More than a buzzword

However, culture can also cut both ways.

Traditionally, the term culture was used to describe the ideas, customs and social behaviours for various societies around the world. In modern times the term was applied to those qualities as they exist within smaller entities, such as companies and organisations. Aviation took up the terminology and in particular used it in relation to safety, or an airline’s ‘safety culture’. Still, an airline’s culture can be even farther reaching, surfacing in aspects as varied as employee morale and customer relations.

Companies endeavour to breed their culture among new employees from their first days and airlines are no exception. They state their goals and priorities in PowerPoints and posters and the new recruits begin to get a feel for what their new employer is all about – or do they? Indoctrination is merely the first step in developing an airline culture, the contents page at the beginning of the book, so to speak. The true culture will only grow in the individual beyond those first days if it is genuine and evident in the actions of others.

The classroom lessons can be quickly forgotten if line operations do not reflect the ethos that was preached. For unlike the controlled, planned nature of a prepared presentation, airline operations can be chaotic. Despite the best plans, airlines are subject to many variables beyond their control, ranging from weather to technology and more. It is when these external pressures are applied to a culture that it can either hold strong or fold to some other imperative that surfaces.

Time pressures, crewing issues, maintenance, slot times and staffing levels are just a few of the issues that can turn the handle on the vice for flightcrew. In a perfect world, the choreography is seamless and the schedule runs without a glitch. Given the nature of the beast, it is amazing that the very high percentage of flights do run so efficiently and close to schedule. However, when the plan does go astray, crews have to make decisions and prioritise in a manner that will undoubtedly impact upon the many other players in the performance.

An airline’s safety culture can now play a significant role. If safety is truly a priority and not hollow rhetoric then flightcrew decisions are made significantly easier. While they are aware of the commercial significance of their decisions, a sound culture puts every pilot on the same page as to where their priorities lie. They may have slightly differing interpretations and ways of achieving the end goal, but there is harmony in the overriding need for standard operating procedures, safety and a resistance to succumbing to the ticking clock.

And when the broader culture is healthy, its impact reaches beyond the flightdeck. It can be sensed in the tone of crew room chatter and the general ‘buzz’ about the workplace. Pilots want to be there and be a part of the effort and know that what they do beyond manipulating the aircraft is appreciated and valued. They are proud to be ambassadors for their airline.

Unfortunately, the other side of the coin can also be true.

When an airline’s culture is broken, or at least in need of repair, the crew room chatter takes on an entirely new tone. The high goals and values of the indoctrination seem to have been lost at some point, or diluted in the increasing pressure-cooker of commercial operations. All the promotion of positive communication seems to have faded to an echo that nobody hears.

At these times a pilot’s professional integrity must cut through the haze and firmly apply the skill-set and procedures that have been trained into them over the years. Furthermore, for those with experience, there is a need to foster a positive culture for those junior pilots who are just beginning their journey.

Cultures, good and bad, can permeate all branches of the operation and for better or worse, those in the pilot’s uniform can often be the focus of attention. Consequently, culture needs to filter from flight operations management down in actions as much as words to those who fly the line.

How they interact with their crews, engineers, ground staff and passengers can have a significant effect. Culture does not begin with engine start and cease when the brakes are parked.

While the concept is growing, it should also be valued and not taken for granted. Just as the recovery of a disillusioned passenger’s business is far more difficult than retaining it in the first place – the same can be said for an airline’s culture. It can take years to cultivate. Nurtured from the ground up and encouraged from the top down, it makes the workplace a happier and safer place, blended with professional pride. However, if an airline’s culture is taken for granted, it can be a long, hard road to recover with relationships and trust the first bridges that need to be mended.

A sound operational culture doesn’t make any great noise, but creates a positive environment for all of those within its spectrum. Aviation at all levels needs a sound culture as safety is intertwined with its core principles of integrity, professionalism and communication. And while an airline’s culture may sit silently in the background, it is vital that it is fostered in a positive way. For as the song goes, “you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone”