REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (Sept. 16, 2024) – What is the speed of trust?
Leaders at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center are studying the answer in the Leading at the Speed of Trust class, facilitated by the Center’s Organizational Development Branch.
The class, part of the Franklin Covey leadership program, addresses not only how crucial trust is in a healthy organization, but how to establish that trust – and how to regain trust when it is broken.
Class attendee Deanna Ivey said that while trust seems so obviously necessary, it is not always evaluated as a needed part of a team.
“Trust is such an important part of our work environment,” said Ivey, who is part of the Center’s Program Integration group. “It sets the tone for your entire team. Trust can be a cornerstone for a productive, growing, empowered team. It even relates to the cost of doing business. When we do not trust others or we do not feel trusted, it affects our productivity and performance, therefore increasing the costs to support that effort.”
It's a class that can provide some thought-provoking ideas, said ODB Team Program Analyst Bobby Rumsey.
“Hopefully, they leave seeing the world through the lens that trust is the foundation of relationships in both work and personal life. Once they can see and understand that, then they will begin to establish, repair, and extend trust,” Rumsey said.
“Sometimes, during the course people find themselves looking outward and thinking about people they don’t trust, and situations or relationships broken by a lack of trust. As they leave and begin to process the experience, hopefully they begin to look inward and realize that they have to start with themselves.”
It’s not your typical training course – it is in-person, interactive and draws on a leader’s personal experiences.
“Beyond the curriculum, I particularly benefited from candid discussions with three coworkers who had over 100 years combined experience at AvMC,” said Jeffrey Gaddes, with the Center’s Aviation ManTech group. “Their practical, first-hand experiences with both trustworthy and ineffective leadership are invaluable for applying the course concepts.”
The motivation behind offering the class to civil servants touches on one of the foundational elements of the Army, said the course facilitator and ODB Team Program Analyst Mike Snyder.
“All of our AvMC employees are leaders who can develop, extend, and restore trust within their teams. They made connections or reconnected in person with other leaders during class. These connections can assist in collaboration with work and help each other solve future challenges.”
What sets this training apart is that it is mobile and the ODB will bring it to the workforce by tailoring training events to meet the needs of the supervisor requesting onsite support, according to ODB Chief Lynn Bradley. It is bringing information and skills to teams across AvMC that will be used for years to come.
“Mike and Bobby also provided valuable advice regarding public speaking, helped guide us in a listening session, and got the ball rolling to help us develop a culture statement, said Travis Massa, team lead for the Liaison Engineering Branch’s Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Division, stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. “We are gratefully that AvMC has this internal resource.”
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As part of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, a subordinate of the U.S. Army Futures Command, DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center serves as the Army’s primary center for developing, integrating, demonstrating and sustaining Army aviation and missile systems. For more than six decades, DEVCOM AvMC has delivered cutting-edge aviation and missile technologies and it continues to drive the advancement of future capabilities to ensure war-winning future readiness and battlefield dominance.
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