British Aerospace Learn Leadership Skills from RAF Halton
As part of RAF Halton’s ongoing commitment to engage with and develop professional relationships with civilian organisations, the Airmen’s Command Squadron (ACS) have recently delivered a bespoke RAF Leadership Programme training package to eight British Aerospace (BAE) junior managers.
The aim of the training was to introduce the BAE team to modern RAF thinking on leadership and to provide them with opportunities to put theory into practice through a series of structured exercises. The programme enabled delegates to develop their leadership and communication skills whilst installing team cohesion, courage and mental robustness in a military environment. Delegates also gained an insight into the culture of the RAF and had the opportunity to engage face to face with RAF personnel.
The course consisted of short classroom style discussions on various aspects of leadership theory which were complimented by practical application sessions covering subjects such as self awareness, teamwork and leadership. The course culminated with a session on the high ropes facility where their trust and leadership were tested.
Farrell Butcher, a procurement manager for BAE, said: “This course has taken us out of our comfort zone with a team building event that saw us blindfolded where you learn complete trust in the team. It has taught us how to see the bigger picture and understand of how we can do better with our management skills. Feedback has been a very big part of it, learning how to give and take constructive feedback has been useful. We were virtual strangers before we came here but have had some lively conversations in the bar.”
Both Danny Green and Adam Withenshaw who are both frightened of heights said that they would not have been able to take part in the high ropes exercises on the first day of the course but with the leadership training and the instruction into how to think things through differently, they decided to talk football on the way up to the high wire to take their minds off the height and it worked. Danny said he would give: “a lot more consideration to the end goal when tasking a member of the team, as most of the courses we do for BAE are classroom based, we don’t get as much out of training but this is second to none.”
The instructors involved in delivering training were Sgt Matt Rodda, Sgt Matt Williams, Sgt Woody Johns and Flight Sergeant Gaz Smith. Sgt Rodda said: “Sharing best practice, understanding and collaborating with civilian organisations and similarity of workplaces, as the RAF shrinks, has been high on the agenda. We have found that the problems that the BAE students have are much the same as the military have to deal with, but the course is about looking at problems and approaching them another way.”