A time for looking forward

But one of the most critical planning functions is to ensure your company is investing in its people – and not only sound remuneration.

Yes, the money has to meet the market but there are other aspects to human resource management – people – that are about more than money.

Companies that put an emphasis on training and empowering their people – within the bounds of sound systems, written standards and their enforcement – regularly outperform those that don’t demonstrate that understanding.

Aerial application is a great example of small teams being able to do extraordinary things – managing a hostile aviation environment, protecting susceptible crops and sensitive areas while applying chemicals and nutrients. But it is the combination of good systems and excellent training that allows aerial applicators to repeat these good results year in and year out, without losses, mistakes or accidents.

Companies have to be a good place to work to keep good workers. In this time of skills shortages, especially in rural and regional Australia, the story your company can tell about its important contribution to producing food and fibre and protecting the community from bushfires and its ‘feel’ – open communications and an enjoyable work atmosphere – is critical to finding and keeping good people.

Systems and operational certainty should be positive additions to aviation safety and the company ‘feel’. And of course the boss has to ‘walk the talk’. That means leadership.

And being honest about the importance of safety above all else. No winks and nods here or company performance will turn toxic.

A great concept for understanding workplace culture is to think of it as “the way we do things when the boss isn’t here”. If your company hasn’t taken the time to quantify the way the boss wants things done, the boss shouldn’t be surprised when things don’t go according to the company’s ‘secret’ plan or assumptions.

Training is an investment in your company’s future. A sensible annual training spend supports your people and helps establish a ‘learning’ or adaptive culture. It builds resilience into your systems through continuous improvement and opens your eyes to the world and better ways of doing things.

A good rule of thumb on how much to spend on training is in one of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s training benchmarks to qualify as a sponsor for 457 visas: the company must be able to demonstrate it has spent one per cent of recent payroll on training.

Is this enough for your company training? Only you will know but there is a fair chance, in Australia’s small to medium aviation businesses, that this amount will be more than you are currently spending.

And aviation business owners probably know that in their gut.

Of course, it isn’t training for its own sake, it’s training to increase the capacity of your company so you can be more profitable. And perhaps one of the biggest areas overlooked is the training the boss needs.

Just because you – the boss – are the world’s best pilot does not mean that you are automatically the world’s best manager. Some extra training in business issues might be just what you need to start thinking like a business owner and manager rather than a pilot.

If you need help making that transition, there are no shortages of programs or training available, including AAAA’s own Aerial Improvement Management System.

Similarly, being a pilot does not mean you have automatic skills in time management, organising yourself – and especially in organising others. These are all areas where there are plenty of good courses available. All that’s missing is your interest, especially as the business owner, in giving yourself some tools to manage better.

So where to start with understanding investing in training? Think about and write down what each position in your company does and the skills needed. Then have a look at your current staff and their skill sets. At its simplest, the difference is where you put the training dollar. And if you are the boss, include an honest appraisal of yourself, especially on your capacity to lead your company and the skills you have to manage safety, people, finance and systems.

Knowing what skills, guidance and support you and your people need to do the job is a critical part of being a sound manager.

The current agricultural outlook presents a great opportunity for aerial application business owners and staff to start building a better industry by having a close look at improving the skills within each company.

There’s never been a better time to invest in the future of aerial application. n Australian Aviation is proud to be the official supporting journal of the Aerial Agricultural Association of Australia. The views in this column are those of the AAAA and not necessarily Australian Aviation’s.