Small Gestures ... Big Dividends

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Yolanda Bledsoe
  • 35th AMDS
Promotions, retirements, rendering a salute, giving a firm handshake; how about saying "hello" as you pass people in your work environment or when you are out in the community? Even a smile or nod of acknowledgement would be a great start. What about supporting squadron and base intramural teams, and attending different community events? Are we missing opportunities? 

These simple gestures, customs and courtesies appear to some as very small fish in the big scheme of what we do on a daily basis; so much so that we hardly notice when they slip away or disappear altogether. In fact, the rise of technology, or digital era, has created an environment where we communicate less and less in person and more and more through electronic devices. 

During General Carrol Chandler's most recent visit to Misawa, he so eloquently provided some powerful words. "We need to find ways to continue to be analog in a digital world!"
Our steadfast reliance on computers, e-mail, fax machines, cell phones, and many other technological devices offer many conveniences for us but they have also changed our lifestyle drastically. Technological advances have created faster-paced environments and forced us to respond and work at a greater pace to maintain the workload. In an effort to keep up with the perpetual inbox, incoming taskers and text messages, the natural tendency is for people to withdraw to ensure they can answer those taskers and clear the inbox in a timely fashion. 

In addition to living and working in faster-paced environments, technology has given us a false sense of security. We complete taskings in a relatively short time frame and can forward those results anywhere in the world in a matter of minutes. And with the speed in which technology allows us to receive, acknowledge and complete projects, we have begun to re-evaluate the amount of personnel it takes to perform daily operations, and in some instances, the human factor has been replaced. 

Over the course of my military career, face-to-face communications, small gestures, and certain customs and courtesies have dwindled while electronic transmissions skyrocketed. As a young lieutenant, I distinctly recall my senior leadership being visible while modeling behaviors and embracing Air Force traditions that they expected junior officers to emulate. My supervisors and commanders made rounds, checking on operations, attending intramural sporting events and getting to know their personnel, both on and off duty. When I look back, I can visualize great promotion and retirement ceremonies, and the pride I had in rendering my first salute. 

As many of you who get to know me quickly realize, there are very few days that I am without a smile on my face and "hello" not far from my lips as I make rounds to the units within the hospital or when out in public. 

We are all aware that the technological era is here to stay. But as supervisors, commanders and leaders, take the time to celebrate time-honored traditions, attend sporting events and visit duty sections, and by all means, take time to say "hello," smile or give them a firm handshake and take pride in every salute. Investing in these small gestures will pay big dividends toward helping us be more "analog in a digital world."