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Show OHilhop Times April IS. 2004 m CcDmpIlsmmits 'SASTROK Comfort you an n Employee gripes are often essential for organizational excellence, productivity occurred in the Air Force. The results by Dave Larsen Organizational Health Center Nobody likes to hear complaints, especially about them or their area of responsibility. They can be painful to our ears, and damaging to our Just one valid complaint may throw us into a depressive funk, let alone ruin our day. However, they just may be essential for organizational excellence. "Employee complaints are just as valuable as customer complaints," says Janelle Barlow a human resource consultant and author of the book "Complaint Is A Gift." Like cusself-estee- tomer complaints, employee complaints often provide essential insight for man- agement into potentially costly problems which they may not be privy to. An old adage of management is, "You can't solve may not have been as devastating but they have been costly. In one shop, a critical part was found to be in short supply. Although employees were aware of the problem for some time, it wasn't adequately addressed until production finally came to a screeching halt. Once management tracked down the cause they found the part had actually been discontinued. In back tracking it was found that requests and complaints had been made, but not followed up on. As a result, costly delays occurred for this asset. Similar losses in productivity result when employee complaints about interpersonal issues are ignored. Employees who feel harassed or threatened tend to focus on their own problems rather than organizational needs. Therefore, unreported or Orncmzaticrl office confiirts.j or harassment, can detract sig- nificantly from UD a problem if you don't know it . , exists." In 1986, America was painfully reminded of the peril of not listening to employee concerns. On April 3, 1986, Arnold Aldrich, the Space Shuttle program manager, appeared before a Presidential Commission in Washington, D.C. to report on factors leading up to the Challenger disaster. Mr. Aldrich described five different com- munication or organization failures that affected the launch decision. These faults included "a lack of problem reporting requirements, misrepresentation of criticality and lack of involvement in critical discussions." According to the report, "those who made that decision were unaware of the recent history of problems concerning the and were unaware of the initial written recommendation of the contractor advising against the launch at temperatures below 53 degrees and the continuing opposition of the engineers at Thiokol..." Similar breakdowns in communication have i performance and organizational objects, and may even grow to endanger lives. According to executive coach Linda Tal-le- 1 y, "If you don't handle employee complaints, you create resentment, low morale, low productivity and increased turnover." Or worse. There is an inherent tendency in each of us to defend our decisions and positions, to justify our actions and ignore things we don't like. And while this bias isn't all bad, we need to be aware that it can blind us to the very information we need if we are to overcome our obstacles and succeed. self-servin- Announcement Opening Date, April 15; closing date, April 29. This assignment is open to all permanent Air Force employcareer or ees assigned to Hill AFB regardless of grade level. The position is a collateral duty position, and the employee is expected to perform these duties in addition to regularly assigned responsibilities. The duties of this position should constitute 20 percent of the 4. career-condition- assigned duties of the incumbent. Duties include: Provide advice and assistance to management officials in the area of employment and advancement of Women. Develop special program initiatives directed toward enhancing the advancement and employment of Women applicants and employees. by Capt. Griffin Dunham Staff Judge Advocate's Office In the military, we know to show up at our place of duty on time and ready to go, or else we will answer to our supervisor, first sergeant or commander. Should it matter if the "place of duty" is the dental clinic or some other appointed location? Absolutely not, according to Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. A mandatory military appointment becomes a place of duty. An airman first class from the 388th Component Maintenance Squadron disagreed and dismissed the appointment, trying to justify his absence by claiming he remains worldwide qualified and missing the meeting did not affect his ability to deploy or serve his country. Punctuality is absolutely vital in the military, and hopefully the Article 15 the member received for his lack of attention to detail will make him realize this. The bottom line is if you know of the time and place of an appointment, either attend it or accept the possibility of being, punished. Other recent nonjudicial punishments include: Two airmen first class from the 388th Com- ponent Maintenance Squadron violated Articles 128 and 134 of the UCMJ by fighting and being drunk and disorderly. For this misconduct, the more involved Airman received 15 days of extra duty, a reprimand, and suspended forfeitures of $250. Offer ends June 30th, 2004. "Some restrictions apply. Not valid with other offers. Previous sales excluded. Subject to credit approval. See local dealer for details. I 1 I 'Providing Full Service Solutions g Listening to the complaints and even criticism of others, though unpleasant, may indeed be essential for organizational health, avoiding costly losses, and optimal productivity. 520 South State, Clearfield For more details, contact the Organizational Health Center in Bldg. 150 (the former Officers' Club) , northwest corridor, or call Ext. or Ext. 292-163- 6 773-483- 6 393-126- 5 Weber County SLC DavisMorgan www.kearsleysBrvice.com JOB OPENINGS Federal Women's Program Manager No. FWPM-1-0- No Payments, Same As Cash On Armstrong Air Comfort Systems! Initiate and maintain positive contacts with community agencies concerned or interested in employment and advancement of Now It's Time to Focus on You. Women. Participate as appropriate in activities such as meetings, workshops, conferences, and job fairs to enhance positive Air Force image. 1 Basic qualifications include a strong personal commitment to promote equality of opportunity for all persons, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or mental or physical disability. Applicants must submit written response to questions addressed in the complete announcement which can be obtained by contacting DebAll qualified bie Hansen, DPCF, Ext. applicants will receive consideration for appointment without regard to age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, handicapping condition, political affiliation, or any other non-mer- it factor. The other received seven days of extra duty and a reprimand. Three Airmen from the 388th Equipment Maintenance Squadron violated Article 92 of the UCMJ by consuming alcohol while under the legal drinking age of 21. For this misconduct, the repeat offender was reduced to the grade of airman, received forfeitures of $668 pay per month for two months with one month suspended, and 30 days of extra duty. The two others received forfeitures of $596 pay per month for two months with one month suspended, 30 days of extra duty, and a suspended reduction to airman basic. An airman first class from the 388th Com- ponent Maintenance Squadron violated Article 111 of the UCMJ by driving under the influence of alcohol. For this misconduct, he received a reduction to airman, 45 days of extra duty, and suspended forfeitures of $668 pay per month for two months. A senior airman from the 388th Maintenance Group violated Article 92 of th'e UCMJ by failing to properly secure alcohol while minors attended a party at his residence. For this misconduct, he received seven days of extra duty and a reprimand. All administrative action decisions and resulting punishments are determined on a basis taking several factors into consideration to include the facts and circumstances of a particular case, the accused's duty history, culpability, rank and age, and potential for rehabilitation. I ft - 1 ft:; ' 3 'i s Because this is the time of your life! Women s Health Center is a consultative center that focuses on The McKay-De- e the physiological, metabolic. and hormonal differences that are critical to fully understanding the unique needs of women. Our multispecialty practice, supported by clinicians and educators, provides: Women s health education center Exercise and nutrition programs Health risk assessments Internal medicine, gynecology and Your Women s Health Center team specializes in services such as: Cancer screening Heart health Bone health Healthy lifestyles Menopause management Stress and depression treatment Breast care Urinary incontinence McKay-De- e Women's Health Center McKay-De- e Professional Building 3903 Harrison Blvd. 4th flnnr Suite F-4f- gOJPFraTj in 387-776- 5 Welcome to 21st Century Medicine case-by-ca- se McKay-De- e 1 H C2 A Serrict of baermoaatain Hospital Center Health Care |