By Focus Group Executive Secretariat

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of articles on leaders of the Naval Air Systems Command focus groups. The People Focus Group is one of five focus groups chartered 10 months ago by NAVAIR senior leadership to address and solve common issues throughout the command.

To overcome the challenges of retaining good people and core capabilities, the Naval Air Systems Command recently initiated its “Campaign for People” under the leadership of the People Focus Group (PeFG). Heading this effort as co-leads for the NAVAIR PeFG are Rear Adm. Jeff Cook, NAVAIR vice commander, and Ed Greer, director of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Atlantic Ranges and Facilities Department, the official advocates for the more than 28,000 people working across the command.

The “Campaign for People” integrates personnel programs to enhance recruiting, retention and career development. This effort will be led by a strategic planning group that “will look across the team to identify initiatives that are lagging which are viewed as crucial in the war for good people,” Cook said. “We will highlight those and beat the drum to get them taken care of. Our future as a team, as a corporation, depends on us winning this campaign.”

Cook and Greer were appointed as co-leads for the NAVAIR People Focus Group (PeFG) last November. “People are the most important part of our organization,” Greer said. “Some say that but I really believe it. The added responsibility is worth it to me if the people of NAVAIR benefit from it.”
With 33 years of military service, Cook admits that the idea of using focus groups to make command decisions is a new way of doing business for the military and at NAVAIR.

“Collaborative management and working in teams is much more in vogue now than when I first joined the service,” Cook said. “While we still have our military-like chain of command for accountability purposes, and good order and discipline, coming together in less formal teams for common interests is really conducive to the kinds of achievements that we want to make.”

The PeFG operates as the catalyst for improving the NAVAIR work environment and people-related programs. Greer said any success with these programs is a result of the coordination between the PeFG and Corporate Operations, AIR-7.0, which has a responsibility for helping to implement and sustain these programs.

One common concern identified in last year’s Quality of Work Life survey was that the command did not recognize and thank people enough for their contributions.

“We made a concerted effort to increase the number of not only informal ways to recognize people but also formal awards like the Commander’s Award and other ceremonies,” Cook said.

To recognize and honor the hard work by NAVAIR employees, the first NAVAIR Teammate Appreciation Month was held in June with various events and promotions scheduled throughout the command. The Awards and Recognition subgroup of the PeFG continues to enhance a Web site dedicated to NAVAIR merchandise that includes digital images and descriptions of available merchandise.

“We established this Web site to inform supervisors about opportunities to recognize employees for good work,” Greer said. “It also provides employees with information on where to purchase NAVAIR merchandise.”
For more information on the NAVAIR Merchandise Web site and to view the policy created for leadership walkabouts, access the site from the WingSpan portal (https://wingspan.navair.navy.mil) and click on “Personnel” and then on “People Web site” under the “Quality of Work Life” heading. There is also an awards toolkit with information on eligibility criteria, descriptions and samples of NAVAIR team awards, as well as a checklist for praising employees. This can be accessed directly from the “Hot Off The Press” section of WingSpan.

The PeFG sponsors key initiatives of the NAVAIR Career Development Office, including the mentoring program and a new supervisory development curriculum. The commandwide mentoring program has a Web-based mentor directory and a toolkit for mentors and mentees located at https://home.navair.navy.mil/cdo/mentor/ or can be accessed from the WingSpan portal.

“Investing in the training and education of some of our promising young people should be one of our priorities,” Cook said. “Showing confidence and faith, and being willing to invest in our young people is one of the most powerful things we can do.”

The focus group also established an exit interview questionnaire for all personnel departing NAVAIR or changing competencies. The questionnaire is available online by visiting https://wingspan.navair.navy.mil and clicking on “Personnel.”

“This will help us gather consistent data nationwide to improve recruitment, development and retention initiatives,” said Greer, who admits that the success of the focus groups in integrating NAVAIR efforts may not be seen overnight.

Cook agreed and said, “The People Focus Group, along with the other focus groups, is one of the main tools that we have in place to continue the pursuit of horizontal integration. Through the focus groups, we bring together people from various levels, sites, business units and competencies who share common interests. It is through this that we can achieve our vision of one team and capture the type of efficiencies that will be critical in keeping us efficient and competitive in the years ahead.”

Greer and Cook said their e-mail is always open to teammates for recommended improvements to people-related programs.

(Call Renee Hatcher at 301-757-6637 for more information concerning this release.)

PHOTO CAPTIONS

Rear Adm. Jeff Cook, NAVAIR vice commander joins Cherry Point personnel on the H-53 production line for lunch on June 8 in observance of Teammate Appreciation Month. (Photo by Larry Conley)

Ed Greer, director of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Atlantic Ranges and Facilities Department, calls a recent softball game between the department’s Ground and Flight Test teams. (Photo by Jennifer Amber)