Merriam Webster’s Definition of
Opportunity
1: a favorable juncture of circumstances the halt provided an opportunity for rest and refreshment
2: a good chance for advancement or progress
It’s pretty well-known that opportunities are critical in the advancement of your career. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in my career is not waiting for opportunities to come around. You must seek them out or, even better, make you own.
When I first started working in an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) as a squadron Noncommissioned Officer (NCO), I knew that being geographically separated from a military base was going to be difficult. After a few months, I felt like I was lacking in professional development. My unit only had 2 Enlisted members, making it extremely difficult to find that mentorship from Senior Enlisted Leaders. This was the first time I felt a lack of career guidance.
One day, I was thinking hard about this and thought, What can I do? This was the beginning of 2020 and COVID19. We had just discovered the glories of Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and virtual meetings. So, I called up my First Sergeant and asked if she would support me if I wanted to create a virtual Professional Development Team? She quickly gave her full open support.
I then got a team of 5 strong NCOs together. We published our first seminar, Bullet Writing, and it had about 40 NCOs across our AFROTC enterprise. Shortly after that, another Region created the first virtual 5/6 Counsel.
Before we knew it, all Regions were mandated to have one, and together, this started a new era of leadership opportunities for NCOs in AFROTC.
Moral of my story, don’t wait for opportunities, period.
Sometimes we are put in positions where we don’t get the type of leadership support we need. We may not have opportunities; we may not have leadership positions or progression is limited. If there is something missing in your units, you can make a change.
Often we might ask, “How can I do this?” or maybe we doubt it would be effective or even make a difference. We may not have the time it takes to get things going. If you wait for an easier or more convenient opportunity to happen, then it may never happen. Trust me! The time you wait is also time wasted. You must be able to persist past these difficult complexities and make it happen.
What if my leadership doesn’t listen to me? Show people there is a need. Most of the time, people are only worried about what is in front of them. As leaders, we (yes, me too) get caught up in demands, deadlines, and missions that we forget about anything outside of our daily scope.
When you are trying to accomplish something new, people have to see there is a need for it and its potential impact for them. If you present things in a way that shows an issue and you created a solution, people are more willing to give you a chance, especially if it improves something for the mission.
Now, I will say, in some units, leaders just don’t listen—especially when you are a young Airman or new unit member who just came in. There will always be leaders who are not open, and this is another layer that needs to be worked through before you can continue forward.
When it comes to having new ideas, it’s challenging for leaders to want to adapt to change. This is where you will have put time into creating a good pitch. It’s crucial to highlight the improvement in a way that speaks to them. If they are worried about numbers, show them numbers. If they are worried about time, show them how your idea saves time.
Sometimes you have to continuously sell them this idea. If they don’t like a part of it, work with them on improving it. When you include others in your plans and ideas, they become invested, even if you don’t 100% agree with every part of it. If it still achieves the same overall objective, then it’s a step in the right direction.
Don’t count yourself out. I’m telling you, it’s worth taking on. Work never gets lighter, and there is never a better time. Putting 30 minutes to 1 hour a week into developing new ideas is worth it. You and your career should be a priority.
Not sure how to innovate? Look at your current organization. What do you need? Is your office struggling with turn-over, communication, or do you feel disconnected from your team? What are some ways you can improve these situations? What if you created a new product that helped with shift change, or what if you worked with your unit leadership on ways to improve a certain area?
You don’t have to wait for opportunities, you can create your own.
