Prepare Airmen for success Published Nov. 29, 2006 By Chief Master Sgt. Ron Prewitt 71st Medical Group Vance Air Force Base, Okla. -- Many things in life that are worthwhile and successful all begin with a solid foundation. Setting Airmen up for success is no different. In more than 24 years in this great Air Force, I have witnessed and experienced the results of weak and solid foundations. I firmly believe the foundation for success is the feedback system. Feedbacks done properly will not only set the Airman up for success, but also the supervisor, and consequently, the Air Force. Feedbacks need to communicate the supervisor's expectations clearly, be realistic and be achievable. Rather than telling an airman duty hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., tell him or her you expect him or her to be ready to work at 7:30 a.m., not walking in the door at that time. Don't leave your expectations out there for interpretation; make it clear. Give examples of what you mean when you talk about an expectation. When I think of feedbacks gone wrong, I think of an incident that happened early in my career. A staff sergeant who worked for me came into my office livid because an Airman did not drop everything he was doing and do what the sergeant needed. I asked the sergeant to explain to me exactly what happened. He told me he asked the Airman if he could put away some supplies when he got a chance. The Airman said yes, and continued completing the task he was currently working on. The sergeant's expectations were for the Airman to stop what he was doing and put the supplies away. Now, had the sergeant told the Airman, "I need you to stop what you are doing and put these supplies away," I guarantee there would have been no confusion. As you can see, good communication is the key to conveying what you expect, then follow through to make sure understanding has taken place. Expectations also need to be realistic and achievable. While it is important to challenge individuals, it is also important not to overload them to the point they cannot complete anything successfully because they are spread so thin. The tasks may get accomplished but the quality has suffered. Each individual has different strengths you as a supervisor need to capitalize on to increase confidence, and then keep building on that foundation. If you have set an expectation in your initial feedback and now realize it is not realistic or achievable, change it. Flexibility is not just the key to airpower, it applies here as well. One more important point to remember when doing feedbacks -- they should, at a minimum, meet the expectations of your superiors. Now, will a good feedback guarantee a sharp troop, a trouble-free life? The answer is no, but you will definitely set the Airman up for success if you have laid out clear, realistic and achievable expectations through the feedback system. Build a solid foundation that will set the Airmen you supervise up for success, and will spread like a wild fire as they become supervisors and follow your example.