The aircraft maintenance professional's source for technological advancements, maintenance alerts, news, articles, events, and careers
Issue link: http://amt.epubxp.com/i/904741
www.AviationPros.com 17 sider factors that contribute to success as an aviation maintenance professional. BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP – OR IS IT? In the May 2017, AMT, I wrote about "The Role of Maintenance in Corporate Customer Service." Portions of that discussion apply here. Five selected behav- iors and five selected traits are listed. The behaviors are observable. You can speak with a person and watch them work daily within the organization to see behavior. The behaviors are like "Beauty," you can see it and it comes in many forms. Character traits drive behavior but are more intangible taking more time to assess. CONSIDERING BEHAVIORS People with the "Right Stuff" usually appear deter- mined to work hard. They elicit that familiar remark, "She is a hard worker." They seem to understand the work challenge and then set order and priorities to complete each task. They are always looking for the next assignment or, better yet, the intuit of the next part of the job and proceed on course. Applying logic and common sense helps ensure that hard workers are also smart workers. Of course, we all like co-workers that have a pas- sion for the occupation. We want our co-workers to recognize and appreciate the importance of aviation not only in the local and world economy but also in the way that travel affects personal/family connectiv- ity. Workers with a passion for aviation know that their work affects the pleasure and safety of everyone that travels by air. That is important. We should feel good about it. It means that we see our presence at work as far more than a way to earn a paycheck. Passion for the job affects how we approach the entire work day and each task during the day. When a worker has this passion they appear to enjoy their work and take pride in the proper completion of every task. A demonstrated behavior to communicate clear- ly is necessary for success. Clear communication is important for all levels of aviation maintenance and engineering. A good communicator is able to ask the right questions and also to provide clear answers to others. A good communicator should be willing and able to reasonably negotiate when necessary. They should be able to convey their opinions and be asser- tive in issues that affect quality and safety. Reliability is a critical observable behavior. It could be something as basic as daily on-time arrival and accompanying full fitness for duty. Reliability can depend on the choice to be 100 percent compli- ant with company procedures and with all technical instruction for aircraft maintenance work. Aircraft maintenance often requires team work and high trust of co-workers. Demonstrated reliability, therefore, is an important factor for success in the field of aviation maintenance. Sometimes it is difficult, or not necessary, to differ- entiate between demonstrated behavior and personal traits. From a training perspective it is easier to change behavior than to affect inherent personality traits. Long-term behavioral change can transfer into a trait. For example, if a person is taught how to engage in Table 1: Five Selected Behaviors and Traits Behaviors Competence/Characteristics Hard Working Technically Competent Projects Passion for the Job Professionalism Appears to Enjoy the Work Results-Oriented Communicates Clearly Decision-Making Ability Demonstrates Reliability Integrity AviationPros.com/company/10134757