Commitment to standards helps define one's character

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Michael Phillips
  • 60th Maintenance Group Quality Assurance
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE,Calif. --  I believe standards are an inescapable part of life and whether we meet them most often comes down to a personal choice. I also believe once we've made that choice, it's our commitment to those standards that determines if we'll enforce them or stay silent.

In my experience, it's the individual commitment to standards and a unit's collective willingness to enforce them that has the greatest affect on an organization's level of excellence.

Webster's II New College Dictionary defines standards as "of average, but acceptable quality." It's no secret Travis is due to have a unit compliance inspection this spring and our success will depend on our level of compliance or how we meet the standards.

As you read this, there are hundreds of people reviewing thousands of checklist items to ensure our programs are "of average, but acceptable quality," but that's only part of the challenge. The rest of it depends on whether we, as individuals, choose to meet the standards, commit to them and demonstrate a willingness to enforce them.

Several years ago, I was crossing a parking lot after a rather heated "mentoring" session with my boss and just as I reached my car and opened the door, "Retreat" sounded. For a split second, I seriously considered jumping in, closing the door and ignoring the music altogether, but chose to throw my notebook on the seat and come to attention instead.

It was at that instant I saw the chief about 20 feet away, already at attention with his back to me. I had no idea what he saw, but based on his reputation, knew I'd find out once the anthem ended. Sure enough, as soon as the music stopped, he turned and thanked me for making the right choice.

During the conversation that followed, he said something that struck a chord with me and guides me to this day. "Every time you fail to enforce a standard, by default you've set a new standard," he said. I thought about it as I got in my car and the more I thought about it, the harder it hit. It was true in every aspect of life. What hit hardest was the realization I had set a lot of new standards.

Sure, I felt really good about the standards in my immediate work center but the reality was I wasn't doing so well in other areas. I had chosen not to correct others for minor uniform infractions or even call my peers out on actions that were less than ideal because they "weren't my problem." I honestly underestimated the impact of my silence.

Can you think of a time when you chose to keep silent instead of speaking out? How about when you're with your friends or peers? Ever let them slide only to see them do the same thing over and over again? Guess what? They're meeting your standards.

As we continue to prepare for the upcoming inspection and beyond, I ask that we all make a personal choice to not only meet the standards, but commit to them and demonstrate a collective willingness to enforce them. Don't let your silence set a new standard.