Commentary - Back to basics?

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Back to basics?

Posted 4/15/2011 Updated 3/28/2011

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Commentary by Lt. Col. Chad H. Scholes
386th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander

4/15/2011 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- In a speech at a recent Air Force Association convention, General Norton Schwartz, the Air Force chief of staff, noted our Air Force needs to pursue a "back to the basics approach for what we do" by "returning to the basics of precision and reliability."

In simpler terms, General Schwartz is saying we should focus on compliance with Air Force Instructions, technical data, accountability and military discipline. But have you ever thought to yourself, "Why do we have to get back to basics?" Shouldn't we always be "doing" the basics?

Perhaps an even better question is, "How did we allow ourselves to get away from the basics?"

There are several reasons why people in organizations might allow themselves to drift away from the basics including loss of personnel and budgetary resources, changes in organizational structure or an increase in operations tempo. I think the real reason we allow ourselves to move away from the standard is because adhering to the basics day in and day out in doing even the simplest of task each and every time is hard work, and moving away from the basics may seem more efficient or favorable when weighing risk versus reward.

Mike Mullane, a NASA astronaut, talks about a phenomenon called "normalization of deviance." This is when we cut corners with no resulting negative outcome and the result becomes the norm. Over time, we fail to see our actions as substandard. It might have started when someone decided external pressures, such as short manning or high operations tempo, justified cutting corners, then they taught their replacements or new Airmen "how we do it here," and it became an acceptable, yet incorrect, way to perform that task at that base.

So what do I mean by basics? Think about it this way. Most people know the basics of staying healthy. However, some people choose French fries over salad and others opt to sleep longer versus getting up early to exercise. These are a couple of basic steps associated with our everyday lives. If people are willing to alter basic behaviors that are important to their health, there might also be a strong likelihood that they might alter procedures related to tasks within their specific jobs.

If we all agree we should never leave the basics, then what can we do to prevent the need for future "back to basics" campaigns?

First, we need to get rid of the idea that "the basics are something we have to do" before we can accomplish the real mission. If you think this way, you've missed the point. The basics are the real mission. These tasks are what we must do to perfection each and every day to achieve the precision and reliability critical to the Air Force mission.

Second, leaders at all levels must recognize everyone for the level of integrity and excellence in every task, no matter how mundane it may appear. This doesn't mean everyone gets a pat on the back or coined for doing his or her job, but those who go above and beyond should get positive recognition and those who fall short should be appropriately corrected. Given that a single job often requires knowledge of dozens of different instructions and technical orders, this is no simple task.

Finally, it takes good old fashioned leadership to communicate and establish the right priorities. Leaders at all levels must stay focused on compliance, accountability and discipline.

In the end, "back to basics" is simply applying our Air Force Core Values: Integrity First, Excellence In All We Do, and Service Before Self to everything we do, even the simplest of tasks or basics. A wise mentor reminded me to "let integrity and uprightness preserve me." We can take this one step further as we support our leaders' "back to basics" call by applying our integrity as Airmen to help preserve our Air Force.

Comments

4/20/2011 6:54:19 PM ET
I cringe every time I hear the words back to basics. It makes us sound so incompetent...that we have lost total control and must return to a starting point to get it together. This is not true. There are only Basics. We all learned them whether enlisted or officer. For those who need tune-ups they need to be reminded of these basics. Stop the bull where it starts correct what is wrong and bury this overused phrase forever.

MB, edwards

4/20/2011 4:25:31 PM ET
Interesting thoughts Taxpayer. Using your logic we should form the Defense Ground Agency aka Army and the Defense Sea Agency aka NavyMarines and let the private defense industries defend your nation. And as soon as someone refuses to deploy because the money is not right or we have another ENRON you'll be wondering where all the dedicated American heroes are to defend your way of life. Really

RMA, SA

4/20/2011 1:53:50 PM ET
The Air Force should become the Defense Air Support Agency - completely civilianized. The current Air Force is contributing to government welfare and I believe we're evolving past needing a military Air Force. Contract the deployments to the private defense industry and pay the 100k salaries.

Taxpayer, Virginia

4/18/2011 11:06:51 AM ET
@ DD - Stop blaming progressive liberalism--in this case it's SNCO's NCO's and Officers regardless of political persuasion that allow the shortcut to become the norm. Changing a part on an aircraft by using a more effective tool rather than the one called for by the T.O. isn't going to cause the decline of Western civilization nor does it signify the erosion of the Officer Corps.Another way to look at this might be the do more with less mentality that pervades the Air Force now. Has anyone thought that the flying schedules amount of work done by the MPF and amount of cargo moved by an Aerial Port haven't changed but the number of people doing it has. We need to encourage those doing the job to speak up and introduce what may be an effective shortcut into the mainstream. Please though don't draw some unrealistic parallel to the progressive liberalism that bothers you politically. This isn't a partisan problem it's an Air Force problem.

Lt, Dover

4/18/2011 10:56:12 AM ET
Good article but will it make a difference? I first remember hearing about going back to the basics in 2003 with the new PT test. I could be mistaken, but wasn't back to the basics one of CMSAF McKinley's big pushes too? He became CMSAF in 2006. So we've been going back to the basics for awhile now, but is it helping? May be time for a new campaign or a better way to track the progress instead of repeating the same thing over and over.

MM, FL

4/18/2011 10:23:14 AM ET
To answer the Generals question we allowed ourselves to get here by encouraging and allowing the officer corps to utilize business degrees and civilian business cultural programs to try and effectively lead the Air Force. We are a branch of the military not a fortune 500 company. So rather than promoting a SNCO and officer corps culture that promotes business ethics why not re-introduce the military aspect back into our Air Force culture? Should SNCO's and officers spend days creating spreadsheets, powerpoints and reports with statistical data that shows what a phone call or a 5 minute brief can say? Should officers and SNCO's who have become far too dsiconnected from the military aspect of their career due to being secluded in a office at MAJCOM be the ones who develop TQM/ORM/AFSO21? Realistically, how many EPROPR bullet statements need to be created for copying the millions of civilian business models and incorporating them into the Air Force?

JC, ok

4/18/2011 12:16:31 AM ET
The Back to Basics approach has been around in service industries for a long time. The mantra is a good one; however, it must be followed by a hard critique of current operations and stadards. Many industires have found their current standards were created when the industry was at the high mark and had financial logistical and manpower to accomplish the tasks outlined in its buisness model. Many of the current procedures and standards of practice that the AF has can not be met at current levels of funding, manpower and equipmnet. I think to get back to basics the AF must take a long and detailed critical look at its mission profile at all levels and projected mission profiles and refine its procedures to the current levels. Often times the reason for we do it here differeantly attitude or the cutting of corners is because of the mission accomplishment mantra at all costs. Airmen will accomplish the mission by adapting and overcoming shortfalls in funding equipment and manpower.

Paul, Toledo Ohio

4/17/2011 8:38:31 AM ET
What was frustrating to me when I was on Active Duty was the concept that we don't have to follow the Tech Order at all times. I would find an example of a deviance and the attitude would be that well we've always done it this way here so why bother to change now. This article is well written and I hope people take the time to read it and follow the advice given.

Kim, GA

4/16/2011 5:53:29 AM ET
Good article Chad.

moc, Spain

4/16/2011 12:53:01 AM ET
Spot on with the normalization of deviance theory. Those in positions of leadership must understand that critical thinking does not equate to insubordination. This type of progressive liberalism is ruining our country and eroding the effectiveness of our officer corps.

DD, CA

4/15/2011 8:56:14 PM ET
Seems like we go Back to Basics a lot lately

Joe, calif

4/15/2011 8:15:45 PM ET
As an active Airman in a flying squadron, we knew that our job was done after the mission was complete. After Palace Chase 1989, I worked for a government supplier. During one of our deliveries to base supply I overheard two Airmen talking about their work and that they only worked M-F 0800-1700. I remember thinking that things had sure changed since my discharge. In short, I compare the military to a salaried employee - one is paid by the job not by the hour. A return to basics would consist of restoring the military to the USAF. I believe we softened the military when regulations became instructions, uniforms were redesigned to become more like business formal attire and we civilianized our processes -- for example TQM -- and we became customers. Military members do their job because it is their duty not because it serves their customer.

Scott Ferguson, Knoxville TN

4/15/2011 4:30:00 PM ET
Agreed. The AF has promoted too much of a think outside the box culture that over time we have strayed too far from the box. This has led to simple things being done different just because it's a different way, not necessarily better. Time to jump back in the box and do things smarter. If you ever get curious, pick a process you go through and don't understand why and ask the facilitators why they do it that way. Most of the time you will get...it's the way we have do it here or it's policy.

SW, OK

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