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As I will be out of the country for the next several weeks, I will not be able to provide a timely blog. Accordingly, I thought that I would use this opportunity to develop some information and ideas from those that participate in the blog and maybe some new contributors. So for the next three weeks I will ask a question or two of you and hopefully you will choose to answer providing feedback here and to others.
My question for this week is ”what do you consider the biggest challenge facing you in 2009, outside of family or personal considerations?” In other words, as a professional aircraft technician, what do you consider the biggest test facing you this year? And what do you think you can do to overcome it?
Simple question, but I bet there will be some complex answers.
JJ I think your question is, if not complex on its face, at least multifaceted! My analogy for the older generation would be that I feel like the guy on the Ed Sullivan Show who would spin the pie plates. He starts at one end & by the time he gets to the other end the first plate is ready to fall. 2009’s challenges aren’t really that different than the past years with the exception of the economy. It’s a cycle that starts daily with technicians, dispatching & keeping them on track to their individual projects, their accuracy of time & parts accounting & documentation which directly affect efficiency & profitability. Next would be customer communication. It’s imperative they know their status in a timely nature! Coordination between departments would be next. The reclamation guys need to let me know when they’re going to pass a project back to me so I can take action if necessary and/or coordinate with the paint shop for a smooth transition to paint. All that time still keeping the techs on target for their tasks while coordinating & scheduling aircraft movements. Communicating with my Chief Inspector for QC, CRS business & coordinating log entries to be completed in a timely manner falls in the next spot. Followed finally by communicating & coordination with accounting to finish billing when the jobs are done. The trick is having them all come together!
As for the economy, I feel lucky in that it hasn’t affected us yet (knock on wood). The majority of my business is repair & reclamation & they’re still falling out of the sky. Thank God for pilots, I love ‘em because they’re job security!
In is very difficult to isolate our challenges to a single biggest challenge. With a combination of political upheaval, a down economy, reduced aircraft sales, corporate flight departments failing to support the need for aviation in their business and several other factors too numerous to mention in a short answer, I feel compelled to protect my family from the disasters of 2008 2009 and beyond.
It is a time to realize what you bring to the table. We are mostly experts in our fields. While all of us are Aircraft Maintenance Technicians, we haven’t done the best job of promoting our skills to the leadership of corporate America. A friend of mine recently stated that the word technician might indicate to some that we are specialist, when in fact we are complete aircraft service people. Good point, but I still feel that technician has a more professional ring than mechanic.
With that background information, I feel that our biggest challenge in 2009 and beyond is to prove our value to corporate America. We can do that by communicating at every level possible what we accomplish for our employers. Many of them really do not know what we do. Educate them so the corporate leadership understands our value.
Certify yourself in every way possible. That would mean acquiring every license and certificate that your wallet can hold. Be more than an A&P. Get your IA. Certify yourself through the NCATT programs. Take advantage of any leadership training opportunities that come your way. Show that you are a mechanic, electrical, electronic, hydraulic, pneumatic and cabin systems expert. Proudly display any written proof of these accomplishments. Send emails to you supervisors and/or department to openly share your successes. Quit staying in your corner and quietly going about your business of being an aircraft expert. It’s time to start bragging. Do it with class by showing off you accomplishments in the form of a news item.
Lastly, present yourself as a professional. Be clean, sharp, well dressed and available. Many of you know that the dress requirements for AMTs has been a hot subject. Yes, you often times have to wear your uniform, but when the situation calls for it, dress like a professional and you’ll get treated like a professional. Never forget that you only have one chance to make a first impression.
Be part of the team by contributing your knowledge. Too many of us hold our knowledge close to our hearts because of an ill-conceived need to protect our knowledge. Sharing is the best way to show that you want to be a problem solver. Yes, this means breaking down the wall and being a partner with your flight ops groups. Being a team member makes you valuable.
My challenge for this year and beyond is show that I am valuable. I urge you to do the same.