I am often asked what Crew Resource Management (CRM) from the cockpit has to do with the everyday life of a leader. I am happy to share two examples with you.
Example 1: "Card Game"
In CRM, the rules to be followed often contradict what we feel: reservations about speaking to people who are far above or below us in the hierarchy. Communication should flow smoothly in BOTH directions: from the top down AND from the bottom up. That is the goal. Especially the "old hands" among the captains found it difficult to leave behind the traditional hierarchical rules, even though they had long recognized the advantages of CRM.
What does aviation do in such cases?
They provide assistance in the form of checklists and the like. These quickly and succinctly guide through new or deviating situations from the established routine. This led psychologists and methodology specialists to the idea of printing the golden rules of communication from CRM on small, postcard-sized cards. Especially US airlines offer these, and even older and highly experienced captains carry these cards. They affectionately call it their "CRM toolkit." One card with the heading "Effective Communication" reads (own translation):
- Be clear - avoid imprecise terms
- Be direct - avoid hints
- Be concise - say only what is necessary for the message
- Be timely - address it when the situation requires it
- No longer talking
- No longer listening
- Haste
- Uncertainty
- Confusion
Example 2: "Magic Phrase"
Now, recognizing these warning signs is one thing. The other is knowing how to react to them. In this context, during CRM training, I was taught this magic phrase: "What do you consider appropriate?" And I have been using this phrase abundantly and gladly in approaching conflicts since then. Here is an example from my own experienced crew daily life: Before a flight from Lanzarote to Hamburg, the first officer (F/O) mentioned concerns about the limited fuel reserve on board. The captain was convinced there was enough fuel in the tanks. Instead of shutting down the F/O by saying, "You lack experience, I am the captain and I'm telling you there is enough fuel on board," he engaged with him. They discussed the options together: "We cannot take more fuel as it would exceed our maximum takeoff weight." "A diversion - for example, to Seville - would mean at least an hour delay and cost the airline nearly €10,000 - not to mention the missed connections." They discussed for a few minutes. Finally, the captain asked, "What do you consider appropriate?" They agreed to check the fuel consumption and weather conditions more frequently than required and to divert to Seville at the first sign of fuel shortage. "That's great," the F/O said. The captain had taken his concerns seriously. He avoided spending the entire flight in a tense human atmosphere. The team functioned as it should, with full interpersonal performance. This is crucial for survival in the cockpit, especially in an emergency. In this case, the captain had it easy, as the F/O did not hesitate to express his concerns to the captain, who was unknown to him personally and his superior. He had been trained in CRM as a young pilot for this purpose. I believe it is a good example of how a hierarchical structure can be lived and worked on eye level and psychologically safely together, whether in the cockpit, in a company, a bank, or in a clinic.