Still Upgrading

In the last post, we discussed recognizing the appearance of potential selfish motives (“not whys”) and then averting any negative consequences they invoke by refocusing our efforts towards OPI. By acknowledging and subsequently changing your behavior to achieve a more positive outcome, you are actively “closing the gap” between who you are and who you can be.  Being a “gap closer” is another cornerstone of OPI. 

As a young aviator, I quantified success by the number of lives saved by my aircrew.  However, as I matured, I realized the most valuable work I did in the helicopter was facilitating future lives saved through training the next generation of aircrews.  An “upgrade” is a term in our aviation community that describes when an aviator obtains an increase in qualifications or designations. The formal, 2-3 year upgrade training program encompasses multiple syllabi, qualifications and designations, at the end of which you are designated an “aircraft commander”.  As I continued to develop as an operator, I felt a need to make sure we all understood that training doesn’t stop at aircraft commander.  In fact, the most critical training isn’t part of a formal upgrade process but occurs after you become an aircraft commander. 

My message to young “upgrading” aviators was that none of us will ever get “there.” Even after I obtained the highest qualification available to a Coast Guard aviator, I still had more “upgrading” to accomplish. The goal is closing the gap between the aircrews we are and the aircrews that we can be. In fact, a master craftsmen knows, the target actually becomes more difficult to hit the more you approach mastery. They embrace this fact and welcome it as they hone their craft. – Spiral up