Building Strong Teams to Meet Industry Challenges Continued from page 33 MEDIAN age of an A&P was 51 years old. Anecdotally, I can also say this: a large percentage of those graduating from A&P school are being poached to other industries at higher pay. This also means that any A&P furloughed because of COVID-19 will be attractive to another industry and, because of transferable skills, and they will find secure, long-term employment. For pilots who do return, there are the issues to con- sider—type ratings, recurrent training, and competing airline pay scales. In other words, it may be very expen- sive to find a highly qualified captain. I firmly believe that the issue is so acute that the air- lines are boxed in completely. A mass layoff of pilots or mechanics will create a void that will take years to close. Balancing Short-Term Requirements versus Long-Term Needs COVID-19 will cause business aviation some short- term pain. By the time this is printed Dassault will have announced some major layoffs. Others already have. In Q3 2019, layoffs were announced by Gulfstream and Textron Aviation. Leave no doubt that several charter/charter-manage- ment companies, FBOs, and MROs will be feeling the pinch with a reduction of flying hours. Recent Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) activity in the Part 135 arena could not have been more poorly timed and, in the short- term, cash/liquidity maintenance will be crucial, at least until we understand where we, as a country, will be economically. Balancing short-term cash needs against long-term requirements will be a strenuous effort for many. Layoffs versus Business Success In September 2019, Gulfstream cut 3.5% of its workforce (446 positions). For anyone watching closely, Gulfstream’s actions negatively affected a certain range of professional—Sr. Manager and Director level with 25 to 35 years tenure. In layman’s terms, Gulfstream took out an entire layer of middle management. Is the company still recruiting? Of course! Technology is changing and new skills will be needed. Long-term business success means continually evalu- ating present versus future needs, and companies should always be evaluating and recruiting talent, particularly in troubled times. How to Ensure Your Best People Stay Furloughing people as a matter of survival hurts. But, when it becomes a necessity, it is essential to create a culture that gets the best people to stay. This can be done via simple concepts. Focus: Employees will get very nervous as they watch their peers exit the premises and will want to know the “why,” as they simultaneously and proactively polish their resumes. The questions in their mind are, “Other than just a job, why are we staying with this company?” and “Am I next?” This is a great time to re-engage your focus as a busi- ness leader to get employees to understand “they are here today to build for tomorrow.” It is also a great time to cre- ate or re-emphasize the company’s mission statement. “Just holding on” is not a strategy that great employ- ees will stick around for. Your best teammates want to be part of something great and, if allowed to do so, will provide monumental strength in the rebuilding effort. Culture: Steve Jobs famous quote is “A small team of A+ players can run circles around a giant team of B and C play- ers.” To that regard, “A” Players want to work with “A” players. Smart leaders will work hard to keep the “A” players while releasing those who do not embrace corporate values, are toxic, or do not provide excep- tional value as an employee. Great employees will build up other employees and, together, they will make themselves better. Continued on page 37 Aviation Business Journal | Spring 2020 35
