7 Jun 2011

Service and volunteerism

True service is an attitude that always involves sacrifice, and is a constant battle to do what you believe or know you should do versus what you want to do.Serving others and volunteering comes very naturally for some. For those individuals, service can be an automatic response when there is a call for help or volunteers. For others, this does not

25 May 2011

Reflection -- A key to improvement

An interesting event happened to me the other day. While taking a long road trip I had some time to myself and realized how long it had been since I took time to really think.Without the ringing of the phone or another pop-up e-mail message, having only the hum of the tires on the highway, I discovered how long it had been since I really took time

17 May 2011

Mirror, mirror on the wall…

"Who in this land is fairest of all?" or similar words would be the natural response of most people that see the title of this article.I would guess that the vast majority of folks are familiar with the fairy tale of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and of the magical mirror that her evil stepmother possessed. In the story, this mirror would

11 May 2011

Keys to a successful Compliance Inspection -- solid programs, positive attitude

Team Vance, it's crunch time, it's personal, it's the Compliance Inspection, and it's just you and the Inspector General.So what's the outcome going to be; Satisfactory, Excellent or Outstanding?What is it going to take to successfully get through the CI? Simply put, solid programs and a positive attitude!Now, I am a realist. I know that is easier

4 May 2011

Make the call!

I'm sure he was nervous. After all, he was umpiring his first major league baseball game and millions of fans in TV-land would be watching his every move.No doubt he felt those fluttering "butterflies" long before the first batter even stepped up to the plate. Surely he questioned his readiness on the baseball diamond and wondered if he was

4 May 2011

Team Vance is excellent in all we do!

Watch any professional athlete and you will see them exhibit focused precision as they practice and prepare for their next challenge. Team Vance has shown that same focused precision as we prepared for our upcoming Compliance Inspection.On May 16, more than 115 inspectors and augmenters from Headquarters, Air Education and Training Command, will

26 Apr 2011

You don’t have to be royalty to have a royal marriage

There has been a lot of preparation and publicity building up to the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Experts on the British royal family have, for months, been explaining many of the complexities involved in a royal wedding.But in a matter of hours the royal wedding will be over and their marriage will begin. But you don't have to be

19 Apr 2011

Freedom of speech is not freedom to speak

"Just because you can say it, doesn't mean you should." That's a great motto to live by and one that has served me well for my first 28 years of military service -- when I was smart enough to follow it.The military not only recommends refraining from certain forms of speech, it expressly prohibits it. We have rules, laws and codes that cover all

13 Apr 2011

Keeping people safe -- even when their actions defy logic

You can't fix stupid... or can you?In the safety business, I am constantly exposed to mishap reports that describe how people become involved in accidents. In some cases the individual does something that defies all logic and clearly does not pass the common sense test.Unfortunately, as French philosopher Voltaire said, "Common sense is not so

5 Apr 2011

Know your opportunity cost

Everyone knows how to calculate the cost of buying something. First, you want an item. Then you shop around, find the best price, buy it, and add sales tax if necessary. Then it's yours, with the numbers on a receipt that show how much you paid.What the receipt doesn't show you is "opportunity cost."Opportunity cost is the cost of not being able to