| Companies of any size can reap the rewards of a | | | | your organization. |
| fighter pilot's Culture of Performance by driving a | | | | First: Define your Culture of Performance through |
| culture focused on performance and execution. A | | | | actions. What we know to be true from both our |
| rapidly changing environment isn't a phenomenon that | | | | military and corporate experience is that it starts at |
| only fighter pilots face. With increasing health, energy, | | | | the top. Leadership needs to provide top-level |
| and education costs combined with increasing global | | | | support and define it through actions. In our |
| competition, developing a strong Culture of | | | | community only those missions that are relevant to |
| Performance is essential for all organizations. Sticking | | | | achieve our desired effect or mission objective are |
| to proven Continuous Improvement processes, | | | | launched, and those involved understand clearly the |
| combined with developing High Performing | | | | benefit they provide. In your organization, you must |
| Organization behaviors, will allow you to concurrently | | | | be able to demonstrate a clear link between business |
| satisfy customer requirements while maintaining | | | | priorities and project priorities, while communicating |
| sustainable growth, and profitable financial margins | | | | what the expected outcomes are and their business |
| ensuring your current and future organizational | | | | impact. Showing relevance will help to create that |
| long-term health. | | | | needed buy-in, but expect to work hard to maintain |
| Navy and Marine Corps fighter pilots' performance | | | | it. |
| and effectiveness in the challenging, dynamic air | | | | Leading and growing a High Performance Culture |
| combat arena have long been characterized by | | | | does not start at the bottom. Neither sailors nor |
| Leadership, Discipline, Continuous Improvement, | | | | employees can be battered into producing more. |
| Performance, and an Esprit de Corps. Our goal was | | | | Clearly communicating your vision for the Future |
| to always achieve an end result as efficiently and | | | | Picture, and articulating how your team can align their |
| productively as possible. High Performing | | | | efforts to help the organization achieve that vision is |
| Organizations know that understanding and leveraging | | | | vital. As Douglas R. Conant, president and CEO of the |
| these same principles in their own organizations can | | | | Campbell Soup Company states, "You have to model |
| make the difference between survival and defeat. | | | | the behavior; you have to be the change that you |
| Anything less can take you out of the fight. | | | | want from your company." |
| Most leaders and managers that we work with have | | | | Second: Manage and grow your organization by |
| heard about the benefits of having a | | | | incorporating constant learning habits. What we call a |
| performance-based culture. What we are often | | | | Culture of Learning, is a hallmark of carrier aviation. |
| asked though, is "How does my organization achieve | | | | The ideas of learning before doing, learning during and |
| this 'High Performing Organization Culture' and reap | | | | learning after guide all that we do. The preparation |
| the benefits that you've talked about? | | | | phase for us before we attempt a mission is |
| This paper will focus on performance. To understand | | | | extensive. Also, in the preparation phase, we plan to |
| how we got to this place, a strong Culture of | | | | debrief after every event. We learn while doing, by |
| Performance, we need to start at the beginning | | | | taking the time to continually ask the question, "Will |
| because High Performing Organizations, like aircraft | | | | this action help me achieve my desired effect, or |
| carrier aviation squadrons, don't take their culture for | | | | Mission Objective?" In both training and mission |
| granted. They define it through actions, manage it by | | | | execution, the debrief is an essential part of our |
| debriefing against it and instill it by holding people | | | | learning after doing process. In order to learn from |
| accountable. | | | | the execution, and from our mistakes, we take the |
| Pensacola, FL in summertime is an oppressive place, | | | | time after every mission, with all the pilots or others |
| not recommended for the faint-hearted. For decades, | | | | who had a stake in the mission, to recall and |
| referred to as "The Cradle of Aviation", this sprawling | | | | reconstruct the mission and to analyze exactly what |
| air station was the perfect place to begin training to | | | | we did right, what we did wrong and why did the |
| become a Naval Aviator or the place where your | | | | results possibly differ from what was intended. This |
| dreams may end. Here the transition began from | | | | allows us to Reduce our Time to Insight™ and |
| post-collegiate life to military life. For those of us who | | | | adjust as a team to a rapidly changing environment |
| successfully made it through training, it is a place | | | | successfully. We finish by focusing on what we can |
| where Performance and Continuous Improvement | | | | do better on the next mission. We do this each and |
| became the foundation for all that followed. In order | | | | every time without exception because it is so |
| to be successful it was necessary for every individual | | | | effective. |
| to have a willingness to manage limited time, | | | | Think of how this applies to your world. In order to |
| resources, learn to take criticism, adjust, improve and | | | | generate precious shareholder value, an organization |
| work as a team- or you washed out. An extremely | | | | needs to learn faster than its competitors, and apply |
| small percentage of us would go on to become | | | | that knowledge throughout the company quickly. |
| aircraft carrier fighter pilots. Our lives and those of | | | | Most projects, product roll outs, meetings or |
| others would depend on mastery of these skills and | | | | practices are not just one-time events. If you are |
| traits. | | | | not taking the time to debrief, how do you expect |
| My office environment as a Naval Aviator includes | | | | your results to improve? How are you capturing |
| not only the cockpit, but the flight deck of an aircraft | | | | lessons learned and sharing knowledge? Help your |
| carrier. Viewed as a minuscule little postage stamp | | | | team maximize their performance by taking the time |
| violently bobbing up and down on the sea, it offers | | | | to debrief! They are simple to do and quick to get |
| up an impossibly tiny area in which to land. Add to | | | | results. |
| this darkness, bad weather, exhaustion and the ever | | | | Third: Instill your Culture of Performance by holding |
| present platform camera broadcasting our landings to | | | | people accountable. Even though there is enormous |
| all the sailors throughout the carrier on televisions, | | | | individual and team effort within fighter squadrons, |
| and the pressure to perform is acute. | | | | accountability is still paramount. Carrier aviation |
| When deployed, today's aircraft carriers have a crew | | | | demands it, lives are at stake. Every cycle of |
| of approximately 5,000 women and men onboard. It | | | | launching and recovering aircraft is measured and |
| is an industrial worksite unlike any other in the world. | | | | scored in many different ways. Data is compiled and |
| The hours are long, the work is grueling and it | | | | constantly screened and debriefed looking for both |
| requires the effort and top-notch performance of all | | | | consistency and areas that need improvement. This |
| on the carrier to get the job done safely and | | | | focus of effort drives a culture that puts a priority |
| efficiently. Operating onboard an aircraft carrier is one | | | | on improving performance. Every aviator is |
| of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Every | | | | responsible for maintaining flight discipline and |
| minute you are onboard an aircraft carrier exposes | | | | proficiency, regardless of age, rank or experience. In |
| you to extreme danger. The risks are high and | | | | addition, even when flying a full flight schedule and |
| mistakes costly. The margin for error is extraordinarily | | | | working long days, professional development is still |
| slim and the only way to mitigate some of these | | | | required. Studying, training, testing-meeting operational |
| factors is through training, training and more training. | | | | obligations with limited resources, all needs to be |
| As fighter pilots, we routinely work 12-16 hour days, | | | | accomplished in that same 24 hour day that we are |
| 7 days a week, preparing, briefing, flying, and | | | | all given to work with. A good quarter, or a good |
| debriefing our missions. Operating safely and with | | | | year, filled with economic success is no guarantee of |
| expedience requires sticking to our effective, | | | | future rewards-think about the collapse of AIG or |
| historically proven processes with intense focus, | | | | Enron. Individuals were not held accountable and the |
| clarity and dedication to achieving our Mission | | | | whole organization suffered. Pensions lost, jobs lost, |
| Objectives. Our patterns of behavior, the | | | | security gone-all because a lack of accountability. |
| purposefulness with which we go about our work is | | | | Quick wins can come from sharing what we know in |
| all about Continuous Improvement and accountability. | | | | order to drive phenomenal performance and |
| So how can your organization develop a Culture of | | | | execution. Continuous Improvement for us is not just |
| Performance similar to this? Let's take a look at three | | | | a catchphrase but a way of life. Drive focus, align |
| best practices that can help you lay the groundwork | | | | your team and gain efficiencies in execution to |
| for your own high performance and growth within | | | | achieve better results for your organization today. |