As we head towards another festive season, many aviators are wrapping up their posting before starting another adventure in the New Year. There’s a lot to do in these final weeks: march-out paperwork, handover notes and removals for some.
Another task that should be prioritised but is often overlooked is to reflect on your posting. Reflection allows us to take stock of the time spent and experience gained in the roles we’re leaving. We can think about the aviators we were at the start of the job, how we’ve grown since and what we might want to achieve as we prepare for our next posting.
In the spirit of reflection, I’ve penned a few thoughts as I finish my time as a Career Manager (CM). I must stress these points are based on my own experiences, and that every CM will have different thoughts and views after their own time in the role. So here goes…
There is a plan, until there isn’t
As mentioned in a previous post, CMs start the posting cycle with a list of positions to fill and a list of people to fill (most of) them. What some may not realise is that CMs will do a rough posting plot there and then based on what they know (previous conversations, Career Development Plans etc). We need to start somewhere!
For some aviators, the position they’re pencilled into at that very early stage will be the one they go to in the following year. Others will be considered for a range of roles before settling on a final position. Sometimes these changes can happen days (or even hours) before we call and tell you where you’re headed. Aviators never know how close they can be to a completely different posting solution!
The messengers
CMs know changes will happen. Discharges, new positions and other changes will occur and result in shifts in the posting plot. Most of these changes can be accommodated with minimal disruption, others will place a huge spanner in the works! CMs may even disagree with the revised plan and have some very robust discussions amongst themselves in the process.
Whether CMs agree with a decision or not; once it’s made, we need to inform our affected aviators. This can result in some very difficult conversations, often with aviators making the same points the CM made behind the scenes. In these cases, CMs will do their very best to explain the decision and how it came to be. The goal isn’t necessarily for an aviator to ‘like’ the decision, but they should understand it.
CMs are people too
CMs can take a lot of heat in these tricky conversations.
On one hand, we understand and expect this to a degree; we are dealing with people’s careers and lives after all. On the other hand, we’ll occasionally encounter aviators who forget that they’re talking to a fellow aviator and person at the other end of the line.
What those aviators may not realise is that the CM was up all-night rehearsing that difficult conversation. They may not know that the CM spent hours and days seeing if there’s any other way that they can find another solution. And they certainly don’t see the effects on the CM after some of those chats.
We love our job
Now, this isn’t a sob story for CMs…these situations are very much in the minority and are strongly outweighed by the positive interactions we have. There’s no greater feeling than knowing you’ve played a part in a posting, promotion or selection for an aviator that means so much to them and their family.
CMs are in a truly fortunate position where we can see the value of our role through the outcomes achieved for aviators and the organisation. It reminds us why we do what we do and inspires us to continue striving to deliver the best possible outcomes for all stakeholders.
It’s still us
One thing that amazed me was the confidence placed in you as a CM almost immediately. From day one you are entrusted with people’s lives; in some cases, aviators will share more with you than their families.
It is a rare privilege to be given that trust and it’s not taken lightly. However, it occurred to me that a lot of the advice we impart as CMs draws on the values and principles we have prior to stepping into the CM role.
This naturally highlights the importance of selecting the right people to be CMs, and it also reminds me that there are some excellent aviators out in the wider Air Force that we can turn to for advice, guidance and mentorship throughout our careers.
I’d do it all again
So, with all of this in mind, would I come back and be a CM again? Absolutely. One of my favourite mantras is that you can’t reach out and touch an ‘Air Force’. It’s an imagined community, an idea. Like any other organisation, an Air Force is a collection of people, buildings, equipment and other stuff held together by a common purpose. And a CM plays such an important role in guiding our aviators and instilling that purpose.
I would encourage any aviator with an interest in career and personnel management to consider a CM role in their plans. It’s not for everyone, but it’s crucial that we attract and employ the right people to manage the careers of our aviators. Our future depends
