Motivation and great words can come from nearly everywhere. I was watching reruns of Grey’s Anatomy.  In this episode, there was a competition among the second year interns. Points were awarded based upon the complexity of the case they were on, the accuracy of the diagnosis, medical mysteries and the completeness of the diagnosis. Izzie spent $120,000 diagnosing what she thought could be a medical mystery, only to have the illness be a case of the flu.

The Chief, finding Izzie alone late one evening, had this conversation: “You’re in a lion fight. Just because you didn’t win doesn’t mean you don’t know how to roar. Stand up tall, walk proud. Don’t lick your wounds. You didn’t invent competition. This is a lion fight. So chin up put your shoulders back walk proud strut a little. Don’t lick your wounds. Celebrate! The scars you bear are the signs of a competitor. You are in a lion fight.”

How many times have you felt down and out, beaten, not wanting to continue? With the right word, you would toss in the towel and call it quits. We’ve all been there, all felt like failures.

As Sir Edmund Hillary said “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”*

*This quote, along with over sixty other quotes, can be found in my book entitled “Focus On the Pinnacle of Your Success!”, a collection of motivational quotes concentrating on Fearless, Opportunity, Challenges, Unlimited Success. Go to the Additional Resources tab on my website to order.

HOUSTON — Three fishing buddies were returning from Port Lavaca on Tuesday night when their single-engine plane stalled in mid-air. The small Cherokee was put down in a vacant lot, about a mile short of the runways at Hobby Airport.The force of the crash broke off the plane’s nose gear and crumpled the plane’s fuselage. And while no one was hurt from (more…)

How clearly do you think you give directions? I’m not talking about directions to a specific location; I’m talking about giving instructions to someone else so they understand what you want. If you think you are pretty good in doing this, try this activity: sit with your back to a (more…)

ABC News had an interesting storyt, and 20/20 had a more in depth broadcast. Tire stores are selling up to 12 year old tires and, according to them, they are “new … never been used”. Research has shown that any tire over six years old should not be used … it can dry out and thus can shred on the highway.

How many people, myself included, assume ‘never been used’ is the same as ‘new’? Is this misleading … or are we simply making erroneous assumptions?

It isn’t what they said, it’s what we think we heard!

Watching Glenn Beck on the Bill O’Reilly show talk about one of his callers …. I think the discussion was about the Health Care bill that is trying to make it through the US House and Senate.  As the female caller was trying to make her point, she said (more…)

TEACHER: Johnny, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor? JOHNNY: You told me to do it without using tables.

TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell ‘crocodile?’ GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L’ TEACHER: No, that’s wrong GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it. ____________________________________________ TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water? DONALD: H I J K L M N O. TEACHER: What are you talking about? DONALD: Yesterday you said it’s H to O. (more…)

Doesn’t this make things crystal clear?!!

Years ago I did my Master’s [in Aeronautical Science from ERAU] on “Personalities in the Cockpit”. In that research, I surveyed career Part 91 pilots as to their communication style. These were all pilots in flight departments; I did not designate which were chief pilots and which were safety officers or Directors of Aviation. I am continuing this research, and have widened it to include all members in flight departments.

Part of my current research in communications deals with the ego of the pilot, and how this affects their communications. Being strong, being right, maintaining his status and reputation. All these are [or were] critical to the pilot’s self-image. And Captainitis.

At one time, captains were described as arrogant, over-confident, aggressive, incompetent and authoritarian by their co-pilots. This is according to the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine. Captains, on the other hand, describe their co-pilots as lazy, difficult, complainer, resentful and bullying.

Aviation accidents, whether they be commercial aviation or business aviation, are fascinating studies.  Reading over the cockpit data recorders, you can glean much information about the Captain and First Officer.  How do they relate to each other?  How do they communicate with the flight attendants? with ATC? What is said between them … and what is not said?

I have nearly completed my white paper on the Colgan Air Accident, with a focus on the personal situational awareness of the Captain.  Email me if you’d like a copy … or stay tuned!

Remember, it isn’t what he said, it’s what they think they heard.

The human factors in aviation accidents is fascinating. Looking at this from a communications perspective, one of the events that sticks out in my mind, probably because it happens frequently to all of us, is the air traffic controller made a statement to the Captain. The Captain, unsure he heard it correctly, repeated it to the co-pilot, in the form of a question. The co-pilot heard it as a statement.

This accident occurred in 1980. ATC gave a Dan Air pilot clearance to descend with no delay. Very quickly after that communication, the controller gave a holding command. This was not standard, and was unclear. The Captain immediately acknowledged the command and accepted the hold by repeating what he thought he heard.

The Captain, not wanting to appear rude [culturally incorrect to ask to have the command repeated after it has been acknowledged], repeated it to the first officer in the form of a question. The Captain’s personality was fairly non-communicative, and the first officer took his question as a statement. The first officer, reluctant to admit that he was unsure, responded with “Yeah”.

The Captain then mentioned his own doubts, as did the first officer. A lengthy dialogue ensued, trying to clear up the command confusion. The communication between the two never became clear. All too soon the Ground Proximity Warning System [GPWS] sounded. After the captain turned the aircraft, the sound went off, giving the Captain and first officer a false sense of security.

Less than ten minutes after the original clearance, the plane crashed below the summit of Pico de Cinguel. There were no survivors.

It wasn’t what ATC said, it’s what the Captain thought he heard … then questioned himself.

I was waiting to be seated at a restaurant when I overheard this conversation between a consultant [c] and a client or prospect [cp] .. I couldn’t tell which. C:  The people you are talking with that you want to buy your service … are you connecting with them? (more…)