to whom you would most likely call out “Mayday!” when
a missile launch comes.