Mr. Phillips from Edith Cowan University has a good point about doing
individual training and not enough team training. I agree that both are
important. I have found that team training alone may not help an
individual develop his or her individual skills required to lead or follow
within the group as it functions. But with out enough team training (joint
cabin and cockpit CRM?) it is easy to loose track of the goals and the
importance of each members roles.
On the football team, during recruitment (selection), the scouts look for
the exceptional athlete that they think will best match or enhance the
skills of the overall team. The airline industry does that to a varying
degree of success with pilot selection. The exceptional athlete in the
pilot arena is first strong technically and second, has the depth of
character to be a great leader and knows when to graciously follow the
leadership of others when it serves to enhance a safer flight operation.
Vince Mancuso says that," He or she knows what detracts and what
contributes to human performance". Vince please correct me if that is miss
quoted.
A strong athlete knows the value of individual physical training where he
is the one doing the training or working out to make himself strong. In
other words, he knows where he doesn't measure up and where his weaknesses
are and "trains" to be stronger. There is a huge difference between trying
hard and training hard. Guidance from a trainer, (instructor/facilitator)
is invaluable so that we focus on the right areas where we need to be
stronger so that we are not only trying hard but training hard too. The
right instructor/facilitator can make a huge difference in how a pilot or
other crew member relates in a group or team. That is the real value of
individual training. Eventually that person being trained becomes a
trainer them self or at least a great role model when it comes to CRM which
is what I think Vince Mancuso was saying. Again please correct me if that
is not right.
David L. Bair
Frontier Airlines