Management Guidance for a Younger Business Aviation Workforce

As more workers in their 20s are taking the reins at business aviation operations, management experts have a few pointers for older managers on how to successfully oversee the transition.

Often, younger people entering an established flight operation come in with a proven commitment to understanding and following the rules already established by business aviation. The advanced pilot ratings or A&P certificate they hold prove that level of professionalism.

One of the most significant generational shift problems is the company’s failure to tell new hires what said rules are.

“You must have clear expectations about what you expect from your new hires, which must be clearly communicated. It’s not a guessing game,” explained Dustin Cordier, founder and head coach for StepZero Coaching. “Nobody comes in knowing what your company culture is.

“No one is going to guess what you want them to do,” Cordier added. “You cannot overcommunicate these expectations, roles, and responsibilities, and you need to do it consistently and in the best interest for everyone involved.”

Beware of Popular Myths

Another error too many business aviation managers make is thinking that each member of a particular generation will act like you think they “should.”

“Buying into popular myths about the generational differences is a huge error and it’s no way to properly prepare your team for new additions,” said Bruce Tulgan, CEO of Rainmaker Thinking. “You have to treat these new hires as professionals and as individuals. Not every Gen-Zer wants to bring their dog to work.” But some might.

So, what should you do if one of your “younger generation” hires make what seem to be unreasonable requests regarding their work environment?

“If you’re handling your onboarding correctly that won’t be an issue,” Tulgan said. “You have to make sure you are training them every day to make them understand how things are done and why they are done that way.

“They need to clearly understand why your expectations are reasonable in your environment,” he continued. “You need to ask yourself, ‘What am I doing today to help them understand why this is important and what is the quid pro quo for any special rewards they want. You are their leader.”

Solutions Start With the Right Hire

Cordier said that one of the biggest reasons flight departments get caught in generational turbulence is that they are too quick to fill a vacant position.

“When you hire too fast you often hire the wrong people. We need to step back and take the time to hire someone who’s aligned with the established culture within the department,” Cordier said. “Make sure that the person who gets the job really wants the job and to be part of what you do.”

Another common mistake is assuming that all of the people who are on your team currently know and follow the standards of behavior you expect. If nobody complains or there is no apparent strife, it’s easy to think that all’s well.

“All we can do is set the standards for behavior and performance that the organization expects and be very clear that these are minimum expectations,” said Cordier. “If additional training is required to align things, then that’s what you need to do. It’s the employer’s responsibility to develop and reinforce these skills.”

Of course, to be successful, all this requires strong leadership, including middle-level managers with direct reports. It’s their job to set the standard for their direct reports.

“Leadership culture is a huge piece today,” Tulgan said. “You have to continually audit your leadership culture, and ask: What is their level of leadership training? Are they, and you, using solid, evidence-based leadership practices so that we are going to get better work out of the best people?”

Speaking of leadership, Tulgan said that one of the biggest misperceptions about the “younger generation,” that is pervasive today, is that they don’t want strong leaders.

He explained that based on insights gained from his 31 years of working with “the next generation,” that perception is false. Young people, especially those who choose skilled professions like “pilots and maintainers,” want strong leadership that challenges them to do better.

But, like everything in life, it’s easy to follow popular beliefs when it comes to (not) facing up to problems.

“If you want to solve personnel issues, then stop blaming the ‘new’ people in your workplace,” Tulgan said. “It’s your company, and you make the rules. As the leader, you are the one with the responsibility and owe it to yourself, your team, and the company to be a strong, success-oriented leader.”