Northwest Aerospace News February | March Issue No. 13 | Page 114

PNAA: TRANSFORMING THE
BEDROCK OF THE AEROSPACE COMMUNITY
BY: FIONA MCKAY-READY
PNAA Deputy Executive Director
As the decade draws to a close, we
find ourselves in an unprecedented
era both for aerospace and the
population at large. With social
movements and the changing tide of
technology, our working environments
are going through significant shifts,
providing new challenges and opportunities for Humans
of all backgrounds. There is no better time to question our
culture and our leadership – and to ask ourselves, “how
can we transform to secure our future?” PNAA itself is
in a period of transformation, and as we go through this
journey, it is an honor to explore it with our members
through programs designed to enhance leadership and
promote Diversity & Inclusion.
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS
AN ENGAGED WORKFORCE: NEXT GENERATION LEADERSHIP
Employee engagement is a widely-recognized driver of
organizational success and is one of few factors that
manufacturers can control. According to a Gallup report,
manufacturing organizations with engaged employees
enjoy improved levels of safety, retention, absenteeism,
quality, and profitability. However, they also report that for
at least two decades in manufacturing, the engagement
gap has remained relatively constant. It is often found
that leadership style is strongly correlated. Multiple
reports refer to traditional aerospace leadership as one
of “command and control,” with hierarchy, bureaucracy
and strict discipline at the core. This can result in a fear-
based environment and the lack of flexibility can stifle
innovation. Some aerospace companies are leading the
charge in changing their culture, while others could benefit
significantly from learning lessons from peer industries.
Our whole sector will benefit from transition out of this
and embracing more engaging models of leadership that
encourage independent thinking and open communication,
while recognizing the learning opportunities in – dare I say
– failure!
PNAA ADVANCE / 2020