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Show 2 COMMENTARY I IiIltop TIMES Sept. 15, 2011 Hilltop ES Weekly Since 1948 Hilltop Times Editorial Staff: Lee Carter ... Standard-Examiner publisher Mary Lou Gorny Hilltop Times Editor Anne Morrison Hilltop Times Writer Krista Starker Hilltop Times Correspondent Ryan Larsen Hilltop Times Correspondent Deadlines: Editorial and news items are due by noon on the June 24 prior to the Thursday print date. To submit news items e-mail hilltoptimes@standard.net or call (801) 625-4273. For Classified Advertising, call (801) 625-4300. For Retail Advertising, call (801) 625-4388. The Hilltop Times is published by Ogden Publishing Corp., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under, and in compliance with, a Memorandum of Understanding with Hill Air Force Base. The content of the Hilltop Times does not necessarily represent the views of, nor is it endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or Hill Air Force Base (collectively, the Government). The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Government of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Standard-Examiner, 332 Standard Way, Ogden, Utah, 84404. Additional editorial content is provided by various military and civilian wire services and Hill Air Force Base public affairs departments. Call 801-625-4273 with story ideas or comments, or contact the editor, Mary Lou Gorny, at mgorny@standard.net . Call 801-625-4300 for Classified Advertising or 801-6254388 for Retail Advertising. HAWC Nest Fitness Tip from the Health and Wanness Cantor The Freshstart program to quit tobacco is a four-part series that meets weekly for one month. All active duty, dependents, retirees, Department of Defense federal employees and contractors are eligible to attend. Call Pat Cerone Health and Wellness Center at 801-777-1215 for more information. Roll Call: Invest Hold the Line: Emotional intelligence in your people BY CHIEF MASTER SGT. CHRISTOPHER S. MCCOLLOR Command Chief 412th Test Wing w RIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio — Emotional intelligence, fact-based leadership and fact-based followership are perhaps the most basic techniques that both leaders and followers can use to drive teamwork and superior mission accomplishment. I recently observed an exchange between aspiring senior non-commissioned officers and junior Airmen. Master sergeant selectees attending the Senior Non-CornChief Master Sgt. missioned OffiMcCollor cer Professional Enhancement Seminar interacted with a panel of four senior airmen in an "Airman's Panel." It began innocently but evolved to something that reminded me it's sometimes the simple things that have the greatest impact. This exchange caused me to re-evaluate my own leadership style and share the experience with anyone who would listen. The first simple question to the Airmen: "What trait, in your opinion, makes a good leader?" The Airmen answered: "A leader is even-tempered and never freaks out. Airmen don't have the level of knowledge or worldliness that you do. We're going to have challenges. We need to know that we can come to our leaders with challenges and that those leaders will offer solutions in a calm, unemotional manner. If we think our bosses are going to go off the deep end every time we come to them with a problem, we just don't trust them." Lesson learned — Airmen want to be led by professionals who have emotional intelligence; supervisors who act in an unemotional manner; leaders who base their decisions and recommendations on fact and deliver them in a calm, professional manner. This fosters trust between supervisors and subordinates, and it builds a confidence that facilitates an uncompromising, healthy work environment. As you conjure up images of your favorite, and not so favorite supervisors, I would venture to guess the good ones were emotionally intelligent. Tables turned, the Airmen ask the master sergeant selectees a question: "What traits does a good Airman possess?" To my surprise the answer was almost unanimous: "Good Airmen tell us their challenges in a clear, concise manner, without emotion and present their challenge in a fact-based way." Epiphany moment! BY CHIEF MASTER SGT. GARRY T. HOUTZ Supervisors and subordinates de75th Force Support Squadron Superintendent mand the same things from each other: straight, honest feedback. Cut to the s a leader and senior NCO, I have many responchase and leave out the emotional emsibilities — ranging from ensuring the day-tobellishment. This is not to say leaders and suborday job gets done to caring for Airmen. Durdinates need to act robotically. On the ing the course of a normal day, there is no shortage of contrary; empathy, understanding and projects, tasks and suspenses reminding me there are the ability to develop a "feel" for a situstill 101 jobs that need to be accomplished. The misation are what distinguish good leaders sion will always remain, but the people are what drive and followers from machines. Unfortuthe mission. It's important to alnately, these are also the very traits that ways remember to balance orgalead us astray. Snap decisions based on nizational duties with supporting our Airmen's physical, mental, emotionally charged issues have a high probability of being the wrong deciemotional and spiritual wellness. sions. Allowing discussions to turn into I find one of the most successfull blown arguments only causes hard ful ways to do this is through weekly roll calls. A roll call isn't feelings and often results in all sides losing perspective of the real objective. a staff meeting; it's a chance for Consider this: Discussions remain proleaders to come together with ductive when all parties are allowed to their Airmen and talk about things that affect their wellpresent their point of view. The resultness. This not only gives Airmen ing decision results in all participants Chief Master Sgt. feeling they have a vested interest in a chance to interact with their Houtz leaders individually on a personal the outcome. On the other hand, discussions allowed to escalate to emotional level, it creates a cohesive bond with the entire group. arguments turn into conRoll call is a chance to be real with each tests where the results other and open up about what is going on in Hold the Line must have a winner and a our lives. Establishing a cohesive environloser. Only the "winning" ment with camaraderie is critical to mainCampaign side feels they have any taining personal and professional wellness. Article and acstake in the outcome. A personal account of a young NCO is companying link a great example of how roll call can mainHold the line on emoto a Video of Roll tain and support wellness — and even save tional encounters and Call available at: disengage when you lives. Two years ago, a young staff sergeant http://www.afmc. got a call from her mother informing her begin to lose objectivity. af.mil/news/story. Leaders must allow subthat her sister had passed away unexpectasp?id=123265253 ordinates the opportunity edly. On that tragic day, the young woman to discuss alternatives. truly believed her life had ended along Subordinates also have with her sister's. After she came back from the responsibility to choose the right an unwanted trip home to lay her sister to rest, this time and place. Emotionally intelligent young staff sergeant became depressed and began leaders listen carefully to suggestions to drown her pain in alcohol. She began to smell like and recommendations without a "my alcohol even after she had showered before coming to way or the highway" bias. work. Her supervisor noticed that things weren't quite right with the young sergeant during a roll call and Subordinates present professional opinions behind closed doors and sell pulled her aside to ask what was going on. She had just the resulting decisions to their teams changed work sections, so nobody in the new section as if it were their own idea. A sure knew about her sister's sudden death. She opened up way to lose the trust of your teams is to her supervisor, explaining what had happened and to appear closed to any input or idea how she was feeling. After three hours of sharing her other than your own. When teams feel experience, she felt much better and began to slowly they have a say in how to accomplish change the direction her life was heading. Without this roll call, she very easily could have continued on a task, they are more likely to perform a path of self-destruction. One roll call — one small at a higher level because they feel they have a vested stake in the outcome. session — created an environment where a supervisor They also develop a trust in leaders saw one of his own who was hurting and prompted her that transcends mission accomplishto express what she was going through in her life. This ment and develops into an atmosphere roll call put her back on the path to emotional wellness. of camaraderie. All the team members Roll call is an essential part of our military life and will do their absolute best because they embraces the Wingman concept. Roll call is an oppordon't want to let the rest of the team tunity to interact with your leaders and fellow Airmen down. about anything, not just the trials we face in our lives. I feel very fortunate to have witMission priorities, senior leader messages, emerging nessed this exchange. I was moved, I Air Force issues, professional development, education was reinvigorated, and I was impasand other positive topics are also discussed at roll call. Regardless of the topics discussed, the foundation sioned to share these insights with others. I thank the members of the Senior of roll calls is the Wingman concept. Being a good Noncommissioned Officer Professional wingman means sharing a trusted bond and counting Enhancement seminar and the Airmen on each other professionally and personally, whether on the panel. Your innocent, honest on or off duty. We're all in this together, so take the interaction reminded me that it's the time to share with each other in roll call sessions and simple things we most often overlook realize the importance of being a good wingman. Take but most desperately need to be good care of your fellow Airmen and they'll take care of leaders and followers. you. Phone numbers — The base agencies listed can be contacted directly if THINK SAFETY you have a complaint or a problem with their services: Hill's Total 2011 DUIs: 23 777-7000 Hill's Last DUI: action.line.pa@hill.af.mil Sot. 2 Unit Involved: 3g8a ecieoemteat Nalareaciace ..5geatchemt Airmen Against Drinking and Driving provide rides when designated drivers are unavailable. Call 777-1111 to request a ride anytime. Hours of operation: Fridays-Saturdays 10 p.m.- 6 a.m. Sundays 9 p.m.-midnight. A When you call or send an you in answering questions e-mai, your comments will and solving problems bebe recorded and staffed fore calling the Action Line. through the agency respon- This will help me better sible for action. serve your interests. Items Please give your supervisor of basewide interest will and chain of command the be published in the Hilltop opportunity to work with Times. Report suspicious activity 4 the AFOSI EAGLE EYES program 777-3056 / 3057/ 3058. Watch - Report - Protect Force Protection is Our Business - Everyone is a Sensor Security Forces 24-hr. Crisis Information Force Support Squadron Base Restaurants Retirement/Compensation 777-3056 777-3056 777-4134 777-2043 777-6142 (civilian) Equal Opportunity Office Employer Relations Military Pay Civilian Pay Air Force Suggestion Program Hill Straight Talk IG Complaints 777-5455 777-7129 777-1851 777-6246 777-6901 777-9696 777-5305 (for appointment) IG Complaints 777-5361 (after hours) Fraud, Waste or Abuse 777-5361 (recording) Loud Noise 1-877-885-9595 SUICIDE PREVENTION ASSISTANCE Mental Health Clinic 777-7909 Chaplain 777-2106 Military OneSource (800) 342-9647 (800) 273-8255 National Suicide Prevention Line TriWest Crisis Line (866) 284-3743 TriWest Behavioral (866) 651-4970 Health Contact Center EAP (800) 222-0364 777-1163 Occupational Medicine Services Wingman Advocates 777-2255 (complaints) 75th Medical Group Civil Engineering Hill Pride Hotline Public Affairs Military Housing Maintenance Safety Office 777-4918 777-1856 777-7433 777-5333 825-9392 777-3333 Safety Office Hotline Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (or) Union AFOSI Narcotics Hotline Family Assistance Center (when activated) 586-9300 777-1985 777-1964 777-3257 777-1852 777-3090 |