Are You an Effective Flight Attendant?

If you travel a great deal, undoubtedly you have flown in one of those small planes with one seat on either side of a narrow aisle. If you are over 6’0 you have to duck just to get to your seat. Don’t dare try fitting into the restroom. Aside from being a little cramped (to say the least), what most people hate about these small commuter planes is how sensitive they are to turbulence. It seems as though you are riding a yo-yo.

I grew accustomed to riding in those “crop dusters” while I was at Cornell for graduate school since we had such a small airport. I listened to a young lady scream off and on for nearly two hours while we experienced some heavy turbulence on a flight back to school from a holiday break. I often joke that she must have packed her frontal lobes in her luggage and stored them under the plane because she certainly wasn’t using them to regulate her emotions.

Though I could appreciate her discomfort, I thought my best bet was to observe the flight attendant. Why might I have done that? Well, I figured the young man had been through this before. He had more inside knowledge about the situation than me. Had the pilot experienced any trouble, he would have known. Had the turbulence felt particularly threatening, he would have known. If there were problems with the equipment on the plane, he would have known. I wasn’t as concerned with what he might say. I was more intent on watching his body language. He seemed calm. He was hardly bothered by this unsettling turbulence. He even smiled at the screaming young lady to try to put her at ease. I felt comfortable because he seemed comfortable.

If you are an executive, a supervisor, an HR professional, or even an informal leader in your organization, just like that young man on my flight, you are also a flight attendant. People are watching you for important clues about what is really going on in your organization. Leaders must understand that they talk even when they don’t move their lips. If your body language doesn’t match your words, you may as well be one of the adults on the Peanuts cartoons, Wa Wa Wa Wa Wa. People know that you know, or believe that you know, what’s happening behind the scenes, particular in tough economic times like the one we are experiencing.

Here are a few tips about being a good flight attendant in your organization:

1. Be aware – Know that people are looking to you for leadership, and your behavior sets the tone for them.

2. Be present – Crisis times are when you need most to be out front and accessible. Don’t start eating lunch at your desk, or avoiding eye contact on the elevators.

3. Communicate frequently – While you are always communicating with your body language and attitude, make a special effort to also talk to people. Show them that you care about them.

4. Be honest – Always be open and honest. While there are sometimes things you can’t share, at least let people know that instead of misleading them.

5. Identify support – Leaders are sometimes so intent on being there for everyone else, they sometimes neglect getting help when they need it. Remember, you can hardly be good for anyone else if you are not good to yourself.