Imagine if an airport didn’t have a fuel farm or the appropriate stairs for passengers to deplane. What if the runways weren’t marked? Class B air traffic control silent? We’d have a big problem on our hands. But resources don’t just apply to operations in aviation. Attention to development is also critical, especially as it pertains to talent acquisition and retention.
There are certain resources we need and can’t go a day without. But, there are also resources that individuals or companies may need to advance and build forward momentum or thrust.
If you’ve been in the industry in a technical role, you’re probably familiar with the four forces of flight: lift, thrust, gravity and drag. These forces also correlate with forces that keep a company’s culture right-side up. You can learn about other forces of workplace culture here.
This newsletter is focused on the second force: thrust. Thrust or forward momentum is fueled by resources.
Just like a plane can sit on the ramp, full of fuel and not be moving, a company can be flush with cash and going nowhere. To create forward momentum, we also need a spark, or a change agent, if you will. In order to burn for a measured period of time, a spark needs a steady flow (or mixture) of air.
When we relate this to workplace culture, we should see that our company needs physical resources, like mechanical drawings, equipment and payroll. It also needs some breathing room through the appropriate level of autonomy…we are not robots after all. And the organization needs a catalyst for something different to happen. Remember the old adage that we don’t get somewhere new by trying the same thing over and over again, expecting better results.
Resources can be additional staff members to an overextended team. They can be professional development, or integrated software systems. They can be budgetary or even the proper amount of time to meet a deadline or deliver a job. Properly resourced teams rarely burn out. And good leaders, like good pilots, monitor the mixture of all these elements to ensure the best effectiveness and efficiency.
Ask yourself, do you have the resources you need to be successful? What about your team? Take some time this week to think about additional resources that could benefit yourself or someone on your team and make it a point to discuss these needs at your next meeting.
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