March 2012 - FAA Managers Association · 2017-06-27 · March 2012 Its official, ... anditdoesn’t...
Transcript of March 2012 - FAA Managers Association · 2017-06-27 · March 2012 Its official, ... anditdoesn’t...
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WSA News MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE WSA
March 2012
Its official, February is gone and March is upon us. Temperatures should climb into the fifties any day now and we won’t be driving to and from work in the dark. With any luck at all, we can wash our cars and they will stay clean for more than a day. I like March not just because my birthday is just around the corner, but because Spring Training starts in Arizona and Florida. It is time to get optimistic about the Mariners again! We can always hope, just like I hope I won’t get any older, neither seem to be very good bets! As promised the changes from headquarters have stopped and we are now putting in new processes, building relationships, sharing ideas, creating additional lines of communication, and reinventing ourselves to be as efficient as possible. I think we’ve been doing this for about 6 years now and we are getting pretty darn good at it. As we move forward I continue to be amazed at the amount of work you do and the products you produce. I encourage you all to visit our KSN site to see what is going on in our groups, it is truly amazing. In fact KSN is one of the tools that’s helping with our coordination and communication across the service area and with headquarters as well. Please take the time to see how it can improve your team as well. The short winter days and the long periods of no sunshine are rumored to have negative effects on people, actually I think it is documented somewhere. I went golfing last Sunday and it actually snowed on us, that’s no excuse for my playing poorly, just a point of interest. I mention this because sometimes we get short with co-workers, managers, peers, and others without even realizing it. This is a good time of year to regroup, take a deep breath, and appreciate what we have. I know that I will get so tied up on a last minute request with a short deadline or involved in a new project that I forget about everyone around me doing the same thing in their worlds. It gives me the opportunity to bring up my fourth expectation, “Treat those around you with dignity and respect”. I know it can sometimes be easier said than done, but if we all do it then we will have an even better place to work. I can’t alone, create a great place to work. Together we can create a fantastic place to work and it doesn’t take a lot of effort on anyone’s part, try a smile. I’m going to be out of the office for a few weeks doing other duties as assigned, but I will be in contact daily. Thanks to John Warner for stepping up to help out in my absence. Thanks to all of you once again for all you do and how well you do it! And yes, it is once again my 39th birthday!
This Issue
A note from our SCD P.1 WSC Goals P.2
KSN/Brown Bag P.3 EMAS Past Highlights P.4 Operation Bald Eagle P.5
FAAMA P.6-7 WE P.8
News from ASG P.9 Effective Listening P.10
Peep Show P.11 REC Events P.12
Calendar P.19
There have been many exciting new developments with KSN in the WSA. Knowledge Services Network or KSN is opening up new ways to communicate and share information. Please take a moment to check out the following links and see what KSN can offer you. Also please let me know if you have a link you would like to share with the WSA. FAA Vacancy Announcements PIV Card Tracker PIV Card Q&A’s Leadership & Integration Input
BSG – Manuel Ruiz – Retired 2/24/12
PRG to BSG – Mark Heideman 3/11/12 ASG – Julie Fidler – 4/8/12 OSG – David Parker – 3/11/12
The National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NBCFAE) Seattle Chapter presented two Brown Bag Presentations in February focusing on Seattle’s Civil Rights History. The educational films and presentation featured was a Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project which was collaboration between community groups and the University of Washington faculty and students. These films explored the history of housing segregation among the African American and Asian-American cultures, as well as the African American community growth and civil rights activism. Presentations focused on the Seattle female civil rights activists and the challenges of racial and sex discrimination they encountered. In harmony with President Barack Obama’s Proclamation theme, “Black Women in American Culture and History”, the NBCFAE also paid tribute to African American Women Heroines from the Northwest, as well as, to the dedicated African American Women here in the Western Service Area who makes daily contributions in support of the National Airspace. Foxy Davison from the Metropolitan Seattle Sickle Cell Task Force presented an educational video and handouts regarding Sickle Cell disease. The Task Force is a grass roots community based organization empowered to seek knowledge and support for people with Sickle Cell Disease. The Task Force works in partnership with schools, institutions, non-profit organizations, and health care providers to provide sickle testing and education about sickle cell disease and trait to the community.
The Task Force is also an advocate for individuals and families affected by the disease or trait. In support of this effort they conduct Annual Events such as a Sickle Cell Camp for kids 8-17; Annual Sickle Cell Walk held every year in Seattle in September at Seward Park; and the Gertrude Dawson Scholarship fund which is made available each year to graduating high school seniors with sickle cell that wish to pursue a continuing education program. All of this effort could not be accomplished without the support of the community. The Metropolitan Seattle Sickle Cell Task Force is a CFC organization. If you would like to show support to this organization, send your donations either directly to the Task Force via their website link: http://mssctf.org/ ; Mail address: P.O. Box 20194, Seattle, WA 98102, or through CFC #91489.
The NBCFAE Seattle Chapter would also like to recognize and thank Carolyn Rice for all her support efforts during the Black History Month events. Carolyn Rice volunteered and spent her personal funds and time afterhours preparing food stuff for the Bake Sale and Brown Bag events. She made sure that all the food stuff was available in a timely manner for all the events, as well as, volunteer, during her break time at work, assisting with decoration set up for both the Bake Sale and the Martin Luther King Celebration at the WSC All hands. Thanks Carolyn for All Your Support! National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees https://nbcfae.org/
Highlighting EMAS success from the Past!
EMAS Saves Another Aircraft at JFK
February 3 – For the third time, the engineered material arresting system (EMAS) at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) safely stopped a plane. On January 22, a Polar Air Cargo Boeing 747 skid off the end of runway 4R after landing. The aircraft came to a rest in the middle of the arrestor bed; no one was injured. The airport temporarily closed for arrivals; departures continued to use runway 4L. “EMAS is proven technology that saves lives,” says Joan Bauerlein, FAA’s Director of Aviation Research and Development. “EMAS is also proof of the successful long-term public-private partnership of the FAA, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Engineered Systems Company (ESCO).” Developed by the FAA, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and ESCO, the EMAS, made of water, foam, and cement, deforms readily and reliably under the weight of an aircraft tire. As the tires crush the material, the drag forces decelerate the aircraft, bringing it to a safe stop. JFK’s runway 4R does not have the required 1,000-foot long safety area; Thurston Basin is 550 feet from the runway end. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey worked with the FAA and ESCO to install an EMAS to provide overrun protection. The arrestor bed is 400 feet long, one of the larger sizes typical for a safety area of this length on a runway supporting large jet traffic. Four years ago, the arrestor bed safely stopped an American Eagle commuter plane that overran a runway at the airport. All 30 onboard walked off the aircraft; damage to the aircraft was minimal. In June 2002, the EMAS stopped a cargo plane, carrying 3 crewmembers, overran a runway while arriving at the airport; no one was injured. EMAS is now being installed at airports around the country, significantly enhancing the safety of the flying public. Generally, the cost to install an EMAS ranges between $2 million and $4 million, plus site preparation, for U.S. installations. Airports can apply to the FAA for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants to help defray the cost of the system.
ESCO is currently working with the FAA to install an EMAS test bed at the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ. The test bed will allow researchers to monitor environmental effects on EMAS durability, improve installation methods, and improve computer modeling. The FAA expects to complete installation this year.
“Operation Bald Eagle”
Next Troops Pack out is scheduled for April 2012 We need your help!
Donation Drop-off boxes are located in the 3rd floor break-room
Suggested Items for Donation
Goodies Coffee
Hard Candy (No Chocolate)
Beef Jerky Nuts/Trail Mix Granola Bars
Powdered Drinks Top Ramen
Gum
Hygiene Chap-Stick
Razors Gel Shaving Cream
Handy Wipes Lotion (travel size)
Shampoo (travel size) Toothbrushes & Paste
Feminine Products Anti-Chaffing Powder/Sticks
Black Socks
Fun Stuff New/Used DVD movies
Puzzle books Paperback Books
Small Hand Held Games Small Stuffed Animals
(Beanie Babies) Card or Letter
(with a personal sentiment that they are thought of…)
PLEASE NO cash, aerosol cans (may explode), big bottles or containers (costly to ship or may break), alcohol, pornographic materials, or pork.
For more information contact:
Kim Nolan wk: 425 203 4783, cell: 253 347 2386 http://operationbaldeagle.org/
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, is directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated." - George Washington
Let’s show our support to our troops that are serving in the
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, by letting them know we care!
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FAA Manager’s Association “Effective Leadership in a World Class Organization”
Seattle ARTCC recently hosted the two-day FAA Manager’s Association facilitated leadership training seminar titled “Effective Leadership in a World Class Organization”. The seminar, sponsored by local FAAMA Chapter 301, provided rich opportunities for participants to review concepts that may have forgotten or not used recently, discover new tools to help “sharpen their leadership saw”, and join robust periods of interactive discussion with facilitators Terri Waterman & Ralph Walters. FAAMA Membership Education Chair, Hal Albert was quoted in the seminar handbook stated: “Each day you face and manage a myriad of challenges in your role as a Federal Manager and Public Servant. FAAMA’s Leadership Training Seminar provides tools for all managers to hone their leadership skills that can be applied in the workplace as well as in all facets of their lives. Many of us frequently talk about leadership. But far fewer are willing to step out of our “comfort zones”, take risks to improve, and are bold enough ‘walk-the-talk’.” Attendees included representatives from several FAA lines of business including Airports (ARP), Security and Hazardous Materials Safety (ASH), Aerospace Medicine (AME), Human Resource Management (AHR), and the Air Traffic Organization (ATO). Some examples of feedback from attendees provide perspective on the value of this training.
…”Leadership in a World Class Organization was insightful and enlightening. The delivery of the material and contagious enthusiasm of the class was inspiring. …”We were provided with a valuable learning opportunity to work with our peer managers to identify, think about, cuss and discuss, and present our thoughts on several topic areas related to leadership. I found the interaction with my peers to be the best part of the class. There are a lot of thoughtful, motivated, energetic FAAers out there, who want to serve the agency, their peers, and their employees by being the best leaders they can be! The course offered us many ideas on how to think about ourselves and our leadership style, the different levels of leadership and how to progress to the next level, and the impact a leader can make. Our course facilitators were wonderful 'guides' on our journey, and made the learning fun and impactful. My take away was a reminder that leaders exist at all levels of our agency. Also that sometimes we lead, and sometimes we follow -- both are important and one cannot exist without the other.” …”The seminar was "a great reminder that Leadership is about people - a reminder to keep focused on those traits that will help grow and develop people is invaluable."
…”I rate this seminar ‘outstanding’ for being able to ‘refresh’ my memory and learn new aspects or perspectives in the local area."
…"Please continue FAAMA training on a regular basis, semi-yearly, if possible."
…"The training provided good tools I can use to work with the leaders at my facility."
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FAAMA sponsored training is open to non-FAAMA members although FAAMA members will be given priority during registration. Look for announcements of FAAMA training sessions or brown bag seminars in future issues of this newsletter or broadcast email flyers. More information on FAAMA can be obtained at http://www.faama.org
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Hello Everyone,
A few weeks ago, I talked in my weekly message about the importance of Workforce Engagement (WE) — the ATO-wide effort to create a better place to work that was launched with a Gallup survey of co-workers just over a year ago.
In the near future, you will have two ways to make your voice heard: the WE Survey and the government-wide Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. Both are great ways to let management know what you’re thinking and how your workplace can be improved.
The first of the two surveys is the WE survey, which will begin on February 27. The focus of WE is your workgroup – it allows you to directly affect change in your local area. This survey will measure how far we’ve come in identifying local solutions to local issues and pinpoint what more needs to be done.
I urge each of you to take 10 minutes and complete the new survey. Please be assured that Gallup will keep your individual responses strictly confidential.
The previous Gallup survey helped us to see both our strengths and opportunities to improve. It showed that across the ATO we can do better in areas such as giving recognition to employees, valuing each other’s opinions and encouraging the development of our workforce.
That survey had an impressive 60 percent participation rate across the ATO. An equally strong response to this year’s survey will enable WE to build on early successes and move forward in its second year.
More information will be forthcoming about the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey later this spring. Your participation in both surveys is key to improving the ATO, which will enhance the operations we run and the services we provide. We need your involvement and value your feedback.
Learn more about Workforce Engagement at: https://employees.faa.gov/org/linebusiness/ato/programs/we/?cid=ATO_WE
Thanks,
David Grizzle
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IT’S SELF ASSESSMENT TIME AGAIN!
Writing a self assessment can be as helpful to you as it is to your manager. A well-written self-assessment, which captures the “what I did” and the “how I accomplished what I did,” will show the whole picture of your major accomplishments. At the end of the year, many managers remember what you did all year long, but it is hard to relate what you did, to how your work related to:
- Impact to the Organization - Collaboration - Customer Service - Leadership (managers only)
Completing a self-assessment at mid-cycle makes it easier for you and your manager to remember things you did early in the year, when they are reviewing your performance at year end. MANAGER’S NOTE: In accordance with HRPM 9.1, you must provide each of your employees with a mid-cycle discussion during the month of April. There will be an OPM Audit again this year where each manager must certify they have completed all mid-cycle discussions during the month of April.
Do:
o Read the performance plan outcomes/expectations, SCI criteria, work plan and ODP (if applicable)
o Know and understand the relevance of each specific contribution
o Relate how what you have accomplished relates to: Impact to the organization, customer service, collaboration and leadership(managers only)
o Get to the point! Be brief and consistent with your documentation; have a method to document and a tracking mechanism that works for you
o Let action verbs triumph over nouns and adjectives
o Use a consistent sentence structure with each bullet
o Provide a mid-year and end-of-year self-assessment
o Refer to the Employee SCI Self-Assessment Form-Core SCI, PASS Application of SCI-PASS Covered Employees, or if not under the SCI Process—the Self-Assessment Form from the Performance Plan Package
Don’t:
o Just make a list of what you did o Use broad generalities, ambiguity, and
abstractions o Write statements that parrot job
descriptions, performance plans, and SCI criteria
News from ASG
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Four Keys to Effective Listening Every book, article, or course on this subject ultimately comes to the same conclusion: There are four key elements of effective listening. If you can master them, your “charm quotient” will skyrocket immediately.
1. Listen attentively. Listen without interrupting. Listen in complete silence, as if there is nothing in the world that is more important to you at this moment than what the other person is saying.
If someone wants to talk to you, especially at home, immediately discontinue all other activities and give that person your complete attention.
Turn off the television, shut the book or newspaper, and focus single-mindedly on what the other person is saying. This behavior will be instantly recognized and appreciated, and will give you tremendous emotional power in the conversation.
To listen as if you are transfixed by what the other person is saying, imagine that your eyes are sunlamps and you are giving the person’s face a tan.
When a person is intently listened to by another, he is affected biochemically. His brain releases endorphins, nature’s “happy drug,” which makes him feel good about himself. His self-esteem goes up and he likes himself more. Above all, he likes and trusts you more by virtue of your listening attentively to him. The payoff is extraordinary.
2. Pause before replying. Rather than jumping in as soon as the other person takes a breath, pause for three to five seconds. Allow a silence to exist. Just relax.
When you pause, three things happen, all of them good. First, you avoid interrupting the other person if he is just pausing to reorganize his thoughts before continuing. Second, by pausing, you tell the person that what he said was important and that you are considering it carefully. This reinforces the personal value of the speaker and causes him to see you as a more attractive and intelligent person. Third, you actually hear the person, not only what he said, but what he meant, at a deeper level of mind. Try it once and see.
3. Question for clarification. Never assume that you know exactly what the person meant by what he said. Instead, help him to expand on his most recent remark by asking, “How do you mean?” or “What do you mean, exactly?”
Here is one of the most important rules of communication: The person who asks questions has control.
The person answering the questions is controlled by the person asking them. When a person is speaking in answer to a question, fully 100 percent of his focus and attention is on what he is saying; he cannot think of anything else. He is totally controlled by the questioner.
The trick to charming someone with this technique is to ask your questions thoughtfully. All great communicators know this and use it regularly.
4. Feed it back; paraphrase it in your own words. This is the acid test of effective listening, the proof that you were really paying attention, instead of engaging in the “phony listening” that is so common today.
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May 28, 2012 Memorial Day July 4, 2012 Independence Day September 3, 2012 Labor Day October 8, 2012 Columbus Day November 11, 2012 Veteran’s Day November 22, 2012 Thanksgiving Day December 25, 2012 Christmas Day
Pay Dates Remaining: March 6, 2012 March 20, 2012 April 3, 2012 April 17, 2012 May 1, 2012 May 15, 2012 May 29, 2012 June 12, 2012 June 26, 2012 July 10, 2012 July 24, 2012 August 7, 2012 August 21, 2012 September 4, 2012 September 18, 2012 October 2, 2012 October 16, 2012 October 30, 2012 November 13, 2012 November 27, 2012 December 11, 2012 December 24, 2012
Daylight Savings Time:
March 11, 2012 November 4, 2012
To submit an article for the April edition of WSA News, please email your word document to [email protected]. You must submit your article by March 30th or it will not be included.
The formatting of your article is subject to change, but the content will remain the same.
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