The idea of community is something special. This article uses the back story of one aviator to highlight the importance and value of a strong community.
I’d like to tell you a story.
Many years ago an aviator sits in a nondescript room of an aircraft hangar in New South Wales, Australia. This aviator was thinking about his future and wanted to play a larger part in the Royal Australian Air Force. His specialty was Supply, and while he admired his senior non-commissioned officers, he felt he could make the greatest contribution to the RAAF as a Logistics Officer. Which is what he set out to do.
One piece of advice he received was to speak to as many serving Logistics Officers as he could. So he did, and in doing so he found a remarkable group of people living in a world of complexity and interconnections. He then thought to himself, “how high does this tree grow?” After some research, he discovered there was a Director General of Air Force Logistics, which was an Air Commodore (one-star General).
Now, this aviator had never even seen one of these Air Commodores much less spoken to one, but he was curious and had nothing to lose. So with that, the aviator crafted an email to the Air Commodore asking for advice (it even concluded with “sorry for any inconvenience this email may cause”).
The aviator didn’t expect a response but hoped for one. Time went past and he figured his expectations of a nil-response were realised. Then one afternoon, he opened his computer and found a shiny new email from the Air Commodore. And this was not just a one-line placation, it was a list of tips and advice on preparing to commission and how to survive once you got there. The airman was elated, inspired and even more determined to join this group. A few months later, he eventually achieved his goal and became an Air Force Logistics Officer.
Like a child itching to show their parents an award they received at school, the aviator wrote emails thanking everyone who helped throughout the process. One email was to the Air Commodore. Having received a response to his earlier message, the aviator’s expectation of a response this time was a little higher. And he wasn’t disappointed. Soon after, the Air Commodore congratulated the aviator and wished him well for the future. The aviator smiled and was content with how the exchange concluded.
But that wasn’t the end of the story. A few days later, the aviator received another email. This time it was from one of the Group Captains (full Colonel equivalent) who worked with the Air Commodore. This email went along the lines of, “the Air Commodore informed me that you had just received an offer to commission as a Logistics Officer, so I’d like to extend my congratulations and welcome you to the Logistics Officer community”.
The aviator was stunned. To think that two of the highest-ranking members of this community had been speaking about him, and both took the time to reach out and welcome him to their ranks, blew his mind. It gave him an insight that stays with him to this day, that one of the greatest strengths any group can have is its sense of community. The aviator vowed he would strive to preserve this community and do everything he could to ensure that people joining the community would be welcomed in the same way he was.
You may have guessed by now that the aviator is yours truly and this was my introduction to the Logistics Officer world. And you’re 100% right. It’s a wonderful memory that I now have and use as a benchmark that I’m constantly striving to achieve.
You can stop reading here, hopefully with a smile and the contentment of having read a positive story at a time where we could all probably use a little more positivity.
OR…
read on for the lessons I think we can take from this example and how they can be applied to more than just Logistics Officers:
1. Dream big
Think about what you want to achieve in your career (and by extension your life). Where do you see yourself in a few years time? 10 years time???
If you’re thinking about changing your career goals, do some research. Find people that have trodden a similar path to the one you’re looking at and ask them how they got there. Don’t be shy, send them a message or email. As long as you do it respectfully, you have absolutely nothing to lose.
2. Little things can have big impacts
It might have only taken the senior officers a few minutes to type out those emails, but it was enough to inspire one person and keep them inspired almost two decades later.
Everyone has the power to make a difference in someone’s life, often through the smallest of gestures. Be open to helping others; a couple of minutes of your time can go a long way.
And if you receive a message or email from someone seeking to emulate the steps you’ve taken in your career/life, answer them!
3. Community matters
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that those senior officers wrote back partly because they saw it as an investment in their community. That a few minutes of their time just might encourage someone to commit a little more to the community they were stewarding. I guess they were right…
A community is more than a collection of people doing kind of the same thing. It’s a group committed to helping fellow members succeed for no other reason than to see them succeed. As people achieve their goals, they can enhance their contribution to the community. Eventually, new members will seek their assistance, and the cycle continues.
Wrapping up
What’s the bottom line? If you’re part of a community, be part of it. You can build community spirit in groups of all shapes and sizes; whether it’s a workplace, an employment category or even an Air Force.
So when you’re at work, think about how you can contribute to your community. It might be easier than you think.
