Resiliency, culture, and work/life integration key for Airmen

  • Published
  • By Command Chief Master Sgt. Robert Safley
  • 301st Fighter Wing

As your Command Chief, I want us to focus on resiliency. I want to ensure our warriors are prepared for whatever obstacle is placed before them. We have many gr...eat resources at our disposal--more now than ever before. Work and life can be challenging at times, which we all deal with differently. We need our Airmen to know how to get plugged into the system and get assistance when needed.

We also need to refocus our culture. Leadership drives culture and culture drives behavior. We need to ask ourselves, do we personify the core values? Are we doing the right things? Do we refrain from questionable actions?

When I was in Life Support Technical training years ago, I was taught, “When in doubt, change it out”. With a tweak of verbiage, it’s a paradigm I found works in life too. “If you have to ask, it's probably wrong”. Put it to the test. If you have to ask if you need a haircut, you probably do. If you have to ask if a tire needs to be changed, it likely does. Your instincts already know not to get in someone's personal space or put your hands on anyone. Remember your Green Dot training. Let's work on our Wingman Culture. Watch out for each other. Hold each team member accountable, and be accountable to each other.

We also need to be mindful of our work/life integration. We always talk about balance, but I feel this is a misnomer. It suggests there is an equality or stability, when in reality, we spend a large amount of time working. By properly integrating our work and life, we can set aside enough time for the important things. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright started a 2-10-5-7 philosophy. Two hours of personal time in the morning for meditation, self-study, development, and working out. Ten hours for work. Five unplugged and focused hours to family and other personal relationships. The remaining seven is for recharging body and mind. The philosophy is a way to better organize your time. This may not work for you and is obviously negotiable for your specific lifestyle. The bottom line is that adopting a schedule can help you navigate the daily challenges, prioritize people in your life, and help you build resiliency.

Resiliency, culture, and work/life integration allow our Reserve Citizen Airmen to overcome the obstacles they face.

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